Green Synthesis, Characterizations of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles from Aqueous Leaf Extract of Tridax procumbens Linn. and Assessment of their Anti-Hyperglycemic Activity in Streptozoticin-Induced Diabetic Rats.

Herein, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were greenly synthesized from Tridax procumbens aqueous leaf extract (TPE) and characterized physically (e.g., Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)) and biologically (test of their anti-diabetic activity). Anti-diabetic activities of TPE and TPE-derived ZnO NPs have been carried out in a streptozotocin (STZ)­induced diabetic rat model. Diabetes mellitus (DM) was induced with a single intraperitoneal dosage of the glucose analogue STZ (55 mg/Kg) known to be particularly toxic to pancreatic insulin-producing beta-cells. TPE and TPE-derived ZnO NPs were administered orally, once every day for 21 days in diabetic rats, at 100 and 200 mg/Kg, respectively. The standard antidiabetic medication, glibenclamide, was used as a control at a dose of 10 mg/Kg. Various parameters were investigated, including bodyweight (bw) variations, glycemia, lipidaemia, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and histopathological alterations in the rat's liver and pancreas. The TPE-mediated NPs were small, spherical, stable, and uniform. Compared to TPE and, to a lesser extent, glibenclamide, TPE-derived ZnO NPs lowered blood glucose levels considerably (p < 0.05) and in a dose-dependent manner while preventing body weight loss. Further, positive benefits for both the lipid profile and glycated hemoglobin were also noticed with TPE-derived ZnO NPs. The histopathological assessment revealed that synthesized TPE-derived ZnO NPs are safe, non-toxic, and biocompatible. At 200 mg/Kg/day, TPE-derived ZnO NPs had a more substantial hypoglycemic response than at 100 mg/Kg/day. Thus, in this first reported experimental setting, ZnO NPs biosynthesized from the leaf extract of Tridax procumbens exert more potent anti-diabetic activity than TPE and glibenclamide. We conclude that such a greenly prepared nanomaterial may be a promising alternative or complementary (adjuvant) therapy, at least to the current Indian's traditional medicine system. Translational findings are prompted in human populations to determine the efficacy of these NPs.

Pharmacological effects (gastrointestinal, respiratory and vascular) of Calligonum polygonoides: Animal model based studies.

The aim of this study was to analyze gastrointestinal, respiratory and vascular pharmacological effects of 70% hydro-alcoholic extract of Calligonum polygonoides (Cp. Cr) in animal models. All the procedures were carried-out as per previous literature with slight modification where necessary. It was found that Cp. Cr affected significant relaxation of spontaneous and K+ (80 mM) induced contractions. The results showed a corresponding shift of calcium concentration response curves. Similarly Cp. Cr showed relaxant effect on trachea in carbachol (Cch) induced tracheal contractions. Moreover, contractions induced by phenylephrine (1µM) in quarantine rabbit aortic preparations causes Cp. Cr induced relaxation of aortal contractions. Verapamil was used as a standard calcium channel blocker. The findings of this study suggested vasodilator, bronchodilator and spasmolytic effects of Cp. Cr.

Cardioprotective Effect of Rumex vesicarius Linn. Leaf Extract against Catecholamine-Induced Cardiotoxicity.

Rumex vesicarius (L.) is a folklore medicinal herb that has been used for centuries to cure cardiovascular diseases. The present work was carefully designed to ascertain the pharmacological basis for R. vesicarius's therapeutic efficacy in cardiovascular diseases, as well as the underlying mechanism. In the ex vivo investigation, the aqueous-methanolic leaf extract of R. vesicarius was shown to have endothelium-dependent vasorelaxant effects in rabbit aorta tissue preparations, and its hypotensive responses were quantified by pressure and force transducers coupled to the Power Lab Data Acquisition System. Furthermore, when rabbits were subjected to adrenaline-induced myocardial infarction, R. vesicarius demonstrated cardioprotective characteristics. In contrast to the intoxicated group, the myocardial infarction model showed lower ALP, CK-MB, CRP, LDH, ALT, troponin, and AST levels (p > 0.005−0.000), as well as edema, necrosis, apoptosis, inflammatory cell enrolment, and necrosis. R. vesicarius exhibited significant antioxidant activity and delayed noradrenaline-induced platelet aggregation. Its cardioprotective, anticoagulant, and vasorelaxant properties in both investigations (in vivo and ex vivo) are mediated through partial endothelium-dependent, NO and calcium channel blockade mediated vasorelaxation. The minimizing of adrenaline, oxidative stress, and tissue damage demonstrate its therapeutic efficacy in cardiovascular diseases.

Network Pharmacology- and Molecular Docking-Based Identification of Potential Phytocompounds from Argyreia capitiformis in the Treatment of Inflammation.

The methanolic extract of Argyreia capitiformis stem was examined for anti-inflammatory activities following network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking study. Based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, 49 compounds were identified from the methanolic extract of A. capitiformis stem. A network pharmacology analysis was conducted against the identified compounds, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis and Gene Ontology analysis of biological processes and molecular functions were performed. Six proteins (IL1R1, IRAK4, MYD88, TIRAP, TLR4, and TRAF6) were identified from the KEGG pathway analysis and subjected to molecular docking study. Additionally, six best ligand efficiency compounds and positive control (aspirin) from each protein were evaluated for their stability using the molecular dynamics simulation study. Our study suggested that IL1R1, IRAK4, MYD88, TIRAP, TLR4, and TRAF6 proteins may be targeted by compounds in the methanolic extract of A. capitiformis stem to provide anti-inflammatory effects.

Knowledge and Practice of Childbearing Women in Saudi Arabia towards Folic Acid Supplement-Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Neural tube defects are congenital anomalies which canlead to infant death and serious disability. They are initiated during embryogenesis, between the 23rd and 27th day of fetal life, and can be prevented by the administration of folic acid. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the knowledge and practice of Saudi women at childbearing age regarding NTDs and FA supplementation. METHODOLOGY: This is a cross-sectional study on Saudi women of reproductive age who were asked to complete an online survey to examine their knowledge and practice regarding folic acid supplementation and neural tube defects. Descriptive and simple linear regression analyses were conducted using SPSS v.26 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). RESULTS: A total of 613 women have completed the questionnaire, from which the majority (46.7%) were aged between 36 and 40 years. About 94% of women heard about folic acid and 80% indicated that its deficiency has some relation to neural tube defects. Approximately 37%, 25.3%, and 23.2% of women reported the proper time for folic acid intake to be during first trimester of pregnancy, before pregnancy, or throughout pregnancy, respectively. Linear regression analysis revealed that increase age and education were significantly correlated with a decrease in folic acid administration (p = 0.008) and (p = 0.001), respectively. However, there was no association between time of folic acid administration and income or number of parities. CONCLUSION: Despite the acceptable level of awareness about the relation of folic acid and neural tube defects, our results revealed that more education is required towards the proper time of supplementation among Saudi childbearing women.

Medicinal plants used against hepatic disorders in Bangladesh: A comprehensive review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Liver disease is a major cause of illness and death worldwide which accounts for approximately 2 million deaths per year worldwide, 1 million due to complications of cirrhosis and 1 million due to viral hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. That's why it is seeking the researchers' attention to find out the effective treatment strategies. Phytochemicals from natural resources are the main leads for the development of noble hepatoprotective drugs. The majority of the natural sources whose active compounds are currently employed actually have an ethnomedical use. Ethnopharmacological research is essential for the development of these bioactive compounds. These studies not only provide scientific evidence on medicinal plants utilized for particular therapeutic purposes, but they also ensure cultural heritage preservation. Plenty of experimental studies have been well-documented that the ethnomedicinal plants are of therapeutics' interest for the advanced pharmacological intervention in terms of hepatic disorders. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study summarizes the processes of hepatotoxicity induced by various toxins and explores identified hepatoprotective plants and their phytoconstituents, which can guide the extraction of novel phytochemical constituents from plants to treat liver injury. This review aimed to summarize the hepatoprotective activity of Bangladeshi medicinal plants where the bioactive compounds may be leads for the drug discovery in future. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Literature searches in electronic databases, such as Web of Science, Science Direct, SpringerLink, PubMed, Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, Scopus, BanglaJOL, and so on, were performed using the keywords 'Bangladesh', 'ethnomedicinal plants', 'Hepatoprotective agents' as for primary searches, and secondary search terms were used as follows, either alone or in combination: traditional medicine, medicinal plants, folk medicine, liver, hepatitis, therapeutic uses, and anti-inflammatory. Besides, several books, including the book entitled "Medicinal plants of Bangladesh: chemical constituents and uses" authored by Abdul Ghani, were carefully considered, which contained pharmacological properties and phytoconstituents of many medicinal plants growing and traditionally available in Bangladesh. Among them, the most promising plant species with their latest therapeutic effects against hepatic disorders were deeply considered in this review. RESULTS: The results of this study revealed that in most cases, therapy using plant extracts stabilized altered hepatic biochemical markers induced by hepatotoxins. Initially, we investigated 32 plant species for hepatoprotective activity, however after extensive literature searching; we observed that 20 plants offer good pharmacological evidence of hepatoprotective function. Consequently, most bioactive compounds derived from the herbs including berberine, thymoquinone, andrographolide, ursolic acid, luteolin, naringenin, genistein, quercetin, troxerutin, morin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, chlorogenic acid, emodin, curcumin, resveratrol, capsaicin, ellagic acid, etc. are appeared to be effective against hepatic disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Flavonoids, phenolic acids, monoterpenoids, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, alkaloids, chromenes, capsaicinoids, curcuminoids, and anthraquinones are among the phytoconstituents were appraised to have hepatoprotective activities. All the actions displayed by these ethnomedicinal plants could make them serve as leads in the formulation of drugs with higher efficacy to treat hepatic disorders.

An Analysis Based on Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study of Bromelain as Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

The rapid spread of a novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 has compelled the entire world to seek ways to weaken this virus, prevent its spread and also eliminate it. However, no drug has been approved to treat COVID-19. Furthermore, the receptor-binding domain (RBD) on this viral spike protein, as well as several other important parts of this virus, have recently undergone mutations, resulting in new virus variants. While no treatment is currently available, a naturally derived molecule with known antiviral properties could be used as a potential treatment. Bromelain is an enzyme found in the fruit and stem of pineapples. This substance has been shown to have a broad antiviral activity. In this article, we analyse the ability of bromelain to counteract various variants of the SARS-CoV-2 by targeting bromelain binding on the side of this viral interaction with human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation approaches. We have succeeded in making three-dimensional configurations of various RBD variants using protein modelling. Bromelain exhibited good binding affinity toward various variants of RBDs and binds right at the binding site between RBDs and hACE2. This result is also presented in the modelling between Bromelain, RBD, and hACE2. The molecular dynamics (MD) simulations study revealed significant stability of the bromelain and RBD proteins separately up to 100 ns with an RMSD value of 2 Å. Furthermore, despite increases in RMSD and changes in Rog values of complexes, which are likely due to some destabilized interactions between bromelain and RBD proteins, two proteins in each complex remained bonded, and the site where the two proteins bind remained unchanged. This finding indicated that bromelain could have an inhibitory effect on different SARS-CoV-2 variants, paving the way for a new SARS-CoV-2 inhibitor drug. However, more in vitro and in vivo research on this potential mechanism of action is required.

Therapeutic potential of indole alkaloids in respiratory diseases: A comprehensive review.

BACKGROUND: Indole alkaloids are very promising for potential therapeutic purposes and appear to be particularly effective against respiratory diseases. Several experimental studies have been performed, both in vivo and in vitro, to evaluate the effectiveness of indole alkaloids for the management of respiratory disorders, including asthma, emphysema, tuberculosis, cancer, and pulmonary fibrosis. PURPOSE: The fundamental objective of this review was to summarize the in-depth therapeutic potential of indole alkaloids against various respiratory disorders. STUDY DESIGN: In addition to describing the therapeutic potential, this review also evaluates the toxicity of these alkaloids, which have been utilized for therapeutic benefits but have demonstrated toxic consequences. Some indole alkaloids, including scholaricine, 19-epischolaricine, vallesamine, and picrinine, which are derived from the plant Alstonia scholaris, have shown toxic effects in non-rodent models. METHODS: This review also discusses clinical studies exploring the therapeutic efficacy of indole alkaloids, which have confirmed the promising benefits observed in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS: The indole alkaloidal compounds have shown efficacy in subjects with respiratory diseases. CONCLUSION: The available data established both preclinical and clinical studies confirm the potential of indole alkaloids to treat the respiratory disorders.

Appraisals of the Bangladeshi Medicinal Plant Calotropis gigantea Used by Folk Medicine Practitioners in the Management of COVID-19: A Biochemical and Computational Approach.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first recognized in Wuhan in late 2019 and, since then, had spread globally, eventually culminating in the ongoing pandemic. As there is a lack of targeted therapeutics, there is certain opportunity for the scientific community to develop new drugs or vaccines against COVID-19 and so many synthetic bioactive compounds are undergoing clinical trials. In most of the countries, due to the broad therapeutic spectrum and minimal side effects, medicinal plants have been used widely throughout history as traditional healing remedy. Because of the unavailability of synthetic bioactive antiviral drugs, hence all possible efforts have been focused on the search for new drugs and alternative medicines from different herbal formulations. In recent times, it has been assured that the Mpro, also called 3CLpro, is the SARS-CoV-2 main protease enzyme responsible for viral reproduction and thereby impeding the host's immune response. As such, Mpro represents a highly specified target for drugs capable of inhibitory action against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As there continue to be no clear options for the treatment of COVID-19, the identification of potential candidates has become a necessity. The present investigation focuses on the in silico pharmacological activity of Calotropis gigantea, a large shrub, as a potential option for COVID-19 Mpro inhibition and includes an ADME/T profile analysis of that ligand. For this study, with the help of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of C. gigantea methanolic leaf extract, a total of 30 bioactive compounds were selected. Our analyses unveiled the top four options that might turn out to be prospective anti-SARS-CoV-2 lead molecules; these warrant further exploration as well as possible application in processes of drug development to combat COVID-19.

Plant-Based Indole Alkaloids: A Comprehensive Overview from a Pharmacological Perspective.

Plant-based indole alkaloids are very rich in pharmacological activities, and the indole nucleus is considered to contribute greatly to these activities. This review's fundamental objective is to summarize the pharmacological potential of indole alkaloids that have been derived from plants and provide a detailed evaluation of their established pharmacological activities, which may contribute to identifying new lead compounds. The study was performed by searching various scientific databases, including Springer, Elsevier, ACS Publications, Taylor and Francis, Thieme, Wiley Online Library, ProQuest, MDPI, and online scientific books. A total of 100 indole compounds were identified and reviewed. The most active compounds possessed a variety of pharmacological activities, including anticancer, antibacterial, antiviral, antimalarial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, analgesic, hypotensive, anticholinesterase, antiplatelet, antidiarrheal, spasmolytic, antileishmanial, lipid-lowering, antimycobacterial, and antidiabetic activities. Although some compounds have potent activity, some only have mild-to-moderate activity. The pharmacokinetic profiles of some of the identified compounds, such as brucine, mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, vindoline, and harmane, were also reviewed. Most of these compounds showed promising pharmacological activity. An in-depth pharmacological evaluation of these compounds should be performed to determine whether any of these indoles may serve as new leads.

Pharmacological Justification for the Medicinal Use of Plumeria rubra Linn. in Cardiovascular Disorders.

Plumeria rubra (L.) is a traditional folkloric medicinal herb used to treat cardiovascular disorders. The present investigation was methodically planned to investigate the pharmacological foundations for the therapeutic effectiveness of P. rubra in cardiovascular illnesses and its underlying mechanisms. Ex vivo vaso-relaxant effects of crude leaf extract of P. rubra were observed in rabbit aorta ring preparations. Hypotensive effects were measured using pressure and force transducers connected to the Power Lab data acquisition system. Furthermore, P. rubra displayed cardioprotective properties in rabbits when they were exposed to adrenaline-induced myocardial infarction. In comparison to the intoxicated group, the myocardial infarction model showed decreased troponin levels, CK-MB, LDH, ALT, ALP, AST, and CRP, as well as necrosis, apoptosis, oedema, and inflammatory cell enrollment. P. rubra has revealed good antioxidant properties and prolonged the noradrenaline intoxicated platelet adhesion. Its anticoagulant, vasorelaxant, and cardioprotective effects in both in vivo and ex vivo investigations are enabled by blocking L-type calcium channels, lowering adrenaline, induced oxidative stress, and tissue tear, justifying its therapeutic utility in cardiovascular disorders.

Medicinal Applications of Cannabinoids Extracted from Cannabis sativa (L.): A New Route in the Fight Against COVID-19?

Cannabis sativa is a well-known plant that has been recognized for its benefits since ancient times by several medicinal systems, including those of China, India, Greece, and Egypt. Although C. sativa is one of the most investigated medicinal plants in the world, it faces some of the greatest controversies surrounding its legalization and use as a medication. C. sativa contains several hundred phytoconstituents, including the infamous "cannabinoids". It is necessary to properly understand the medicinal importance of these phytochemicals and spread awareness among the countries where cannabis is still facing legal obstacles. The current review focuses on the most recent literature pertaining to various applications of cannabinoids, with a special focus on the medicinal aspect of these phytochemicals. Peer-reviewed articles focusing on the importance of cannabis and cannabinoids are the target of this review. Articles were selected based on the relevance to the general scope of the work, i.e., application of cannabinoids. Cannabinoids can truly be regarded as wonder drugs, considering their immense diversity of usage. Unfortunately, however, many of the mares have never been researched biologically or pharmacologically due to their low yield in the plant. However, the approval of some cannabinoids by the FDA (along with other recognized national medical health systems) has opened the horizon for the use of these natural drugs in medicines such as Epidiolex® (cannabidiol, used for the treatment of severe forms of epilepsy) and Sativex®(Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, used for the treatment of spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis). Many pharmacological properties of C. sativa are attributed to cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component, along with Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), a psychoactive component. This review addresses the most important applications or current utilization of cannabinoids in a variety of treatments such as chronic pain, cancer, emesis, anorexia, irritable bowel syndrome, communicable diseases, glaucoma, and central nervous system disorders. The biosynthetic pathway of cannabinoids is also discussed. In short, cannabis has a myriad of bioactive compounds that have the potential to increase the list of approved cannabinoids suitable for therapy.