104 research outputs found
Plant Essential Oil with Biological Activity
Plant essential oils (PEOs) are hydrophobic liquids that contain volatile chemical components that are derived from various plant parts. They are among the most important plant natural products because of their diverse biological features as well as their therapeutic and nutritional applications. In addition, several aromatic PEOs are used to flavor food and add aromas to incense in the culinary sector. Recently, many PEOs have demonstrated promising antimicrobial activity against different post-harvest diseases and have been considered as possible natural alternatives for chemical treatments. This Special Issue titled âPlant Essential Oil with Biological Activityâ provided an overview of several elements of PEOs, including their biological applications, antimicrobial activities, bio-pharmaceutical properties, principal single constituents, and mechanisms of action. This Special Issues fills in knowledge gaps and aids in the advancement of EO applications around the world. This issue contains thirteen research articles and two review papers that address a wide range of topics and applications relevant to the bioactivity of PEOs
Antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiviral properties of herbal materials
Recently, increasing public concern about hygiene has been driving many studies to investigate antimicrobial and antiviral agents. However, the use of any antimicrobial agents must be limited due to their possible toxic or harmful effects. In recent years, due to previous antibioticsâ lesser side effects, the use of herbal materials instead of synthetic or chemical drugs is increasing. Herbal materials are found in medicines. Herbs can be used in the form of plant extracts or as their active components. Furthermore, most of the worldâs populations used herbal materials due to their strong antimicrobial properties and primary healthcare benefits. For example, herbs are an excellent material to replace nanosilver as an antibiotic and antiviral agent. The use of nanosilver involves an ROS-mediated mechanism that might lead to oxidative stress-related cancer, cytotoxicity, and heart diseases. Oxidative stress further leads to increased ROS production and also delays the cellular processes involved in wound healing. Therefore, existing antibiotic drugs can be replaced with biomaterials such as herbal medicine with high antimicrobial, antiviral, and antioxidant activity. This review paper highlights the antibacterial, antiviral, and radical scavenger (antioxidant) properties of herbal materials. Antimicrobial activity, radical scavenger ability, the potential for antimicrobial, antiviral, and anticancer agents, and efficacy in eliminating bacteria and viruses and scavenging free radicals in herbal materials are discussed in this review. The presented herbal antimicrobial agents in this review include clove, portulaca, tribulus, eryngium, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, thyme, pennyroyal, mint, fennel, chamomile, burdock, eucalyptus, primrose, lemon balm, mallow, and garlic, which are all summarized. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland
The Transformation of Traditional Asian Medical Knowledge into International Commodities â The Link between Traditional Medicines and the International Market
Aims and Objectives Medicinal plant value chains have been overlooked compared with food commodities. Revenue generation tends to be weighted towards the retail end of the chain and consequently the farm labourers, farmers and processors (primary producers) are the lowest beneficiaries. This project aims to investigate medicinal plant value chains and interpret the impact different value chains have on the livelihoods of primary producers in developing countries and for the first time analytically assess the quality implications for the manufacturers and end users in Europe. Methodological Approach Case studies were undertaken on three separate sites in India. Data was gathered on medicinal plant value chains by means of semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations. Samples were collected from locations in India, China, Europe and the USA and analysed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and high performance thin layer chromatography. Results There were benefits for primary producers that belonged to a vertically integrated value chain and resulting products were subject to a higher standard of processing and storage. The analysis demonstrated that there was variation in the chemical composition of the samples tested and that products obtained from a vertically integrated value chain were more similar chemically to fresh turmeric rhizomes than other samples tested. Conclusions Using analytical methods, it was possible to correlate important variations in product composition for selected samples and identify strengths and weaknesses of some key value chains. Through establishing direct contracts with farmers in India, the vertically integrated value chain investigated was able to exert greater control over cultivation and manufacturing processes than found in other chains. Consequently the vertically integrated value chain is able to produce a higher quality product than generally found on the market. This results in a value addition that was passed back down the chain for the benefit of the primary producers
Target and Non-Target Approaches for Food Authenticity and Traceability
Over the last few years, the subject of food authenticity and food fraud has received increasing attention from consumers and other stakeholders, such as government agencies and policymakers, control labs, producers, industry, and the research community. Among the different approaches aiming to identify, tackle, and/or deter fraudulent practices in the agri-food sector, the development of new, fast, and accurate methodologies to evaluate food authenticity is of major importance. This book, entitled âTarget and Non-Target Approaches for Food Authenticity and Traceabilityâ, gathers original research and review papers focusing on the development and application of both targeted and non-targeted methodologies applied to verify food authenticity and traceability. The contributions regard different foods, among which some are frequently considered as the most prone to adulteration, such as olive oil, honey, meat, and fish. This book is intended for readers aiming to enrich their knowledge through reading contemporary and multidisciplinary papers on the topic of food authentication
Antiulcer Activity of Fresh Rhizome Juice of Curcuma Amada
In the present study the activity of fresh rhizome juice of curcuma amada were administered
orally to study the antiulcer effects.
Acute toxicity studies on the albino rats show no morality at a dose of 2ml/kg, during a time
period of 14 days. During the study, no noticeable were seen in the rats. This help to predict that
it does not contain any type of toxicity and it is full safe. So 2 ml/kg b.w (1/10th dose) of fresh
juice were selected of that dose for the further study. The observations indicated that long-term
administration of the extract had no adverse effects on the general health of the animals. No
significant differences were observed in body weights or food consumption of the animals.
Hence this preparation can be utilized clinically. The animals were induced ulcer with ethanol
and aspirin and the ulcer animals were treated with fresh juice at a dose of 2ml/kg along with
standard drug pantoprazole orally
Natural Products: Therapeutic Properties and Beyond II
Bioactive compounds have a range of chemical structures and biological activities. Recently, new advances regarding natural compounds were achieved, leading to their application in several areas related to human therapies. New computational methods that analyze the pharmacological potential of natural products have led to its its conversion into low toxicity molecules. This Special Issue has collected the most recent innovations in scientific research on natural products, together with the application of bioactive compounds in human health. It acts as a reference for academic researchers and health and industry professionals, particularly those working in the fields of medicinal chemistry, toxicology, phytochemistry, and natural product chemistry
Application of Analytical Chemistry to Foods and Food Technology
The application of analytical chemistry to the food sector allows the determination of the chemical composition of foods and the properties of their constituents, contributing to the definition of their nutritional and commodity value. Furthermore, it is possible to study the chemical modifications that food constituents undergo as a result of the treatments they undergo (food technology). Food analysis, therefore, allows us not only to determine the quality of a product or its nutritional value, but also to reveal adulterations and identify the presence of xenobiotic substances potentially harmful to human health. Furthermore, some foods, especially those of plant origin, contain numerous substances with beneficial effects on health. While these functional compounds can be obtained from a correct diet, they can also be extracted from food matrices for the formulation of nutraceutical products or added to foods by technological or biotechnological means for the production of functional foods. On the other hand, the enormous growth of the food industry over the last 50 years has broadened the field of application of analytical chemistry to encompass not only food but also food technology, which is fundamental for increasing the production of all types of food
A Scientific approach on the Validation of Santha Santhrothaya Mathirai (SSM) a Siddha Herbo-Mineral Preparation for its Safety and Efficacy in the Management of Hepatic disorders
Santha santhrothaya mathirai (SSM) is a herbo-mineral formulation widely prescribed for hepatic disorders. The ingredients of SSM include mercurous chloride, borax, turmeric and lemon juice all of which are said to possess hepatoprotective activity. Although, the medicinal preparations mentioned in Siddha literature are time-tested standard preparations it is need of the hour to document standardization procedures by using sophisticated instrumental analysis to maintain
quality control. In the present study the preparation of SSM was standardized initially and then it was scientifically validated by adopting various analytical techniques.Toxicity and pharmacological studies were also performed to understand the safety and efficacy of the traditional drugs.
The raw materials used in the preparation of SSM were identified and authenticated using contemperory accepted practice. The raw materials of mineral origin viz., pooram and vengaram were purified strictly following the classical Siddha texts. The study drug SSM was prepared adopting the method mentioned in the âSiddha Vaithiya Thirattuâ.
In order to standardize the preparation protocol, SSM was prepared thrice (SSM-A, SSM-B and SSM-C) by following the same protocol and the similarity was demonstrated by examining various physical and chemical nature such as total ash, moisture content. The microbial load, aflatoxins and pesticide levels were analyzed and were found to be within the WHO permissible limits in all the three samples. Quantity of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic) in all the 3 samples of SSM were estimated by using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and were found to be within the permissible limits.
Total curcumin content of SSM was estimated in all the three samples of SSM by HPTLC analysis. The amount of curcumin present in Sample A was 0.6589 %; Sample B was 0.6884 % and Sample C was 0.7104 %.Total curcumin content of SSM - (A-1.15%,B 1.19%, C1.23%) were analysed by UV spectroscopy. There was no significant variation in the curcumin content in all the three samples of SSM. Since all samples were similar throughout the above analysis one of them was taken for further analytical procedures.
TGA analysis of SSM confirms a weight loss of 77% indicating the presence of large quantity of organic organic material in SSM.
The chemical changes that have occurred during the Siddha methods of purification process were assessed by using Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD and SEM Analysis. The analytical studies confirm the changes in the chemical structure of raw and purified state. The tetragonal crystalline structure of Pooram (Mercurous chloride) showed changes in its crystalline structure though the exact shape could not be established. Similarly Vengaram (Borax) also showed a change in its
structure from rhombohedral form to orthorhombic form. Moreover the presence of organo-mineral complex in SSM can be due to the combination of turmeric with purified vengaram, purified pooram or both. SEM Analysis revealed the particle size of 1ÎŒm to 500 nm in various magnifications. Also the morphological structure showed variations in purified and prepared medicine SSM when compared to raw samples.
In order to understand the nature of inorganic materials present in SSM, the XRF, ICP-OES and mercury analysis by tituration method was performed. Heavy metals concentration of Mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic were observed by the ICP-OES. This analysis of raw pooram (P1), raw vengaram (V1) showed mercury level and Sodium level as 123.241ppm and 545.862ppm respectively. There was significant reduction in the content of mercury (55.87ppm) in Pooram and the content of Sodium (203.110ppm) in Vengaram in purified state. Further reduction was observed in the mercury and Sodium level in study drug SSM as 3.154ppm and 125.383 ppm respectively. The other heavy metals such as As, Cd, and Pb were below detectable level (BDL) in all the samples (Raw, Purified and prepared samples).
The concentration of elements in oxide form was analyzed through X-Ray Fluorescence in the Raw, purified and prepared samples. The XRF study revealed the addition and deletion of trace elements and a reduction in the percentage of Mercury from 87.23% in raw form to 59.59% in purified form and 58.82% in SSM finished sample. From the results of tituration method, mercury content was also reduced from raw state of ingredients to purified and finished state of SSM.
These analytical studies are essential since the raw materials for herbomineral preparations are often sourced from various regions and during various seasons. The present study ensures the quality control of the drug which is essential for the prevention of adulteration, reproducibility, assessment of finished product, estimation of active principle and global acceptance.
SSM was accessed for its safety on short-term and long-term administration by performing acute, sub acute, subchronic toxicity in animal models. In acute toxicity study, SSM did not produce any mortality or exhibit any abnormal signs for 14 days even upto the dose of 2000mg/kg, on single oral administration.Gross necropsy of different organs revealed no abnormalities after 14 days.In subacute toxicity study, oral administration for a period of 28 days did not showany behavioural abnormality and mortality even at the dose of 250 mg/kg. Gross pathological examination and
histopathological analysis of the various organs such as heart, liver, kidney, lung, spleen, stomach, brain did not reveal any lesions in any of the groups. In subchronic toxicity study, there was no behavioural abnormality and mortality throughout the study period of 90 days except mild laxative effect in high dose group. Few changes were observed in haematological and biochemical parameters of SSM treated animals when compared to control groups but were within the physiological limits. Moreover the reduction of liver parameters ALT and AST reveals the hepatoprotective effect of SSM. Histopathological examinations of the tissues revealed mild inflammatory changes in liver and kidney with no significant changes in AST, ALT, urea and creatinine which are biomarkers of hepatic and renal damage. Recovery group was maintained to assess all the above haematological, biochemical and histopathalogical parameters and were found to have no significant toxicological changes. ICP-MS analysis of renal tissue indicates that the study drug SSM does not cause any cumulative toxic effect in renal tissues as the levels of
mercury was below the detectable limit in post retrieval group. The results of the toxicity study confirms the safety of SSM towards human consumption.
The pharmacological activity of SSM was accessed using three different animal model that represents Paracetamol - induced liver injury, LPS +Dâgalactosamine induced hepatoxicity which may mimic alchohol induced liver damage, acute liver damage and viral hepatitis respectively. In all the three models, SSM was found to
reduce various liver function parameters such as AST, ALT, ALP, Urea and bilirubin that were elevated due to disease induction. Moreover, SSM also increases the total proteins in all the three pharmacological models. Furthermore, treatment with SSM at the dose levels of 25 and 125mg/Kg significantly increases the hepatic antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, CAT, GRD, and GPx and decreases the level of lipid peroxidation when compared to the disease control groups.
Histopathology analysis of liver showed that SSM at Low (25mg/kg) and high (125mg/Kg) doses greatly reduced the level of fibrosis and deposition of collagen fibres in alchohol induced liver injury and paracetamol induced liver injury as almost equal to the standard drug Liv 52 and the levels of fibrosis and restoration of collagen fibres in D-Galactosamine induced liver injury were almost similar to that of the standard drug Silymarin.
Over all SSM was found to contain notable quantity of mercury in the form of organometallic complex. But it was found to be effective in the management of liver disorders and was experimentally very safe even at very high doses. This study clearly demonstrated the traditional mercury containing drugs are safe for oral administration plausibly may be due to the traditional purification and preparation protocols employed during the process of formulation.
CONCLUSION:
It is concluded that the trial drug SSM a classical Siddha formulation, was well formulated ensuring the quality by complying with the GMP and GLP standards at every step right from procurement, authentication ,purification to final product analysis. The toxicological profiling of SSM reveals that it has a large margin of safety on acute, sub acute and sub chronic toxicity in experimental rats. Also the pharmacological studies on SSM has proved it to be hepatoprotective and efficacious in the therapeutic dosage for treating liver diseases.
The reverse pharmacological work to re-validate the traditional formulation, SSM confirms the safety profile and effectiveness by adopting the modern scientific and acceptable methods to satisfy the present day demands. Hence through this work, an effort has been made to bring out SSM as evidence based safe Siddha medicine for Liver disorders
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