Biological screening of herbal extracts and essential oil from Plectranthus species: α-amylase and 5-lipoxygenase inhibition and antioxidant and anti-Candida potentials

Abstract The phenolic compound content, the antioxidant and α-amylase inhibition potentials of different extracts of the Plectranthus amboinicus, P. barbatus and P. ornatus were evaluated. We also evaluated the influence of plant growth and harvest time on the chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) of P. amboinicus, its antioxidant and anti-Candida activities and the α-amylase and lipoxygenase inhibitions. The turbo-extract of P. barbatus showed the greatest phenolic compound content and antioxidant activity. No α-amylase inhibition activity was observed in the analyzed extracts, but the turbo-extraction and refluxing extracts possessed high antioxidant activities. Protected cultivation and morning harvest conditions gave the best antioxidant activities, which was associated to the highest carvacrol content. P. amboinicus EO antioxidant activity could contribute to the reduction of oxidative stress in diabetes. Causal Candida strains of diabetic foot ulcers showed sensitivity to P. amboinicus EO. C. albicans and C. dubliniensis were the most sensitive of the selected Candida strains. Turbo-extracts or refluxing of the three species extracts and the EO of P. amboinicus should be considered as a potential candidate for the management the complications of type 2 diabetes.

Coleus forskohlii Extract Attenuated the Beneficial Effect of Diet-Treatment on NASH in Mouse Model.

Obesity is one of the main causes of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is associated with impaired liver functions including drug metabolism. Coleus forskohlii extract (CFE) is a popular ingredient of weight loss dietary supplements in Japan. In this study, we examined the effect of CFE on the treatment of NASH. C57BL/6 mice (male, 10-wk-old) were fed a NASH diet (high-fat, low-methionine, and choline-deficient diet) for 12 wk to establish NASH. Then, we examined the effect of 0.5% (w/w) CFE in diet during diet-treatment (change to control diet) and/or treadmill-exercise (45 min at 20 m/min, 5 d/wk) to improve NASH for 3 wk. After experimental period, lipids profiles and liver functional markers in the blood, and hepatic lipid content and major CYP subtype mRNA expression and activity in liver were measured. Diet-treatment, but not exercise decreased liver weight and hepatic lipid contents in NASH induced mice. CFE attenuated the effects of diet-treatment which reduced liver weight, even though body weight and adipose tissue weight were reduced. Further, CFE significantly increased liver microsomal CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2C, and CYP3A activities in each condition, and CYP inductions were greater in diet-treatment group compared to those in exercise group. These results suggest that taking CFE should be avoided during diet-treatment of NASH, especially in patients under medication.

Proteção do dano oxidativo hepático induzido por ferro pelo extrato aquoso da planta Plectranthus barbatus / Protection against hepatic oxidative damage induced by iron by the aqueous extract of Plectranthus barbatus

Plectranthus barbatus Andrews (Lamiaceae) é uma planta muita utilizada na medicina popular para o tratamento de doenças gastrointestinais e hepáticas. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi estudar o efeito protetor do extrato aquoso de P. barbatus (EAPB) sobre os danos hepáticos causados pela sobrecarga de ferro provocada pelo ferro-dextran em ratos. O tratamento com ferro-dextran induziu uma redução significativa na concentração de glutationa reduzida nos animais tratados em relação ao grupo controle e o tratamento prévio dos animais com o EAPB protegeu o fígado do efeito provocado pelo ferro neste parâmetro. Com relação à lipoperoxidação, houve aumento significativo na concentração de malondialdeído (MDA) nos animais tratados em relação ao controle, entretanto, quando os animais receberam o tratamento prévio com o EAPB, houve redução significativa na concentração do MDA. A análise histopatológica mostrou que o grupo tratado com ferro-dextran apresentou grânulos de ferro no citoplasma das células de Kupffer com alargamento das mesmas e algumas com os núcleos hipertróficos. O tratamento prévio com EAPB resultou no desaparecimento dos sinais de danos às células de Kupffer sem nenhum núcleo hipertrófico, mas com a presença de grânulos de ferro totalmente fagocitados, o que demonstra uma aparência morfológica normal. Portanto, o EAPB pode ser útil na prevenção de danos hepáticos induzidos por sobrecarga de ferro.

The Plectranthus barbatus Andrews (Lamiaceae) is a plant largely used in folk medicine to treat gastrointestinal and liver diseases. The objective of this work was to study the protective effect of the aqueous extract of P. barbatus (EAPB) against damage caused by iron overload induced by iron dextran in rat liver. Treatment with iron-dextran induced a significant reduction in the glutathione levels in treated animals compared to control group, and the pretreatment of animals with EAPB protected the liver from the effects caused by iron in this parameter. With respect to lipid peroxidation, a significant increase in the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in treated animals compared to control was observed; however, when the animals were pretreated with EAPB, there was a significant reduction in the MDA levels. Histopathological analysis showed that the group treated with iron-dextran showed iron granules in the cytoplasm of the Kupffer cells and some of them presented enlarged nuclei. The group previously treated with EAPB showed the disappearance of the signs of damage to the Kupffer cells with no nucleus hypertrophy but with the presence of iron granules completely phagocytosed by these cells, which showed a normal morphological appearance. Therefore, the EAPB may be useful in the prevention of liver damage induced by iron overload.

Variação sazonal na alelopatia de extratos aquosos de Coleus barbatus (A. ) Benth. sobre a germinação e o desenvolvimento de Lactuca sativa L. / Seasonal variation in the allelopathy of aqueous extracts from Coleus barbatus (A. ) Benth. on the germination and development of Lactuca sativa L.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito alelopático de extratos de Coleus barbatus sobre a germinação e desenvolvimento de plântulas de alface. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em laboratório, em diferentes concentrações de extratos obtidos de folhas de falso-boldo (0; 7,5; 15; 22,5; 30%), coletadas nas quatro estações do ano, obtidos por trituração, maceração, infusão e decocção. As sementes de alface foram distribuídas sobre placas de petri umidecidas com 10 mL de solução. Os resultados mostraram que os extratos de folhas afetaram a germinabilidade de sementes de alface apenas na concentração de 30% do extrato preparado por decocção de folhas coletadas no inverno. O índice de velocidade de germinação apresentou redução significativa nos extratos triturados preparados no outono e inverno; na maceração de folhas coletadas no verão e outono e no extrato de decocção preparado no inverno. Os extratos estimularam o crescimento da parte aérea das plântulas de alface, ao passo que, o comprimento das raízes foi afetado pelos extratos, ora inibindo, ora estimulando o crescimento das mesmas. Os extratos de folhas de falso-boldo coletadas nas quatro estações do ano apresentaram efeito alelopático sobre a germinação e o desenvolvimento da alface, sendo que estes variaram em função da sazonalidade da coleta, da forma de obtenção dos extratos e das concentrações testadas.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the allelopathic effects of extracts from Coleus barbatus on germination and seedling growth of lettuce. The experiments were conducted in the laboratory using different concentrations (0, 7.5, 15, 22.5, 30%) of aqueous extracts from "falso-boldo" leaves harvested in all four seasons; extracts were obtained by grinding, maceration, infusion and decoction. Seeds were distributed on Petri dishes moistened with 10 mL solution. Results showed that the leaf extracts affected the germination of lettuce seeds only at the concentration of 30% extract prepared by decoction of leaves harvested in the winter. Germination speed index showed significant reduction for ground extracts prepared in the fall and winter, as well as for macerated leaves harvested in the summer and fall and for extracts prepared through decoction in the winter. The extracts stimulated the growth of shoots of lettuce seedlings, whereas root length was affected by the extracts, which either stimulated or inhibited its growth. Extracts of "falso-boldo" leaves harvested in all four seasons had allelopathic effect on germination and development of lettuce, and the latter varied depending on the harvest season, the form of preparing the extracts and the tested concentrations.

Allergic contact dermatitis to Plectranthus amboinicus masquerading as chronic leg ulcer.

This report discusses a case of a 69-year-old woman who developed chronic non-healing leg ulcers after long-term topical use of Plectranthus amboinicus. The ulcer was proven to be allergic contact dermatitis to P. amboinicus by a patch test. The ulcer healed after discontinuation of P. amboinicus. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of allergic contact dermatitis to P. amboinicus masquerading as chronic leg ulcer.