Botanical Briefs: Australian Stinging Tree (Dendrocnide moroides).

Dendrocnide moroides (also known as gympie-gympie, mulberrylike stinging tree, or stinger) is arguably the most brutal of stinging plants, even leading to death in dogs, horses, and humans in rare cases. They can be recognized as shrubs with heart-shaped, serrated, dark green leaves that are covered in what appears to be soft downy fur with red to dark purple raspberries growing on long stems. After contact, there is immediate piloerection and local swelling, which may disappear after 1 hour or last as long as 24 hours, but the subjective pain, pruritus, and burning can persist for months. One can only treat conservatively with symptom management, and the most successful method of removing plant hair is hair removal wax strips, which are considered an essential component of a first aid kit where D moroides is found.

Learning-Based Slip Detection for Robotic Fruit Grasping and Manipulation under Leaf Interference.

Robotic harvesting research has seen significant achievements in the past decade, with breakthroughs being made in machine vision, robot manipulation, autonomous navigation and mapping. However, the missing capability of obstacle handling during the grasping process has severely reduced harvest success rate and limited the overall performance of robotic harvesting. This work focuses on leaf interference caused slip detection and handling, where solutions to robotic grasping in an unstructured environment are proposed. Through analysis of the motion and force of fruit grasping under leaf interference, the connection between object slip caused by leaf interference and inadequate harvest performance is identified for the first time in the literature. A learning-based perception and manipulation method is proposed to detect slip that causes problematic grasps of objects, allowing the robot to implement timely reaction. Our results indicate that the proposed algorithm detects grasp slip with an accuracy of 94%. The proposed sensing-based manipulation demonstrated great potential in robotic fruit harvesting, and could be extended to other pick-place applications.

Phytochemical investigation on Vitex negundo leaves and their anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities

Abstract The phytochemical investigation on Vitex negundo leaves has led to the isolation of one new iridoid glucoside (8α-hydroxy-4-carboxyl-5ßH-9ßH-iridoid-1α-O-(6'-O-(6,7-dihydrofoliamenthonyl)-ß-ᴅ-glucopyranoside, 3), together with three known compounds, namely agnuside (1), 6'-O-E-caffeoylmussaenosidic acid (2), and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (4). The HPLC analytical study was also performed to quantify the content of agnuside (1) in dried leaves. The results indicated the very high content of 1 (3.04 ± 0.02%). The method was also validated by various parameters, including linearity (R2= 0.9999), precision (intra-day RSD ≤ 2.50%, inter-day RSD= 0.76%), and accuracy (recovery rates 96.58-101.86%). The animal testing data showed that the extract did not reduce pain at the doses of 9.6 and 28.8 g /kg (leaf weight/body weight) in the hot plates and pain measuring models but showed the pain reduction in the acetic acid-induced pain model. The extract at the dose of 5.6 g/kg (leaf weight/body weight) also had effects on the acute inflammation in the carrageenin-induced edema model. The extract at the dose 9.6 and 28.8 g/kg (leaf weight/body weight) also showed significant chronic anti-inflammation, comparable to methylprednisolone at the dose 10 mg/kg on the mouse peritoneal

Tetradenia riparia leaves, flower buds, and stem essential oils to control of Aedes aegypti larvae

Abstract Tetradenia riparia (Hochst.) Codd (Lamiaceae) is a species native to the African continent and used as an insect repellent. The objective of the study was to evaluate the larvicidal potential of essential oils (EOs) from the leaves, flower buds, and stem of T. riparia, collected in winter against Aedes aegypti larvae. The EOs were extracted by hydrodistillation (3 h) and identified by GC/MS. The EOs were tested against larvae of A. aegypti at concentrations ranging from 12500 to 1.5 µg/mL for 24 h. The insecticide activity was evaluated by probit analysis, and the anticholinesterase activity was determined by bioautographic method. The results of the class projection indicated sesquiterpenes as the majority class, corresponding to 60.66% (leaves), 64.70% (flower buds) and 83.99% (stem), and the bioassays on A. aegypti larvae indicated LC50 of 1590, 675 and 665 µg/mL, respectively. The anticholinesterase activity indicated that the EO of the leaves inhibited the enzyme at a concentration of 780 µg/mL, and those from the flower buds and stem inhibited up to 1560 µg/mL. The results indicated weak activity of essential oils against A. aegypti larvae.

Physicochemical characterization and cosmetic applications of Passiflora nitida Kunth leaf extract

Abstract Passiflora nitida Kunth, an Amazonian Passiflora species, is little studied, although the specie's high biological potential. Herein the plant's pharmacognostic characterization, extract production, antioxidant potential evaluation, and application of this extract in cosmetic products is reported. The physical chemical parameters analyzed were particle size by sieve analysis, loss through drying, extractive yield, total ash content, laser granulometry, specific surface area and pore diameter (SBET), differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry (TG), and wave dispersive X-Ray fluorescence (WDXRF). Total phenol/flavonoid content, LC-MS/MS analysis, DPPH and ABTS antioxidant radical assays, cytotoxicity, melanin, and tyrosinase inhibition in melanocytes test provided evidence to determine the content of the major constituent. P. nitida dry extract provided a fine powder with mesopores determined by SBET, with the TG curve showing five stages of mass loss. The antioxidant potential ranged between 23.5-31.5 mg∙mL-1 and tyrosinase inhibition between 400-654 µg∙mL-1. The species presented an antimelanogenic effect and an inhibitory activity of cellular tyrosinase (26.6%) at 25 µg/mL. The LC-MS/MS analysis of the spray-dried extract displayed the main and minor phenolic compounds constituting this sample. The results indicate that P. nitida extract has promising features for the development of cosmetic formulations

Safety Assessment of Citrus Flower- and Leaf-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics.

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel (Panel) assessed the safety of 33 Citrus flower- and leaf-derived ingredients, which are most frequently reported to function in cosmetics as fragrances and/or skin-conditioning agents. The Panel reviewed the available data to determine the safety of these ingredients. Because final product formulations may contain multiple botanicals, each containing similar constituents of concern, formulators are advised to be aware of these constituents and to avoid reaching levels that may be hazardous to consumers. With Citrus flower- and leaf-derived ingredients, the Panel was concerned about the presence of the hydroperoxides of limonene and linalool in cosmetics. Industry should use good manufacturing practices to limit impurities that could be present in botanical ingredients. The Panel concluded that these ingredients are safe in the present practices of use and concentration when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.

Anti-inflammatory and histopathological studies of leaves extracts of Croton bonplandianus in Albino rats.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are frequently used for the treatment and prevention of inflammation with the increase in number of side effects. Traditional plants have been used to treat inflammation owing to lesser adverse responses. Croton bonplandianus being an anti-inflammatory plant is extensively utilized all over the world. The methanolic and aqueous leaves extracts of Croton bonplandianus were exposed to anti-inflammatory activity in the carrageenan induced paw edema against standard diclofenac sodium, followed by the histopathlogical examination. The highest dose of methanolic extract were shown significant anti-inflammatory action having a significant P-value (P<0.05-0.001) compared with the diclofenac sodium (P<0.01-0.001) and aqueous extracts (P<0.5-0.01). The histopathological examination illustrated the vasodialation with reduction in the intensity of edema, neutrophils infiltration and other inflammatory cells. C. bonplandianus being a reactive oxygen species scavenger, responsible to exert an excellent anti-inflammatory activity. The present study confirmed the anti-inflammatory potential of drug extracts and authors recommended its utilization in the treatment of pain, inflammation and relevant diseases in future. However, phytochemical screening is to be required for the complete evaluation of active chemical constituent (s).

Khat Chewing Effect on the International Normalized Ratio in Patients with Mechanical Heart Valves under Warfarin Therapy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Khat is a plant that contains the alkaloids cathine and cathinone which have some amphetamine-like properties. It is cultivated and it's leaves chewed for their euphoric effect. This study intended to elucidate the effect of khat chewing on blood coagulation by using the International Normalized Ratio (INR) value as a calculable benchmark. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cohort study, 146 patients with Mechanical Heart Valves (MHV) were assessed for two consecutive visits at one-month intervals. For each visit, the date of surgery, the patient's compliance, the dose of warfarin and the INR reading were assessed by the researcher. RESULTS: Out of 146 patients with MHV, the mean age was 33.72±12.43 years (range, 14-65 years); 82 (56.2%) were female and 64 (43.8%) were male. The results revealed that the mean of absolute INR readings was lower in khat-chewers than non-chewers by average 0.2 on the first and second visits (p = 0.038 and 0.002, respectively). CONCLUSION: Khat chewing has a significant coagulant effect. There was a significant decrease in the value of INR for khat chewers patients with MHV when compared to non-khat chewers.

Acute and Subacute Toxicity Studies of the Aqueous Extract from Haloxylon scoparium Pomel (Hammada scoparia (Pomel)) by Oral Administration in Rodents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Acute toxicity test was performed on Swiss albino mice at a single oral dose of 1-10 g/kg for 14 consecutive days. General behavioral adverse effects, mortality, and latency of mortality were determined. In the subacute study, the Haloxylon scoparium Pomel extract was administered orally at doses of 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg daily for 30 days to Wistar rats. Body weight and selected biochemical and hematological parameters were determined at the end of the experiment. Sections of livers and kidneys were removed for histological studies. RESULTS: Acute toxicity study showed that the oral LD50 value of Haloxylon scoparium Pomel extract was 5000 mg/kg. The subacute toxicity study of Haloxylon scoparium Pomel extract at doses 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg did not produce any observable symptoms of toxicity and no significant variation in body weight, organ weights, food, and water consumption or mortality in all treated rats. However, the administration of the Haloxylon scoparium Pomel extract to rats at 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg showed a significant decrease in platelets. Moreover, only at the highest dose (2000 mg/kg), the extract caused a significant increase in red blood cells and hemoglobin. Our results showed that subacute treatments with Haloxylon scoparium Pomel extract at doses of 1000 mg/kg and 2000 mg/kg significantly elevated alkaline phosphatase and triglycerides. Histological studies showed that the subacute treatments of rats with Haloxylon scoparium Pomel extracts, at the doses 1000 and 2000 mg/kg, induced some histopathological changes in the livers but a slight changing in kidneys. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated low acute toxicity of the aqueous extract of Haloxylon scoparium Pomel. Furthermore, daily oral administration of Haloxylon scoparium Pomel extract caused some damages to the livers of rats treated with high doses, expressed by an increase in some enzyme activities such as ALP. Regarding the renal function, we did not find remarkable toxicity in the subacute treatment with Haloxylon scoparium Pomel extracts at doses 1000 and 2000 mg/kg. However, further toxicity assessments should be done to ascertain the safety or the toxicity of this valuable plant species "Haloxylon scoparium pomel" in subchronic treatments.

The safety and tolerability of Annona muricata leaf extract: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: Annona muricata, also known as graviola, soursop and guanabana, has been widely utilised for the treatment of a range of cancers. The mechanism of action and the efficacy of A. muricata and its constituents in the treatment of cancer have been comprehensively reviewed. The aim of this systematic review was to summarise the available literature that reports on factors related to the safety and tolerability of A. muricata leaf extract and its acetogenins. METHODS: In-vitro, preclinical animal studies and human studies of any design written in any language were included. Studies that evaluated A. muricata leaf extract and its constituents were searched through the databases Pubmed, Medline and Embase from inception to April 2019. The elaborated item 4 of Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement and Animals in Research: Reporting In vivo Experiments guidelines were used to evaluate the quality of the studies. KEY FINDINGS: The results suggest that A. muricata and its constituents have hepatoprotective, neurotoxic, antinociceptive, anti-ulcerative and chemopreventive effects. The dose and duration used in animal studies demonstrating toxicity may not directly translate into the effects in humans. Studies included in this review were judged to be of medium to high quality. CONCLUSIONS: The overall outcome of the current review suggests that A. muricata has a favourable safety and tolerability profile. Future studies investigating its use in people diagnosed with a range of cancers are warranted.

New flavonoid with antidiabetic and antioxidant potential from Tetrastigma angustifolia (Roxb. ) Deb leaves

Ethnomedicinal survey documents the traditional practices of Tetrastigma angustifolia leaves in the management of diabetes in the North-eastern region of India. The present study was aimed at isolation of possible antidiabetic principle(s) from T. angustifolia leaves and evaluation of antidiabetic efficacy of isolated compound(s) in experimental animal model. The methanolic extract of T. angustifolia leaves was obtained by Soxhlet extraction method and subjected to silica gel column chromatography (100-200 mesh). Fraction 18-176 chloroform:methanol (70:30) yielded a pale yellow colored compound. The structure of pure compound was elucidated with the help of UV, IR, NMR and Mass spectrometric/techniques. The antioxidant activity of the isolated compound was evaluated in vitro by various radical scavenfing assay methods.. Oral acute toxicity study was carried out according to OECD guideline 423 in Wistar rats. The antidiabetic efficacy of the isolated compound was evaluated in STZ-induced diabetic rats at the dose of 5 mg/kg b.w. for duration of 21 days. The present study reports a new flavocnoid compound isolated from the methanolic extract of T. angustifolia leaves and identified as 8-hydroxyapigenin 7-O-D-glucopyranoside. The flavonoid compound exhibited potent antidiabetic (hypoglicemic) activity in STZ-induced diabetic rats with promising antioxidant (radical scavenging activity) potential in vitro.

Rare Kodamaea ohmeri keratitis following a trivial vegetative trauma.

Kodamaea ohmeri keratitis is an opportunistic pathogen seen in patients who have undergone invasive procedures and immunocompromised state. It has been identified in septicemia patients, resulting in mortality. To the best of our knowledge, we identified the first case of K. ohmeri keratitis following an injury with vegetative material. A 57-year-old woman with underlying, poorly controlled diabetes mellitus was gardening when a tree leaf accidentally poked her in the eye. Two weeks later, the patient presented with right eye pain, redness and progressive blurring of vision due to a traumatised right cornea. Slit-lamp examination showed a small inferior paracentral corneal stromal infiltrate with overlying epithelial defect. A corneal scraping sample yielded K. ohmeri from Analytical Profile Index (API) 20C yeast identification system. She was treated with intensive topical amphotericin B and fluconazole. After 6 weeks of treatment, the keratitis resolved with faint scar tissue, and her visual acuity improved.

Kratom policy: The challenge of balancing therapeutic potential with public safety.

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tree-like plant indigenous to Southeast Asia. Its leaves, and the teas brewed from them have long been used by people in that region to stave off fatigue and to manage pain and opioid withdrawal. Evidence suggests kratom is being increasingly used by people in the United States and Europe for the self-management of opioid withdrawal and treatment of pain. Recent studies have confirmed that kratom and its chemical constituents have potentially useful pharmacological actions. However, there have also been increasing numbers of reports of adverse effects resulting from use of kratom products. In August 2016, the US Drug Enforcement Administration announced plans to classify kratom and its mitragynine constituents as Schedule I Controlled Substances, a move that triggered a massive response from pro-kratom advocates. The debate regarding the risks, and benefits and safety of kratom continues to intensify. Kratom proponents tout kratom as a safer and less addictive alternative to opioids for the management of pain and opioid addiction. The anti-kratom faction argues that kratom, itself, is a dangerous and addictive drug that ought to be banned. Given the widespread use of kratom and the extensive media attention it is receiving, it is important for physicians, scientists and policy makers to be knowledgeable about the subject. The purpose of this commentary is to update readers about recent developments and controversies in this rapidly evolving area. All of the authors are engaged in various aspects of kratom research and it is our intention to provide a fair and balanced overview that can form the basis for informed decisions on kratom policy. Our conclusions from these analyses are: (a) User reports and results of preclinical studies in animals strongly suggest that kratom and its main constituent alkaloid, mitragynine may have useful activity in alleviating pain and managing symptoms of opioid withdrawal, even though well-controlled clinical trials have yet to be done. (b) Even though kratom lacks many of the toxicities of classic opioids, there are legitimate concerns about the safety and lack of quality control of purported "kratom" products that are being sold in the US. (c) The issues regarding the safety and efficacy of kratom and its mitragynine constituent can only be resolved by additional research. Classification of the Mitragyna alkaloids as Schedule I controlled substances would substantially impede this important research on kratom.

Surgical removal for khat inducible verruca vulgaris lesion of the oral mucosa.

The harmful effects of khat chewing on the oral mucosa membrane are still uncertain. Verruca vulgaris (common warts) is a benign lesion of skin and mucous membranes and can be caused by human papillomavirus. The lesions are typically self-limited but may vary in size and number. The occurrence on the floor of mouth is extremely rare. To the best of our knowledge, there are few number of oral lesions reported in connection with khat users. This case report shows that the chronic khat chewing has contributed to the development of verruca vulgaris warts that were confined to the chewing side of the mouth. A rare case of verruca vulgaris of the floor of mouth occurring in a 27-year-old Yamani male is presented with a discussion on etiopathogenesis and the treatment methods. Verruca vulgaris must be remembered in the differential diagnosis of the floor of mouth lesions, and surgical treatment may provide satisfactory outcomes.

Toxicity assessment of the alcoholic leaves extract of Reinwardtia indica

The present study aimed to evaluate the safety of the alcoholic leaves extract of Reinwardtia indica in Charles foster rats through an acute and sub-acute oral administration.For assessment of acute oral toxicity test, ratswere orally treated with single dose of the alcoholic leaves extract of Reinwardtia indica at the doses of 50, 250, 500, 1000 2000 and 5000 mg/kg. In sub-acute toxicity study, using the OECD guidelines no. 407, the extract was administered at the doses of 50, 250, 500, 1000, 2000 mg/kg/day for 28 consecutive days and at the dose of 2000 mg/kg satellite group also used for 6 weeks.In acute toxicity above mentioned doses neither showed mortality nor exterior signs of toxicity. In sub-acute, study no significant changes found in haematological and biochemical level ofthe treated rat after 14 days and 28 days in comparison to control. The histopathology of rat brain, kidney, liver, and heart also showed the no cellular changes after extract treated rat.The alcoholic leaves extract of Reinwardtia indica was found non-toxic in single drug dose administration up to 5000 mg/kg (acute study) and in sub-acute administration up to 2000 mg/kg.

Tetanus after application of traditional topical treatment to a severe burn.

A 2-year-old child was accompanied by his parents to the pediatric emergency room for refusal to eat, trismus and generalized contractures four days after the application of a traditional topical treatment (Cassava leaves) on lesions of a severe thermal burn. A temperature of 38̊C, a heart rate of 114 beats/min, and a blood pressure of 90/60 mm Hg were recorded. The tetanus vaccination was not up to date. The diagnosis of tetanus was immediately suggested. Antitetanus serum (immunoglobulin), an antibiotic (amoxicillin and clavulanic acid), and a myorelaxant (benzodiazepine) were administered. Local treatments were also performed. The child died within 24 hours.

Moringa oleifera leaf powder alters the pharmacokinetics of amodiaquine in healthy human volunteers.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Moringa oleifera (MO) Lam (Moringaceae) is commonly used as food supplement and as medicine in most African countries where malaria is also endemic. Therefore, co-administration of MO with antimalarials is a possibility. This study investigated the effects of MO leaves powder on the pharmacokinetics of amodiaquine (AQ) in human subjects. METHODS: Twenty healthy volunteers were recruited for the 3-period study. In the first period, a single dose of AQ tablet (10 mg/kg) was administered orally after an overnight fast. After a 7-day washout period, AQ was co-administered with MO. For the third period, each subject took 3 g MO once daily for 7 days and on the 8th day, MO was co-administered with AQ. The plasma concentrations of amodiaquine and desethylamodiaquine (DEAQ) were simultaneously determined using a validated HPLC method. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The results showed a significant decrease (P = .037) in the Cmax of AQ after concurrent administration (CA) with MO, whereas after pretreatment (PT), there was a 32% decrease in the Cmax of AQ. For the metabolite, DEAQ, Cmax increased significantly (P = .006) by 79.36%, and Cmax in PT was significantly higher than (P = .001) that of the CA arm of the study. AUC of DEAQ increased significantly by 40.4% (P = .006) and by 188% (P = .001) after CA and PT, respectively. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: The study established pharmacokinetic interaction between AQ and MO when given together or following a long period of ingestion of MO. This may have clinical implications for malaria therapy.