Pharmacological attributes of Bacopa monnieri extract: Current updates and clinical manifestation.

Bacopa monnieri has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine, alone or in combination with other herbs, as a memory and learning enhancer, sedative, and anti-epileptic. This review aimed to highlight the health benefits of B. monnieri extracts (BME), focusing on anti-cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. We examined the clinical studies on phytochemistry and pharmacological application of BME. We further highlighted the mechanism of action of these extracts in varying types of cancer and their therapeutic implications. In addition, we investigated the underlying molecular mechanism in therapeutic interventions, toxicities, safety concerns and synergistic potential in cognition and neuroprotection. Overall, this review provides deeper insights into the therapeutic implications of Brahmi as a lead formulation for treating neurological disorders and exerting cognitive-enhancing effects.

Investigating neuroprotective roles of Bacopa monnieri extracts: Mechanistic insights and therapeutic implications.

Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi) is a well-known perennial, creeping herb of the Indian Ayurveda system; it contains numerous bioactive phytoconstituents implicated in the therapeutic management of several life-threatening diseases. This herb was used by Ancient Vedic scholars due to its pharmacological effect, especially as a nerve tonic and nootropic booster. However, to better understand the roles of Bacopa monnieri extract (BME) in neurological disorders and memory-related diseases, it is necessary to understand its active phytochemical constituents and their molecular mechanisms. Several clinical studies suggested that BME have neuroprotective effects, making it worth revising a notable herb. Here we investigated the contours of BME's phytochemistry and pharmacological features, focusing on neuronal disorders. We further analyzed the underlying molecular mechanisms in therapeutic intervention. Various clinical concerns and synergistic potential of BME were explored for their effective use in cognition and neuroprotection. The generation of reactive oxygen species increases neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity and is associated with Tau and amyloid-beta (Aß) aggregation, leading to a neurological disorder. Our findings provide deeper mechanistic insights into the neuroprotective roles of BME, which can be further implicated in the therapeutic management of neurological disorders and exerting cognitive-enhancing effects.

Natural products can be used in therapeutic management of COVID-19: Probable mechanistic insights.

The unexpected emergence of the new Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has affected more than three hundred million individuals and resulted in more than five million deaths worldwide. The ongoing pandemic has underscored the urgent need for effective preventive and therapeutic measures to develop anti-viral therapy. The natural compounds possess various pharmaceutical properties and are reported as effective anti-virals. The interest to develop an anti-viral drug against the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) from natural compounds has increased globally. Here, we investigated the anti-viral potential of selected promising natural products. Sources of data for this paper are current literature published in the context of therapeutic uses of phytoconstituents and their mechanism of action published in various reputed peer-reviewed journals. An extensive literature survey was done and data were critically analyzed to get deeper insights into the mechanism of action of a few important phytoconstituents. The consumption of natural products such as thymoquinone, quercetin, caffeic acid, ursolic acid, ellagic acid, vanillin, thymol, and rosmarinic acid could improve our immune response and thus possesses excellent therapeutic potential. This review focuses on the anti-viral functions of various phytoconstituent and alkaloids and their potential therapeutic implications against SARS-CoV-2. Our comprehensive analysis provides mechanistic insights into phytoconstituents to restrain viral infection and provide a better solution through natural, therapeutically active agents.

Therapeutic Management of COVID-19 Patients: Clinical Manifestation and Limitations.

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory tract infection accompanied by severe or fatal pneumonia-like symptoms and sometimes death. It has posed to be an ongoing global health emergency caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Due to a sudden outbreak and a large number of infections and deaths, it became a major concern all over the world. The options available as effective therapeutics should be urgently exercised to handle this pandemic. So far, no specific and accurate anti- SARS-CoV-2 treatment is recommended because of the absence of sufficient clinical evidence. In such cases, the clinical use of available drugs is always considered to be on top priority. A broad-spectrum antiviral agent, remdesivir, is found effective in many cases and recommended by many clinicians in many countries. This drug acts as a potential inhibitor of viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase protein and thus likely to be efficacious in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Tocilizumab is currently recommended by many hospitals as an alternative treatment for critically ill COVID-19 patients. Tocilizumab has been administered to control cytokine storms that occur due to the release of proinflammatory cytokine, including interleukin 6. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are also used in hospitals to handle severe COVID-19 patients. Currently, plasma therapy has been exercised as a therapeutic alternative, especially to handle severe COVID-19 patients. In addition, herbal medicines are expected to play a significant role in the control and prevention of COVID-19. All these therapeutic options have their advantages and limitations. This review highlights the therapeutic potential of these available drugs, along with their mechanism of action and shortcomings. We have provided detailed information on available therapeutic options, which have proved to be effective in improving clinical symptoms of severe COVID-19 patients.

Green Synthesis of MnO Nanoparticles Using Abutilon indicum Leaf Extract for Biological, Photocatalytic, and Adsorption Activities.

We report the synthesis of MnO nanoparticles (AI-MnO NAPs) using biological molecules of Abutilon indicum leaf extract. Further, they were evaluated for antibacterial and cytotoxicity activity against different pathogenic microbes (Escherichia coli, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis) and HeLa cancerous cells. Synthesized NAPs were also investigated for photocatalytic dye degradation potential against methylene blue (MB), and adsorption activity against Cr(VI) was also determined. Results from Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the successful synthesis of NAPs with spherical morphology and crystalline nature. Biological activity results demonstrated that synthesized AI-MnO NAPs exhibited significant antibacterial and cytotoxicity propensities against pathogenic microbes and cancerous cells, respectively, compared with plant extract. Moreover, synthesized AI-MnO NAPs demonstrated the comparable biological activities results to standard drugs. These excellent biological activities results are attributed to the existence of the plant's biological molecules on their surfaces and small particle size (synergetic effect). Synthesized NAPs displayed better MB-photocatalyzing properties under sunlight than an ultraviolet lamp. The Cr(VI) adsorption result showed that synthesized NAPs efficiently adsorbed more Cr(VI) at higher acidic pH than at basic pH. Hence, the current findings suggest that Abutilon indicum is a valuable source for tailoring the potential of NAPs toward various enhanced biological, photocatalytic, and adsorption activities. Consequently, the plant's biological molecule-mediated synthesized AI-MnO NAPs could be excellent contenders for future therapeutic applications.