The Standardized Wood Extract of Albizia myriophylla: Its Potential as an Active Ingredient in an Anti-inflammatory Herbal Gel Formulation.

Albizia myriophylla has been used in Thai folk medicine for treating inflammation-related diseases. The wood of this medicinal plant is traditionally used as a single herbal drug in the form of an aqueous decoction and as a component in several Thai herbal formulations for the remedy of fever, sore throat, and aphthous ulcers. This study aimed to evaluate in vivo the anti-inflammatory potential and possible mechanism of action of the standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla as well as to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity and physicochemical properties of the developed herbal gel formulation containing standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla. Results of quantitative HPLC analysis demonstrated that the standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla contained 22.95 mg/g of 8-methoxy-7,3',4'-trihydroxyflavone, a bioactive marker compound of A. myriophylla. The standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla (1% w/v) exhibited remarkable inhibition (54.4 - 80.3%) in the croton oil model of topical inflammation at all assessment times, comparable to standard indomethacin (55.3 - 63.6%). Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was performed to clarify the anti-inflammatory mechanism of standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla, and the result showed that this standardized extract decreased lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide synthase mRNA levels in a dose-dependent manner. The developed herbal gel containing standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla (1% w/w) had good physicochemical characteristics and exhibited potent inhibition (51.4 - 77.8%) of inflammation in a rat ear edema model at all assessment times, comparable to indomethacin gel (33.3 - 40.5%). The notable anti-inflammatory activity of standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla and its developed herbal gel formulation indicates their potential application as natural anti-inflammatory agents.

α-Glucosidase inhibitory, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities of natural substances from the wood of Derris reticulata Craib.

Derris reticulata (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) has been used for the treatment of diabetes in Thai folk remedies. The phytochemical investigation of the wood of D. reticulata revealed the isolation of two new pyranoflavanones, 4'-methoxydereticulatin (1) and 2'''-hydroxy,3'''-ethoxylupinifolin (2), along with five known compounds namely lupinifolin (3), 2''',3'''-dihydroxylupinifolin (4), genistein (5), lupeol (6), and ß-sitosterol (7). Compounds 1-4 were selected for antibacterial assay using broth microdilution method, and displayed good activity against four out of five tested pathogenic bacterial strains, with MIC values ranging from 0.78 to 128 µg/mL. The result from spectrophotometric assay of α-glucosidase inhibition showed that 5 exhibited promising α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, compared with the positive control acarbose. Additionally, it was found that compounds 4 and 5 showed moderate DPPH and NO radicals scavenging activity. Modeling studies were also performed to suggest the interaction modes of compounds 3-5 in the α-glucosidase enzyme active site.

Improved Lipid Profile Associated with Daily Consumption of Tri-Sura-Phon in Healthy Overweight Volunteers: An Open-Label, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Tri-Sura-Phon (TSP), a traditional Thai polyherbal formula renowned for its rejuvenating properties, is commonly used as a blood tonic. It comprises Cinnamomum bejolghota, Cinnamomum parthenoxylon, and Aquilaria crassna. The aim of this study is to evaluate the beneficial properties of TSP tea consumption on blood glucose regulation and serum lipid profiles of healthy overweight volunteers. This open-label, randomized controlled trial was conducted in 70 healthy overweight adults. Two groups of 35 subjects took a TSP infusion or a placebo (cornstarch) twice daily for 8 weeks. The blood glucose regulation, serum lipid profiles, BMI, and liver function tests of the subjects were determined at the baseline, 4th week, and endpoint (8th week). Significant decreases in the average fasting levels of total cholesterol (p = 0.013), triglyceride (p = 0.001), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, p = 0.017) were observed in the TSP group at the 8th week compared to those at the baseline. The average HDL level in the TSP group at the beginning of the study was 65.2 mg/dL, and it increased significantly (p = 0.005) to 72.4 mg/dL after 8 weeks of TSP intake. This study showed that the intake of TSP tea as an antioxidant-rich beverage might be safe and improve lipid profiles in overweight adults.