Betelvine (Piper betle L.): A comprehensive insight into its ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacological, biomedical and therapeutic attributes

Piper betle L. (synonym: Piper betel Blanco), or betel vine, an economically and medicinally important cash crop, belongs to the family Piperaceae, often known as the green gold. The plant can be found all over the world and is cultivatedprimarily in South East Asian countries for its beautiful glossy heart-shaped leaves, which are chewed or consumed as betelquidand widely used in Chinese and Indian folk medicine, as carminative, stimulant,astringent, against parasitic worms, conjunctivitis, rheumatism, wound, etc., andis also used for religious purposes. Hydroxychavicol is the most important bioactive compound among the wide range of phytoconstituents found in essential oil and extracts. The pharmacological attributes of P. betle are antiproliferation, anticancer, neuropharmacological, analgesic, antioxidant, antiulcerogenic, hepatoprotective, antifertility, antibacterial, antifungal and many more. Immense attention has been paid to nanoformulations and their applications. The application of P. betle did not show cytotoxicity in preclinical experiments, suggesting that it could serve as a promising therapeutic candidate for different diseases. The present review comprehensively summarizes the botanical description, geographical distribution, economic value and cultivation, ethnobotanical uses, preclinical pharmacological properties with insights of toxicological, clinical efficacy, and safety of P. betle. The findings suggest that P. betle represents an orally active and safe natural agent that exhibits great therapeutic potential for managing various human medical conditions. However, further research is needed to elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms of action, clinical aspects, structure–activity relationships, bioavailability and synergistic interactions with other drugs.This research was funded by projects APOGEO (Cooperation Program INTERREG-MAC 2014–2020, with European Funds for Regional Development-FEDER, ‘Agencia Canaria de Investigación, Innovación y Sociedad de la Información (ACIISI) del Gobierno de Canarias’ (project ProID2020010134), and CajaCanarias (project 2019SP43).Peer reviewe

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Medicinal Plants and Their Biological Applications: A Review

The manufacture of metal nanoparticles using plant extracts is one of the simplest, most useful, economical and environmentally advantageous approaches to decrease the usage of hazardous substances. Since the earliest days of human history, silver and silver salts have been employed, but silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have just recently reached light. Particularly in agriculture and medicine, these have been used as antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidants. The current research on the environmentally friendly manufacture of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) utilising various plant extracts and their potential use as antibacterial agents is summarised and explained in this review. The main objective is to provide a comprehensive and systematic review of how various factors affect the synthesis of green Ag NPs with antimicrobial properties. These factors include the type and concentration of plant extracts and phytochemicals, the solvent and temperature of extraction, and the temperature, pH, time, and concentration of the reaction. Recent advances in using different plants to yield Ag NPs with different sizes, shapes, and stabilities have been presented. It is currently demonstrated that Ag NPs prevent many bacteria and fungi from growing and multiplying by combining Ag/Ag+ with the biomolecules found inside the microbial cells. Antioxidants and reactive oxygen species that might be produced by Ag NPs, which, by preventing cell replication, cause apoptosis and cell death. SEM and TEM images of the nanoparticle-pathogen solution show that Ag NPs may enter cells and break through the cell wall since they are smaller than microorganisms. It has similarly been established that lesser Nps present additional risks than superior ones. Additionally, Ag NPs are used in packaging to prevent microbial contamination of food products. Ag NPs' toxicity is influenced by the size, concentration, pH of the media, and length of pathogen exposure. Comprehensive details have also been provided on the biogenic AgNPs' shape- and size-dependent antibacterial properties as well as the improved antimicrobial activities caused by the synergistic interaction of AgNPs with well-known commercial antibiotic medicines