Naturally-derived targeted therapy for wound healing: Beyond classical strategies.

This review summarizes the four processes of wound healing in the human body (hemostasis, inflammatory, proliferation, and remodeling) and the most current research on the most important factors affecting cutaneous wound healing and the underlying cellular and/or molecular pathways. Local factors, including temperature, oxygenation, and infection, and systemic factors, such as age, diabetes, sex hormones, genetic components, autoimmune diseases, psychological stress, smoking and obesity are also addressed. A better understanding of the role of these factors in wound repair could result in the development of therapeutics that promote wound healing and resolve affected wounds. Additionally, natural products obtained from plants and animals are critical targets for the discovery of novel biologically significant pharmacophores, such as medicines and agrochemicals. This review outlines the most recent advances in naturally derived targeted treatment for wound healing. These are plant-derived natural products, insect-derived natural products, marine-derived natural products, nanomaterial-based wound-healing therapeutics (metal- and non-metal-based nanoparticles), and natural product-based nanomedicine to improve the future direction of wound healing. Natural products extracted from plants and animals have advanced significantly, particularly in the treatment of wound healing. As a result, the isolation and extraction of bioactive compounds from a variety of sources can continue to advance our understanding of wound healing. Undescribed bioactive compounds or unexplored formulations that could have a role in today's medicinal arsenal may be contained in the abundance of natural products and natural product derivatives.

A systematic review of anti-Entamoeba histolytica activity of medicinal plants published in the last 20 years.

Amoebiasis has emerged as a major health problem worldwide. It is endemic in the present scenario is different and sub-tropical regions especially in Asia, Latin America and also in Africa. Causative of amoebiasis is a protozoan known as Entamoeba histolytica. We screened all the databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, Medline and Google Scholar by using the keywords 'anti-Entamoeba histolytica activity of medicinal plants, anti-Entamoeba histolytica activity of herbal drugs, the anti-amoebic activity of natural drugs'. In the present study, we found 7861 articles, where all articles were screened for bias analysis and included 32 full-matching articles in total reporting the use of medicinal plants as a remedy for amoebiasis. Through these articles, we found 42 herbs having anti-amoebic activity. In bias analysis, we also found four articles under high bias risk. In our study, seven medicinal plants were concluded to possess the most potent anti-amoebic activity based on their IC50 value, which was less than 1 µg mL−1. On bias analysis, we found four articles with high bias risk, hence these studies can be repeated for better results.

Pharmacological potential of the combination of Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen) and Carthamus tinctorius (Honghua) for diabetes mellitus and its cardiovascular complications.

Metabolic syndrome, such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, atherosclerosis, and high blood pressure (HBP), are closely linked pathophysiologically. However, current monotherapies for metabolic syndrome fail to target the multifactorial pathology via multiple mechanisms, as well as resolving the dysfunctionality of the cells and organs of the body. We aimed to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the pharmacological advances, therapeutic potential, and phytochemistry of Salvia miltiorrhiza, Carthamus tinctorius, and Danhong injection (DHI). We discussed the molecular mechanisms of the bioactive constituents relating to diabetes mellitus and metabolic disease for further research and drug development. Interestingly, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Carthamus tinctorius, and DHI have anti-inflammatory, anti-glycemic, anti-thrombotic, and anti-cancer properties; and they mainly act by targeting the dysfunctional vasculatures including the inflammatory components of the disease to provide vascular repair as well as resolving oxidative stress. The major bioactive chemical constituents of these plants include polyphenolic acids, diterpene compounds, carthamin, and hydroxysafflor yellow A. Treatment of diabetes mellitus and its associated cardiovascular complication requires a comprehensive approach involving the use of appropriate traditional Chinese medicine formula. Danshen, Honghua, and DHI target the multiple risk factors regulating the physiologic function of the body and restore normalcy, apart from the traditional advice on exercise and diet control as treatment options in a metabolic syndrome patient.

Therapeutic potential of medicinal plants for the management of scabies.

Sarcoptes scabiei (S. scabiei), a parasite mite which causes scabies disease resulting in serious public health concern. The long-term scabies disease can lead to complications such as septicemia, acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis, heart disease, and secondary infections. Timely treatment to the affected patients is required to control the disease and get rid of the causative agent. Delayed diagnosis and inappropriate treatment can lead to serious consequences. The most common treatment strategy is the use of allopathic medicines which can immediately relieve the patient but have the drawback of side effects. The safe and cost-effective alternative treatment strategy is the use of medicinal plants which have beneficial therapeutic potential against variety of diseases due to the presence of many bioactive phytoconstituents with no or minimal side effects. For the present review, the published articles describing scabies disease and its phytotherapeutic modalities were searched through different data bases including Google Scholar, PubMed, Medline, and ScienceDirect using the keywords like S. scabiei, prevalence of scabies disease, and phytotherapy of scabies. A large number of medicinal plants, such as Melaleuca alternifolia, Curcuma longa, Azadirachta indica, Rosmarinus officinalis, Capsicum annuum, Cinnamomum camphor, Solanum nigrum, and Eupatorium perfoliatum, have been reviewed for the promising future treatments of scabies. All the studied plants have many bioactive compounds with potential therapeutic effects against scabies and can be utilized for therapeutic purposes for this disease. This literature study has limitations because of the lack of sufficient data due to limited pre-clinical trials in this particular area. This review provides a baseline to explore the therapeutic potential of these medicinal plants against skin diseases. However, extensive studies are required to identify, authenticate, and characterize the bioactive compounds present in these plants which may lead to value addition in pharmaceutical industries providing the cost-effective way of treatment with minimal side effects.

An efficient method to isolate lemon derived extracellular vesicles for gastric cancer therapy.

BACKGROUND: Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) have great potential for clinical applications. Ultracentrifugation, considered the gold standard method for the preparation of PDEVs, is efficacious but time-consuming and highly instrument-dependent. Thus, a rapid and handy method is needed to facilitate the basic researches and clinical applications of PDEVs. RESULTS: In this study, we combined electrophoretic technique with 300 kDa cut-off dialysis bag (named ELD) for the isolation of PDEVs, which was time-saving and needed no special equipment. Using ELD, lemon derived extracellular vesicles (LDEVs) could be isolated from lemon juice. Nanoparticle tracking analysis and transmission electron microscopy confirmed that the method separated intact vesicles with a similar size and number to the standard method-ultracentrifugation. LDEVs caused the gastric cancer cell cycle S-phase arrest and induced cell apoptosis. The anticancer activities of LDEVs on gastric cancer cells were mediated by the generation of reactive oxygen species. In addition, LDEVs were safe and could be remained in gastrointestinal organs. CONCLUSIONS: ELD was an efficient method for the isolation of LDEVs, and could be carried out in any routine biological laboratory as no special equipment needed. LDEVs exerted anticancer activities on gastric cancer, indicating the great potentials for clinical application as edible chemotherapeutics delivery vehicle.

Optimization of pectinase-assisted extraction of Annona muricata L. juice and the effect of liquefaction on its pectin structure.

BACKGROUND: Soursop (Annona muricata L.) is an underutilized tropical and subtropical fruit with high nutritional and therapeutic benefits. This fruit is faced with enormous post-harvest losses due to its high perishability. This work was aimed to optimize the pectinase-assisted extraction conditions of soursop juice using Doehlert design and to study the effect of pectinase on its pectin structure. RESULTS: The predicted models were validated for all the responses studied and the regression coefficients ranged from 0.905 to 0.987 (P ≤ 0.05). An incubation time of 172 min, enzyme concentration of 0.04% (w/w) and incubation temperature at 42.9 °C were found to be the optimal conditions for soursop juice extraction, which resulted in 75.20%, 3.74, 7.35 °Brix, 87.06%T, and 0.44% MAE for soursop juice yield (%), pH, total soluble solids (TSS) (°Brix), clarity (%T) and titratable acidity (% malic acid equivalent, MAE), respectively. Morphologically, untreated soursop pulp presented a non-uniform spherical surface; enzyme hydrolyzed soursop exhibited ruptured and wrinkled surface; meanwhile for the different pectin obtained, untreated soursop pectin depicted porous surface and enzyme hydrolyzed soursop pectin showed whirling rough surface. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) confirmed the presence of similar chemical group stretching and vibrations in commercial pectin and soursop pectin. CONCLUSION: Under the optimum conditions, the numerical predictions were similar to the experimental data obtained, thus confirming the validity of the models. Application of enzyme treatment caused the breakdown of pectin structure as illustrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and FTIR analyses.

Advances in phytochemical and modern pharmacological research of Rhizoma Corydalis.

ABSRACTContext: Rhizoma Corydalis (RC) is the dried tubers of Corydalis yanhusuo (Y. H. Chou and Chun C. Hsu) W. T. Wang ex Z. Y. Su and C. Y. Wu (Papaveraceae). Traditionally, RC is used to alleviate pain such as headache, abdominal pain, and epigastric pain. Modern medicine shows that it has analgesic, anti-arrhythmia, and other effects.Objective: We provided an overview of the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of RC as a foundation for its clinical application and further research and development of new drugs.Methods: We collected data of various phytochemical and pharmacological effects of RC from 1982 to 2019. To correlate with existing scientific evidence, we used Google Scholar and the journal databases Scopus, PubMed, and CNKI. 'Rhizoma Corydalis', 'phytochemistry', and 'pharmacological effects' were used as key words.Results: Currently, more than 100 chemical components have been isolated and identified from RC, among which alkaloid is the pimary active component of RC. Based on prior research, RC has antinociceptive, sedative, anti-epileptic, antidepressive and anti-anxiety, acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effect, drug abstinence, anti-arrhythmic, antimyocardial infarction, dilated coronary artery, cerebral ischaemia reperfusion (I/R) injury protection, antihypertensive, antithrombotic, antigastrointestinal ulcer, liver protection, antimicrobial, anti-inflammation, antiviral, and anticancer effects.Conclusions: RC is reported to be effective in treating a variety of diseases. Current pharmacological studies on RC mainly focus on the nervous, circulatory, digestive, and endocrine systems, as well as drug withdrawal. Although experimental data support the beneficial effects of this drug, its physiological activity remains a concern. Nonetheless, this review provides a foundation for future research.

Efficacy of a vaginal tablet as a Persian medicine product on vulvovaginal candidiasis: a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Context: In Persian medicine, topical ingredients such as Rosa damascena Mill. (Rosaceae), are usually recommended for the treatment of uterine diseases. Scientific evaluation of these historical documents can be valuable for finding new potential use in conventional medicine.Objective: This clinical trial was performed to determine whether the use of the 'ward' vaginal tablet, which contains Rosa damascena, Punica granatum L. (Punicaceae), Querqus infectoria Oliv. (Fagaceae), Myrtus communis L. (Myrtaceae) and Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC. (Caprifoliaceae) could alleviate the symptoms of vulvovaginal candidiasis.Materials and methods: A parallel double-blinded placebo-controlled study was done. Eighteen to fifty-year-old women with vulvovaginal candidiasis were divided into the 'ward' and placebo groups, 46 individuals in each group. The 'ward' group received the 'ward' vaginal tablet containing 200 mg of dried extract. Placebo group received a placebo (composed of corn starch and lactose). One tablet was applied through the vagina for 7 consecutive nights.Results: Two weeks after medication administration, the vaginal discharge sample of patients was re-cultured; 29 patients (63.045%) in the 'ward' group and 6 (13.04%) patients in the placebo group had negative culture (p < 0.001). All clinical symptoms including itching, irritation, and vaginal discharge were significantly reduced in the 'ward' group compared with the placebo group following the intervention and the follow up (p < 0.05).Discussion and conclusions: The findings suggest the 'ward' vaginal tablet could ameliorate vulvovaginal candidiasis. Future larger studies are recommended due to compare the therapeutic effect of the 'ward' vaginal tablet with common treatments.

Phytotherapy in treatment of Parkinson's disease: a review.

Context: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder due to gradual loss of dopaminergic nerves in the substantia nigra (SN) in the midbrain. PD leads to certain motor disorders including resting tremor, muscle stiffness and slow movement. Medicinal plants have shown positive pharmacological effects in treating different models of PD. Objective: Tendency to use natural products, especially plants, for the treatment of PD has been growing. This article reviews the basic aspects of medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds that could be used to treat PD. Methods: Reliable articles indexed in databases ISI, SID, PubMed, PubMed Central, Scopus and Web of Science were used. A total of 12 plant-derived active ingredients and 18 herbal extracts were included. Different compounds have so far been isolated from plants that affect PD especially by targeting pathways associated with the pathogenesis of the disease. Results: Although some herbal extracts such as Hibiscus asper Hook. f. (Malvaceae), Ginkgo biloba L. (Ginkgoaceae), Carthamus tinctorius L (Asteraceae) and certain active ingredients, such as berberine and curcumin, have shown positive effects in animal models of PD, potential active ingredients and mechanisms of action should be investigated in additional studies. Discussion and conclusions: Despite the wide variety of plants in the world, a limited number of them have been studied for anti-Parkinsonian activity, and therefore, there are numerous perspectives in this field for future studies on plants and their bioactive compounds.

Flash Vacuum-Expansion Process: Effect on the Sensory, Color and Texture Attributes of Avocado (Persea americana) Puree.

The flash vacuum-expansion process (FVE) consists of two stages. In the first, the raw material is heated by a steam flow in a chamber at 101.325 kPa; in the second, the plant material passes into an expansion chamber (2 to 5 kPa), where the disintegration of the tissues occur. The puree obtained from the avocado pulp subjected to the first stage of the process was evaluated sensorial and instrumentally (T1), in the same way the puree obtained from fruits that were subjected to the whole process (T2) was evaluated, these were compared with avocado puree obtained by means of a food processor (control). The parameters shiny, avocado-like, luminosity, stretching and hue are more significant to describe the puree control, while boiled vegetable and homogeneity to describe T1; grainy texture, adhesiveness and fibrous are more significant to describe T2.

Phytochemical analysis and hepatoprotective effect of polyherbal formulation on CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in mice.

The potent phytotherapeutic modalities against the hepatotoxicity have motivated us to explore numerous plants and polyherbal preparations because conventional drug discovery is more expensive and tedious. So, this study was conducted to evaluate the hepatoprotective potential of a polyherbal formulation (PHF), comprising of Solanum nigrum, Silybum marianum, Atrmesia absinthium, Achillea millifolium and Cichorium intybus against carbon tetrachloride(CCl4) induced hepatotoxicity in experimental rats. CCl4intoxicationinduced vacuole formation and fastdegeneration so selective liver enzymes including alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkalinephosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin in rat's plasma,as well as liver histological architecture, were used to evaluate the effect of herbal treatments with different doses (ranging 100-500 mg/kg) for two weeks. Statistical analysis showed that PHF significantly (P<.05) improved the level of liver enzymes as well as improve the liver architecture comparative to control groups. It could be concluded from current findings that PHF prepared from Solanum nigrum, Silybum marianum, Atrmesia absinthium, Achillea millifiloium and Cichorium intybus have some hepatoprotective activities.

[PROTECTIVE PROPERTIES OF DRUGS OF PLANT ORIGION IN ACUTE EMOTIONAL AND PAINFUL STRESS IN RATS].

The aim of the investigation was to study the protective properties of the herbal preparation - biotrite and tranquilizer diazepam under the modeling of emotional and painful stress in rats. Materials and methods. The experiment was conducted on 24 white male rats of 5 months of age. Animals (6 rats in the group) were kept on the standard diet of the vivarium: 1st group was intact; rats of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th groups were reproduced acute painful emotional stress for 3 hours. 60 minutes before the stress, rats received per os: the 2nd group - water, the 3rd group - diazepam in a dose of 1.25 mg / kg body weight of rats; 4th group - a preparation of biotrite in a dose of 50 mg / kg. Results and conclusion. The conducted studies demonstrated significant adaptive properties of the biotrite preparation, and the degree of their manifestations was higher than the stress-protective effects of diazepam.

Engineering microbial cell factories for the production of plant natural products: from design principles to industrial-scale production.

Plant natural products (PNPs) are widely used as pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, seasonings, pigments, etc., with a huge commercial value on the global market. However, most of these PNPs are still being extracted from plants. A resource-conserving and environment-friendly synthesis route for PNPs that utilizes microbial cell factories has attracted increasing attention since the 1940s. However, at the present only a handful of PNPs are being produced by microbial cell factories at an industrial scale, and there are still many challenges in their large-scale application. One of the challenges is that most biosynthetic pathways of PNPs are still unknown, which largely limits the number of candidate PNPs for heterologous microbial production. Another challenge is that the metabolic fluxes toward the target products in microbial hosts are often hindered by poor precursor supply, low catalytic activity of enzymes and obstructed product transport. Consequently, despite intensive studies on the metabolic engineering of microbial hosts, the fermentation costs of most heterologously produced PNPs are still too high for industrial-scale production. In this paper, we review several aspects of PNP production in microbial cell factories, including important design principles and recent progress in pathway mining and metabolic engineering. In addition, implemented cases of industrial-scale production of PNPs in microbial cell factories are also highlighted.

Male contraceptive efficacy of poly herbal formulation, contracept-TM, composed of aqueous extracts of Terminalia chebula fruit and Musa balbisiana seed in rat.

CONTEXT: Terminalia chebula Retz (Combretaceae) and Musa balbisiana Colla (Musaceae) have a traditional reputation as a male contraceptive. OBJECTIVE: To determine the hypo-testicular activity of aqueous extracts of Terminalia chebula (fruit) and Musa balbisiana (seed) separately, and in composite manner at the ratio of 1:1 named as 'Contracept-TM' compared to cyproterone acetate (CPA), for developing a polyherbal contraceptive. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The separate extract of above said plants or 'Contracept-TM' at the dose of 40 mg/100 g body weight of rat/day or CPA at 2 mg/100 g body weight of rat/day was administered for 28 days. Spermiological, androgenic and oxidative stress sensors, LD50 and ED50/100 g body weight values were measured. RESULTS: Treatment of individual, 'Contracept-TM' or CPA resulted significant decrease in the count of spermatogonia A (36.36-49.09%), pre-leptotene spermatocyte (19.11-55.30%), mid-pachytene spermatocyte (28.65-47.28%) and step 7 spermatid (29.65-51.59%). Activities of testicular Δ5, 3ß (21.25-48.02%),17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (29.75-55.08%), catalase (19.06-43.29%) and peroxidase (30.76-62.82%), levels of testosterone (28.15-63.44%), testicular cholesterol (19.61-49.33%), conjugated diene (29.69-84.99%) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (41.25-86.73%) were elevated compare to the control. The ED50 and LD50 values were 40 mg and 5.8 g (T. chebula), 48 mg and 6.3 g (M. bulbisiana), 40 mg and 6.0 g ('Contracept-TM'), respectively. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The said spermiological and androgenic sensors' levels were decreased significantly by 'Contracept-TM' than its constitutional individual plant extract and it may be comparable to standard anti-testicular drug like CPA. So, it may be concluded that above polyherbal formulation is potent for inducing hypo-testicular activity.

The anti-arthritic activity of total glycosides from Pterocephalus hookeri, a traditional Tibetan herbal medicine.

CONTEXT: Pterocephalus hookeri (C. B. Clarke) Hock., a traditional Tibetan herbal medicine rich in glycosides, has been used to treat several diseases including rheumatoid arthritis. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the anti-arthritic activity of total glycosides from P. hookeri, and its possible mechanisms of action. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anti-arthritic activity of total glycosides from P. hookeri (oral administration for 30 days at 14-56 mg/kg) was evaluated using paw swelling, arthritis scores and histopathological measurement in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) Sprague-Dawley rats. The NF-κB p65 expression in synovial tissues, and serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels was measured in AA rats, respectively. Further assessment of anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of these glycosides were carried out using inflammation and hyperalgesia models induced by xylene, carrageenan, agar and acetic acid, respectively. RESULTS: Total glycosides (56 mg/kg) decreased the paw swelling (38.0%, p < 0.01), arthritis scores (25.3%, p < 0.01) and synovial inflammation in AA rats. The glycosides significantly (p < 0.05-0.01) attenuated the inflammation induced by xylene, carrageenan, acetic acid and agar, increased the pain threshold in acetic acid-induced writhing in mice and mechanical stimuli-induced hyperalgia in AA rats. The glycosides (14, 28, 56 mg/kg) also suppressed the NF-κB p65 expression (33.1-78.2%, p < 0.05-0.01), reduced MDA (21.3-35.9%, p < 0.01) and NO (20.3-32.4%, p < 0.05-0.01) levels, respectively, enhanced the SOD activity (7.8%, p < 0.05) at 56 mg/kg in AA rats. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our findings confirmed the anti-arthritic property of the total glycosides from P. hookeri, which may be attributed to its inhibition on NF-κB signalling and oxidative stress.

Comparative biochemical responses and antioxidant activities of the rabbit urinary bladder to whole grapes versus resveratrol.

The objective of this study is to compare the antioxidant activity of a whole-grape suspension with the antioxidant activity or pure resveratrol on the effect of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on malondialdehyde (MDA) generation, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity, calcium ATPase activity, and sarcoendoplasmic reticular ATPase (SERCA) of the male rabbit urinary bladder. MDA was used as a model for the effect of H2O2 on lipid peroxidation. ChAT, SERCA, and calcium ATPase were evaluated based on their importance in urinary bladder physiology and pathology. Four male rabbit bladders were used. Each bladder was separated into muscle and mucosa, frozen under liquid nitrogen and stored at -80 °C for biochemical evaluation. The effect of H2O2 on the enzymes listed above was determined in the presence and absence of either resveratrol or a whole-grape suspension. (1) Resveratrol was significantly more effective than the grape suspension at protecting the bladder muscle and mucosa against peroxidation as quantitated by MDA formation. (2) The grape suspension was significantly more effective at protecting ChAT activity against oxidative stress of the muscle than resveratrol. (3) Neither the grape suspension nor resveratrol were particularly effective at protecting the bladder muscle or mucosa calcium ATPase or SERCA against oxidative stress. (4) ChAT was significantly more sensitive to oxidative stress than either calcium ATPase or SERCA. These data support the idea that the grape suspension protects the mitochondria and nerve terminals to a significantly greater degree than resveratrol which suggests that the activities of the grape suspension are due to the combination of active components found in the grape suspension and not just resveratrol alone.

Quality assessment of medicinal herbs and their extracts: Criteria and prerequisites for consistent safety and efficacy of herbal medicines.

Ingredients of commercial herbal medicines are assessed for quality primarily to ensure their safety. However, as complex mixtures of different groups of plant secondary metabolites, retention of overall phytochemical consistency of herbal medicines is pivotal to their efficacy. Authenticity and homogeneity of the herbs and strict regimes of physical processing and extract manufacturing are critical factors to maintain phytochemical consistency in commercial products. To ensure both safety and efficacy of herbal medicines, implementation of and adherence to good agricultural and collection practice (GACP), good plant authentication and identification practice (GPAIP), good manufacturing practice (GMP) before and during the manufacturing process, and good laboratory practice (GLP) in analysis are necessary. Establishment and application of harmonized multilaboratory-validated analytical methods and transparency in the supply (value) chain through vendor audits are additional requirements in quality assurance. In this article, we outline steps of a comprehensive quality assurance paradigm aimed at achieving and maintaining safety, consistent phytochemical composition, and clinical efficacy of ingredients of herbal medicines. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Botanicals for Epilepsy.

Preparation of a novel molecularly imprinted polymer for the highly selective extraction of baicalin.

The selective extraction of baicalin is important to its quality control especially when the matrices are complicated. In this work, a novel molecularly imprinted polymer was prepared for the selective extraction of baicalin in herbs. The molecularly imprinted polymer was synthesized by the copolymerization of 4-vinyl pyridine and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate in the presence of baicalin by a precipitation polymerization method. After the optimization of parameters for molecularly imprinted polymer preparation, including the functional monomer, porogen, sampling solvent, and washing solvent, good selectivity was obtained, with an imprinting factor of about 4, which is much better than that achieved by the bulk-polymerization method. The performances of the prepared molecularly imprinted polymers were systematically investigated, including adsorption kinetics, isotherm experiment, and Scatchard analysis. On the basis of the good adsorptive capability of the prepared molecularly imprinted polymer, it was also applied for the pretreatment of baicalin in Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. The result showed that most of the matrices were removed and baicalin was selectively enriched.

Herbal mouthwash containing extracts of Baccharis dracunculifolia as agent for the control of biofilm: clinical evaluation in humans.

Baccharis dracunculifolia DC (Asteraceae), popularly known as "alecrim-do-campo," is largely distributed in South America, is shown to exhibit protective actions against gastric ulcers, has anti-inflammatory properties, and is hepatoprotective. Several essential oils obtained from Baccharis species possess biological activities, such as antimicrobial and antivirus activities. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of B. dracunculifolia in the reduction of dental biofilm, comparing this natural product with other mouthwashes already known in the dental market. In measuring the time after use of mouthwash (t = 1), there was no difference between products (P = 0.602); that is, subjects in the study had a similar PI after the first use. After one week (t = 2), there was no difference between the four products evaluated (P = 0.674), so, all research individuals completed the study with a similar reduction in dental biofilm between themselves but it was different from initial state (Friedman test). It is possible to conclude that B. dracunculifolia had the same efficiency of the materials used to oral hygiene in reduction of dental plaque and, consequently, prevention of dental caries. Thus, we can consider B. dracunculifolia as a good candidate for new material to be implemented in dental care.

Plants as Factories for Human Pharmaceuticals: Applications and Challenges.

Plant molecular farming (PMF), defined as the practice of using plants to produce human therapeutic proteins, has received worldwide interest. PMF has grown and advanced considerably over the past two decades. A number of therapeutic proteins have been produced in plants, some of which have been through pre-clinical or clinical trials and are close to commercialization. Plants have the potential to mass-produce pharmaceutical products with less cost than traditional methods. Tobacco-derived antibodies have been tested and used to combat the Ebola outbreak in Africa. Genetically engineered immunoadhesin (DPP4-Fc) produced in green plants has been shown to be able to bind to MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), preventing the virus from infecting lung cells. Biosafety concerns (such as pollen contamination and immunogenicity of plant-specific glycans) and costly downstream extraction and purification requirements, however, have hampered PMF production from moving from the laboratory to industrial application. In this review, the challenges and opportunities of PMF are discussed. Topics addressed include; transformation and expression systems, plant bioreactors, safety concerns, and various opportunities to produce topical applications and health supplements.