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Medicinal plants are a valuable source of supplementary remedies for the treatment of various ailments. Lawsonia inermis (belongs to family Lythraceae) or commonly known as Henna is a glabrous and branching small tree that is indigenous to the subtropical regions of Asia and North Africa. It has traditionally been used as a dandruff-fighting and antifungal agent when applied to the hair, hands, and feet. The staining properties of Henna are derived from the lawsone content, which is found primarily in the leaves. The purpose of this review is to conduct a literature search and critically review the relevant published articles on the phytochemical and pharmacological activities of L. inermis. The phytochemical screening reported that naphthoquinone derivatives, Henna essential oil, flavonoids, tannins, phenols, quinones, alkaloids, glycosides and saponins can be isolated from various parts of the Henna tree. The selection of appropriate solvents is critical in phytochemical screening, as different solvents resulted in different extraction yields. The pharmacological activities found in Henna are ameliorative activity, alleviating wound healing process, antifungal, antioxidant, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, nootropic, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity. In conclusion, phytochemical screening is critical for identification of plants constituents, and Henna possesses wide range of pharmacological properties. As a result, further studies on Henna's phytochemical and pharmacological qualities should be done to fully exploit its benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Tormentillae rhizoma is the main ingredient of popular alcoholic beverages. • It consists of tannins, ellagic acid derivatives, and triterpenes. • In gut epithelium model, ellagic acid derivatives are metabolized to new products. • Other extract compounds are adsorbed in the cell monolayer or pass through it. Tormentilla erecta (L.) Raeusch is a widespread plant in Europe and Western Asia. Its rhizomes (Tormentilae rhizoma) are the main ingredient of herbal alcoholic beverages and can be used as a natural preservative in beer production. Apart from its unique taste qualities, therapeutic properties in gastrointestinal tract ailments are attributed to the tincture obtained from Tormentillae rhizoma. The presented research aimed to determine the mutual relationship between the components of Tormentillae tincture , present in popular alcoholic beverages, and intestinal epithelium (Caco-2 cell monolayers). A comprehensive qualitative and quantitative analysis of the tincture was performed, including the determination of condensed and hydrolyzable tannins as well as triterpenoids (UHPLC-DAD-MS/MS). Incubation of the tincture with Caco-2 monolayers has shown that only triterpenes pass through the monolayer, while condensed tannins are mainly bound to the monolayer surface. Ellagic acid derivatives were the only components of the Tormentillae tinctura being metabolized by cell monolayers to the compounds not previously described in the literature, which may be crucial in the treatment of intestinal diseases with inflammatory background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Berries indigenously grown in Asia are known for their diversified nutritional and health promoting properties. Establishing a link between berry consumption and their classical uses in health management however requires detailed research in exploring varied biochemical factors and their therapeutic role in averting risks of chronic disorders. OBJECTIVE: The present study was aimed at evaluating anti-inflammatory and anticancer responses of fruit extracts of Grewia asiatica locally known as Phalsa. METHODS: Dichloromethane, methanol and 50% hydro-methanolic fractions of fruit were evaluated for polyphenols characterization, quantification and antioxidant assays. Anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive responses of fruit extracts were evaluated in rats and mice models, respectively, and cytotoxic activities were measured against MCF-7, HeLa, HEp-2, NCI-H522, HEK-293 cancer cell cultures. RESULTS: Phenolics quantification and biological study data suggested 50% hydro-methanolic extracts as maximum carrier of flavonoids (7.92 mgQE/g), anthocyanins (8.1 mg/Kg) and tannins (187.2 mgGAE/g) that significantly (p < 0.05)resulted in higher oxidation inhibition (IC50 41.1 ug/ml), paw edema inhibition (68–74%) and pain mediation in neurogenic phase(31–62%) when administrated at the rate of 400 mg/kg b.w. Maximum cytotoxic activity of G. asiatica (50% hydro-methanolic extracts) was observed against MCF-7 (IC50 34.9 ug/mL), HEp-2 (IC50 80.4 ug/mL) and NCI-H522 (IC50 73 ug/mL) cancer cell lines. LC-ESI-MS/MS characterization of hydro-alcoholic fractions bearing potent biological activities revealed Gallic acid, Ellagic acid, Quinic acid, Calycosin, Vidalenolone, Quercetin, Myricetin, Liquitrigenin and 6-aldehydo-isoophiopogonone. Human equivalent doses of the extracts calculated on the basis of total phenolic contents for anti-inflammatory and nociceptive assays were in range between 6.2–15.8 mg/kg b.w., and 3.1–7.9 mg/kg b.w., respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of the study suggest G. asiatica fruit extracts are a potential source of bioactive compounds that might further be explored for anti-inflammatory and anticancer drug discovery and its clinical exploitation. Study concludes supplementation of G. asiatica extracts as possible approach to acquire curative properties in human subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) is a tropical fruit from Asia which has become the main target of many studies involving polyphenolic analysis. Mexico produces over 8 million tons per year of rambutan, generating a huge amount of agro-industrial waste since only the pulp is used and the peel, which comprises around 45% of the fruit's weight, is left behind. This waste can later be used in the recovery of polyphenolic fractions. In this work, emerging technologies such as microwave, ultrasound, and the hybridization of both were tested in the extraction of phenolic compounds from Mexican rambutan peel. The results show that the hybrid technology extraction yielded the highest polyphenolic content (176.38 mg GAE/g of dry rambutan peel). The HPLC/MS/ESI analysis revealed three majoritarian compounds: geraniin, corilagin, and ellagic acid. These compounds explain the excellent results for the biological assays, namely antioxidant activity evaluated by the DPPH, ABTS, and LOI (Lipid oxidation inhibition) assays that exhibited great antioxidant capacity with IC50 values of 0.098, 0.335, and 0.034 mg/mL respectively, as well as prebiotic activity demonstrated by a µMax (maximum growth) of 0.203 for Lactobacillus paracasei. Lastly, these compounds have shown no hemolytic activity, opening the door for the elaboration of different products in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus or type-2 diabetes, commonly referred as diabetes, is a metabolic disorder that results in high blood sugar level. Despite the availability of several antidiabetic drugs in the market, they still do not adequately regulate blood sugar levels. Thus, in general people prefer to use herbal supplements/medicines along with antidiabetic drugs to control blood sugar levels. One of such herbal medicine is Swietenia macrophylla seeds. It is widely used in Asia for controlling blood sugar levels. One of the major bioactive compounds, Swietenine, is reported to be responsible for controlling blood glucose levels. However, there were no studies on its efficacy in controlling the blood glucose in diabetic rats. In this study, we evaluated the antihyperglycemic activity of Swietenine and its pharmacodynamic interaction with Metformin in Streptozotocin induced diabetes in rats. The activity of Swietenine was investigated at three different doses: 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg body weight (bw). Metformin (50 mg/kg bw) was used as a standard drug. Swietenine (20 and 40 mg/kg bw) and Metformin (50 mg/kg bw) showed significant effect in reducing the glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, urea, creatinine, alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and malondialdehyde level in serum while it had increased the high-density lipoprotein, glutathione, and total antioxidant capacity level. In addition, Swietenine (20 and 40 mg/kg) had shown significant synergistic effect with Metformin. Administration of Swietenine at 10 mg/kg bw neither showed activity nor influenced Metformin's activity. The results from this study confirmed the beneficial effects of Swietenine and its synergistic action with Metformin in controlling the dysregulated serum parameters in Streptozotocin induced diabetes in rats. [Display omitted] • Swietenine, at 20 and 40 mg/kg, showed dose-dependent antidiabetic effect. • Swietenine potentiated the antidiabetic effect of Metformin. • The combination of Swietenine and Metformin was non-toxic. • Swietenine reversed the dysregulated functions of liver, kidney, and pancreas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-dependent progressive neurodegenerative disease, resulting in memory loss and cognitive dysfunction. The accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) has been identified as the most important risk factor for AD. Black rice (BR; Oryza sativa L. var. japonica), which is widely consumed in Asia, is a good source of bioactive compounds including anthocyanins. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effect of BR extracts against Aβ25-35-induced memory impairment in an in vivo AD mouse model. After intracerebroventricular injection of Aβ25-35, mice were treated with BR extract supplementation for 14 days. Memory and cognition function were evaluated over this period in both treated and untreated animals using T-maze, novel object recognition and Morris water maze tests. After behavioral tests, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in brain, liver and kidney tissues were analyzed. Mice treated with Aβ25-35 had impaired memory and cognitive function; however, mice administered BR extract (100 mg/kg/day) demonstrated an improvement in cognition and memory function compared with the Aβ25-35-injected control group. Furthermore, injection of Aβ25-35 significantly increased MDA and NO generation in the brain, liver and kidney of mice. However, the group administered with BR extract had significantly inhibited lipid peroxidation and NO generation in the brain, liver and kidney. In addition, the protective effect of BR on lipid peroxidation and NO production by Aβ25-35 was stronger in the brain compared with other tissues. Collectively, these findings suggested that BR supplementation may prevent memory and cognition deficits caused by Aβ25-35-induced oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Comprehensively reviewed the natural sources and synthetic pathways of Salidroside. • Delineated pharmacokinetics, BBB permeability and safety of Salidroside. • Summarized the advances in anti-ischemic stroke mechanism of Salidroside. Salidroside (Sal) is a bioactive extract principally from traditional herbal medicine such as Rhodiola rosea L., which has been commonly used for hundreds of years in Asia countries. The excellent neuroprotective capacity of Sal has been illuminated in recent studies. This work focused on the source, pharmacokinetics, safety and anti-ischemic stroke (IS) effect of Sal, especially emphasizing its mechanism of action and BBB permeability. Extensive databases, including Pubmed, Web of science (WOS), Google Scholar and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), were applied to obtain relevant online literatures. Sal exerts powerful therapeutic effects on IS in experimental models either in vitro or in vivo due to its neuroprotection, with significantly diminishing infarct size, preventing cerebral edema and improving neurological function. Also, the findings suggest the underlying mechanisms involve anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation and anti-apoptosis by regulating multiple signaling pathways and key molecules, such as NF-κB, TNF-α and PI3K/Akt pathway. In pharmacokinetics, although showing a rapid absorption and elimination, bioavailability of Sal is elevated under some non-physiological conditions. The component and its metabolite (tyrosol) are capable of distributing to brain tissue and the later keeps a higher level of concentration. Moreover, Sal scarcely has obvious toxicity or side effects in a variety of animal experiments and clinical trials, but combination of drugs and perinatal use of medicine should be taken more attentions. Finally, as an active ingredient, not only is Sal isolated from diverse plants with limited yield, but also large batches of the products can be harvested by biological and chemical synthesis. With higher efficacy and better safety profiles, Sal could sever as a promising neuroprotectant for preventing and treating IS. Nevertheless, further investigations are still required to explore the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of Sal in the treatment of IS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commonly used to treat skin injuries in Asia, several Homalium spp. have been found to promote skin regeneration and wound healing. While ethnobotanical surveys report the use of H. bhamoense trunk bark as a wound salve, there are no studies covering bioactive properties. As impaired cutaneous healing is characterized by excessive inflammation, a series of inflammatory mediators involved in wound healing were targeted with a methanol extract obtained from H. bhamoense trunk bark. Results showed concentration-dependent inhibition of hyaluronidase and 5-lipoxygenase upon exposure to the extract, with IC50 values of 396.9 ± 25.7 and 29.0 ± 2.3 µg mL−1, respectively. H. bhamoense trunk bark extract also exerted anti-inflammatory activity by significantly suppressing the overproduction of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages at concentrations ranging from 125 to 1000 µg mL−1, while leading to a biphasic effect on nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels. The phenolic profile was elucidated by HPLC-DAD, being characterized by the occurrence of ellagic acid as the main constituent, in addition to a series of methylated derivatives, which might underlie the observed anti-inflammatory effects. Our findings provide in vitro data on anti-inflammatory ability of H. bhamoense trunk bark, disclosing also potential cutaneous toxicity as assessed in HaCaT keratinocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]