Medicinal Plants and Natural Products with Demonstrated Wound Healing Properties

This section reviews the current literature on medicinal plants including extracts, fractions, isolated compounds and natural products that have been demonstrated to have wound healing properties. Various electronic databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, SciFinder and Google Scholar were employed to search for plants, natural plant constituents and natural products that have been scientifically demonstrated to have wound healing activity using in vivo and in vitro wound models. Parameters used in the evaluation of an agent with wound healing properties include rate of wound contraction, tensile strength, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, hydroxyproline content assay and histological investigations including re-epithelization, collagen synthesis, granulation, proliferation and differentiation of fibroblasts and keratinocytes in excision and incision wound model studies. Eighty-five medicinal plants belonging to 45 families, phytoconstituents including phenolics, oils and other substances including honey were identified as potential wound healing agents or possess wound healing properties using various wound healing models

Crude drug analysis and elemental content of the leaves and stem bark of Adansonia digitata L. (Malvaceae), an indigenous Ghanaian medicinal plant

Adansonia digitata L. is a tree indigenous to Ghana and West Africa. It is traditionally used for medicinal, religious and nutritional purposes. Different parts of the plant are used traditionally for the treatment of diseases such as anaemia, malaria, asthma and diarrhoea among others. It is therefore necessary to provide standard parameters for identification and for the purpose of quality control. This study thus sought to investigate the pharmacognostic characteristics and elemental properties of the leaves and stem bark of A. digitata grown and used in Ghana. The macroscopic and microscopic characteristics, phytochemical, physicochemical, fluorescence and elemental properties of the leaf and stem bark were determined using standard protocols. The results of the study showed that the leaves of A. digitata were palmate compound and alternately arranged with stipules at each node. The outer bark was observed to be grey in color while the inner bark was pink to brown and laticiferous. Anomocytic stomata and stellate trichomes were also observed microscopically on the leaf surface. The powdered stem bark contained brachysclereids and prismatic calcium oxalate crystals. Saponins, tannins, flavonoids and alkaloids were detected in both leaf and stem bark. They additionally exhibited different fluorescence characters in various solvents. The plant contained major and minor nutritional elements in varying quantities. The results of this study can serve as reliable parameters for accurate identification and authentication of A. digitata L. hence ensuring quality

Development and Validation of an RP-HPLC Method for the Quantitative Analysis of Triclosan in Human Urine

Triclosan (TCS), a synthesized chlorinated phenolic compound, is commonly utilized in consumable products as an antimicrobial agent. TCS has sparked widespread awareness because of its toxicity and possible negative effect on public health in recent years. In this study, a highly sensitive, fast, and cost-effective isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method coupled with solid-phase extraction for analysis of triclosan in human urine samples was developed. The method utilized methanol and water in a ratio of 90 : 10 as the mobile phase on a Phenomenex Luna 3 µm C18(2) 100 Å, 150 × 4.60 mm stationary phase, with a runtime of 5 minutes. The method showed good resolution of triclosan in the presence of the sample matrix. Validation of the method was performed according to the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH). Linearity was tested over a range of 0.00625 µg/mL to 6.4 µg/mL, as accuracy recorded a recovery of 89.25%, 91.0%, and 92.75%. Limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were obtained to be 0.0173 µg/mL and 0.0525 µg/mL, respectively. The method proved to be robust over a temperature range of 26°C, 30°C, and 35°C and a flow rate of 0.5 ml, 1.0 ml, and 1.5 ml. The developed method was employed to detect and quantify triclosan in 153 urine samples, comprising 60 samples from Ibadan, Nigeria, and 93 samples from Kumasi, Ghana. Triclosan was detected in a total of 52 samples with an average content of 0.054588 µg/ml. This method can therefore be used for the routine analysis of triclosan in urine samples

HPLC-HRESI-MSn Characterization of Polyphenolic Compounds in the Stem Bark of Chlorophora regia A. Chev (Moraceae)

Isolation and identification of secondary metabolites from medicinal plants could be tedious and time consuming. Therefore, any technique that could be used to confirm the identity of medicinal plant constituents without isolating them will save time and resources. Chlorophora similar to many genera in the Moraceae family have been demonstrated to be rich sources of polyphenolic compounds with important biological activities. The current study was designed to employ HRESI-MSn analyses to qualitatively examine isolated polyphenolic compounds from the stem bark of Chlorophora regia. Based on the HRESI-MSn data obtained, the fragmentation patterns of the compounds under study will be proposed and could be used in their identification in a matrix. Five polyphenolic compounds were successfully isolated and purified using various chromatographic techniques including column chromatography, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and preparative HPLC. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by in-depth analyses of their 1D and 2D NMR and mass spectroscopic data. HRESI-MS/MS was further used to characterize the isolated compounds. Five polyphenolic compounds including three Diels-Alder type adducts: sanggenon C, kuwanol E and chalcomoracin; two stilbene derivatives: chlorophorin and isochlorophorin were isolated from the stem bark. The tandem MS fragmentation patterns of the compounds in positive mode, were successfully proposed. The fragments obtained and proposed fragmentation patterns of the isolated compounds could be employed qualitatively in the identification of the studied polyphenolic compounds in a matrix

Development and Validation of an Ion-Pair HPLC-UV Method for the Quantitation of Quinoline and Indoloquinoline Alkaloids in Herbal and Pharmaceutical Antimalarial Formulations

Quinine- and cryptolepine-based antimalarials serve as valuable alternatives to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) in Ghana. Their use, however, is associated with adulteration and substandard quality challenges. An HPLC method targeting quinoline and indoloquinoline antimalarial alkaloids was developed, validated, and applied to evaluate herbal and pharmaceutical antimalarial formulations (HPAFs) and starting materials (APIs). The separation/quantitation of the alkaloids (including quinine, quinidine, cinchonine, cinchonidine, dihydroquinine, dihydroquinidine, and cryptolepine) was achieved on a Zorbax SB-CN column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm), with an isocratic elution system of methanol: trifluoroacetic acid (0.1%, v/v) (15 : 85, v/v) at 1.5 mL/min and 223 nm. Method validation was according to ICH Q2(R1) guidelines. It was then used to assess the quality of APIs (n = 3) and HPAFs (n = 44) including quinine-based pharmaceutical antimalarial formulations (QBPAFs) (n = 23) and herbal antimalarial products (HAMPs). The method was found to be specific, selective, accurate, precise, and robust toward the alkaloids with linearity achieved within specified concentration ranges (r2 > 0.995 for all analytes). Analyte stability ranged between 6 and 12 hours. All the APIs contained quinine <99.0%–101.0%, with dihydroquinine and cinchonidine at levels compliant with the established acceptance criteria. The QBPAFs had quinine content ranging between 50.2% and 151.2%, with 43.5% (n = 10/23) of them complying with the acceptance criteria. The related alkaloids observed in the QBPAFs included quinidine (56.5%, n = 13/23), dihydroquinine (100%, n = 23/23), dihydroquinidine (21.7%, n = 5/23), cinchonine (17.4%, n = 4/23), and cinchonidine (95.7%, n = 22/23). For the HAMPs, 81.0% (n = 17/21) were adulterated with quinine (0.59 ± 0.04 mg/10 mL–86.03 ± 0.02 mg/10 mL). Cryptolepine was identified in 19% (n = 4/21) of the HAMPs with concentration ranging between 43.99 ± 0.43 μg/mL and 747.86 ± 0.34 μg/mL. In conclusion, the application of the ion-pair HPLC method targeting quinoline and indoloquinoline antimalarials has demonstrated the presence of quality and poor-quality HPAFs on the Ghanaian market

Extract of Synedrella nodiflora (L) Gaertn exhibits antipsychotic properties in murine models of psychosis

Abstract Background The hydro-ethanolic whole plant extract of Synedrella nodiflora (SNE) has demonstrated anticonvulsant, sedative and analgesic effects. Preliminary studies conducted in animals, SNE significantly decreased stereotypic behaviours suggesting antipsychotic potential. Coupled with the central nervous system depressant effects of SNE, we hypothesized that it may have utility in the management of psychosis. The present study therefore investigated the antipsychotic potential of the SNE in several murine models of psychosis. Method The primary central nervous system activities of SNE (30–3000 mg/kg, p.o) were investigated using the Irwin’s test. The novelty-induced rearing, locomotion and stereotypy counts provoked by SNE (100–1000 mg/kg, p.o) were conducted using the open-field paradigm. The antipsychotic test models used in the screening of SNE (100–1000 mg/kg, p.o) included apomorphine-induced stereotypy, rearing, locomotion and cage climbing activities. The combined effects of a low dose of SNE (100 mg/kg) with various doses of haloperidol and chlorpromazine were analysed using the apomorphine-induced cage climbing and stereotypy, respectively. The ability of SNE to cause catalepsy in naïve mice as well as its effect on haloperidol-induced catalepsy was assessed. Results SNE showed acetylcholine-like and serotonin-like activities in the Irwin test, with sedation occurring at high doses. SNE significantly reduced the frequencies of novelty- and apomorphine-induced rearing and locomotion; stereotypy behaviour and the frequency and duration of apomorphine-induced cage climbing in mice. In all the tests performed, SNE was less potent than the reference drugs used (chlorpromazine and haloperidol). In addition, SNE potentiated the effects of haloperidol and chlorpromazine on apomorphine-induced cage climbing and stereotypy activities in mice. Conclusion SNE, while exhibiting antipsychotic properties itself, can also potentiate the antipsychotic effects of chlorpromazine and haloperidol