Medicinal plants as a source of future anti-pruritic drugs: A comprehensive review

Pruritus is a distressing sensation of the skin that provokes the desire to scratch. Medicinal plants have been proposed as a worthful source for identifying new bioactive molecules. The aim of this study was to evaluate some medicinal plants and their phytochemicals used in the management of pruritus. Medicinal plants including Avena sativa, Borago officinalis, Capsicum frutescens, Curcuma longa, Fumaria spp., Mentha x piperita and Oenothera biennis showed the promising anti-pruritic activity in human studies. In experimental studies, Angelica sinensis, Betula platyphylla, Matricaria chamomilla, Rumex Japonicus, Saururus chinensis and Vaccinium myrtillus are among the best medicinal plants for management of pruritus. Essential oils, alkaloids, saponins, sterols, terpens, phenolic compounds, and fatty acids were the bioactive constituents of herbs which exhibited their anti-pruritic activity through different mechanisms. The most predominant mechanisms involved in activity of plant-derived molecules in pruritis include reducing serum IgE and proinflammatory cytokines, stabilizing mast cells, suppressing the Th2 cellular response, suppressing the expression of substance P and NF- κB, inhibiting prostaglandin E2 production, and activating receptors involved in itch sensation. Overall, several medicinal plants and its bioactive compounds have shown marked activity in the management of pruritus and therefore can be considered as an alternative source of treatment. Pruritus is a distressing sensation of the skin that provokes the desire to scratch. Medicinal plants have been proposed as a worthful source for identifying new bioactive molecules. The aim of this study was to evaluate some medicinal plants and their phytochemicals used in the management of pruritus. Medicinal plants including Avena sativa, Borago officinalis, Capsicum frutescens, Curcuma longa, Fumaria spp., Mentha x piperita and Oenothera biennis showed the promising anti-pruritic activity in human studies. In experimental studies, Angelica sinensis, Betula platyphylla, Matricaria chamomilla, Rumex Japonicus, Saururus chinensis and Vaccinium myrtillus are among the best medicinal plants for management of pruritus. Essential oils, alkaloids, saponins, sterols, terpens, phenolic compounds, and fatty acids were the bioactive constituents of herbs which exhibited their anti-pruritic activity through different mechanisms. The most predominant mechanisms involved in activity of plant-derived molecules in pruritis include reducing serum IgE and proinflammatory cytokines, stabilizing mast cells, suppressing the Th2 cellular response, suppressing the expression of substance P and NF- κB, inhibiting prostaglandin E2 production, and activating receptors involved in itch sensation. Overall, several medicinal plants and its bioactive compounds have shown marked activity in the management of pruritus and therefore can be considered as an alternative source of treatment

Total Antioxidant Activity, and Hesperidin, Diosmin, Eriocitrin and Quercetin Contents of Various Lemon Juices

Purpose: To investigate 38 natural and 62 branded lemon juices for their total antioxidant activities and flavonoid content.Methods: The ferric reducing antioxidant power was applied to evaluation of antioxidant. Additionally quercetin, eriocitrin, diosmin and hesperidin contents were evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).Results: Total antioxidant activity of the juices ranged from 91.38 ± 0.01 to 526.93 ± 0.12 μg/ml. The maximum contents of quercetin, hesperidin and eriocitrin 14.83 ± 2.83, 104.84 ± 12.58 and 10.68 ± 2.41 μg/mL, respectively. The natural juices had diosmin levels as high as 236.18 mL. The limit of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.15 μg mg-1 for hesperidine to 0.53 μg ml-1 for diosmin while the limit of quantification (LOQ) ranged from 0.27 μg mg-1 for hesperidine to 0.93 μg ml-1 for quercetin.Conclusion: The developed method can also be applied to the determination of related extracts of orange cultivars as well as various extracts of medicinal plants.Keywords: Antioxidant, Flavonoid, Hesperidin, Diosmin, Eriocitrin, Quercetin, Lemon juic

Comparison of the antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents in some Stachys species

The methanolic extracts of the aerial parts of nine Stachys species: S. persica Gmel., S. fruticulosa M. B., S. laxa Boiss. & Buhse., S. inflata Benth., S. turcomanica Trautv., S. subaphylla Rech. F., S. setiferaC. A. Mey., S. byzantina C. Koch and S. trinervis Aitch. & Hemsl. were investigated for their antioxidant activity and total phenolic content using FRAP and Folin-Ciocalteu assays respectively. S. persica Gmel. and S. fruticulosa M. B. had the highest antioxidant activity (61.42 and 62.02 mmol FeII/100g) and total phenolic content (3294.96 and 4450.36 mg gallic acid/100 g) among these nine species. There was a direct correlation between total phenol and antioxidant activity (R2 = 0.9446, p 0.001) which indicates that polyphenols are the main antioxidants

In vitro antifungal activity of various persian cultivars of Punica granatum L. Extracts against Candida species

Background: Resistance of Candida species to antifungal agents has potentially serious implications for management of infections. Candida species are now the fourth most common organisms isolated from hospitalized patients. Prevention and control of these infections will require new antimicrobial agents. Plant-derived antifungal agents have always been a source of novel therapeutics. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the antifungal effect of pomegranate peel and pulp extracts against Candida species. Materials and Methods: Pomegranate pulp and peel were dried and powdered separately. The dried powders were extracted using a soxhlet extractor. The antifungal effect of pomegranate peel and pulp extracts were determined in vitro by using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against five standard species, including Candida albicans (ATCC 10231), Candida parapsilosis (ATCC 22019), Candida tropicalis (ATCC 750), Candida glabrata (PTCC 5297) and Candida krusei (PTCC 5295). Results: Maximum inhibitions were attributed to peel extract of the pomegranate cultivar against Candida species. The greatest antifungal inhibition among the eight different cultivars was observed for sour malas, sour white peel and sour summer extracts respectively, against the five Candida strains. The antifungal activity of pulp extracts against Candida species was somewhat negative. Conclusions: Our work suggested that pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel has potential antifungal activity against Candidiasis, and it is an attractive option for the development of new management strategies for candidiasis. � 2015, School of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

Anti-Ulcerative Potential of Punica granatum L (Lythraceae) Hydroalcohol Fruit Peel Extract

Purpose: To evaluate the antiulcer activities of the methanol extract of pomegranate (Punica granatum L) fruit peel using 80 % ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model in rats.Methods: Male Wistar rats, 175 - 220 g, were fasted for 48 h, but had free access to water. They were randomly divided into nine experimental groups. Ulcer was induced in the rats with 80 % ethanol. The control group animals received the same treatment as those in the test groups except that the extract treatment was replaced by administration of appropriate volume of the dosing vehicle. Histaminereceptor type-2 (H2) blocker, cimetidine (100 mg/kg, i.p.) was used as the reference drug. Oral pretreatment with three different extract doses (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) was for 15 days, thereafter, ulcer index (UI) and inhibition were calculated.Results: The extract, at 50 mg/kg, of black fruit peel extract produced significant (p < 0.05) protective effect in rats with a preventive index of 65.87 %. Other doses were significantly protective against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in the rats. On the other hand, north white peel was not effective (50 mg/kg) showed an ulcer index of 49.52 ± 1.99. Histopathological examination of the stomach of the ulcerated animals treated with white peel (50 mg/kg) showed severe erosion of gastric mucosa, submucosal edema and neutrophil infiltration.Conclusion: The study shows indicates the antiulcer properties of the methanol extracts of north white peel, sour summer and black peel (25, 50, 100 mg/kg) of pomegranate. Their antiulcer activity is exerted, possibly, via its high antioxidant activity.Keywords: Anti-inflammatory, Pomegranate, Punica granatum, Peel extrac

Profiling of major fatty acids in different raw and roasted sesame seeds cultivars

The aim of this study was to investigate the fatty acids profile of five sesame cultivars including Branching Naz, Darab, Karaj, Dezful and Black sesame and the effect of time and temperature roasting procedure. The seeds oil content varied from 43±0.28 to 47±0.41% with the average content of 44.4±1.87%. Darab and Black sesame cultivar had the highest and lowest oil content respectively. Oleic and linoleic acids were the two-dominant fatty acids in the sesame seed oil about 80 to 85% of the total amount, whereas palmitic and stearic acids were present at 12 to 15%. Moreover, Dazful and Black sesame had the maximum and minimum content of oxidizability value respectively. The results of the present study showed that the fatty acid contents in studied cultivars were steady during different roasting conditions and fatty acid behavior of samples was good fitted with the high temperatures.Key words: Gas chromatography (GC), fatty acid, roasting procedure, sesame seed, stability

Effect of Roasting on Fatty Acid Profile of Brown and Yellow Varieties of Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L)

Purpose: To monitor changes in fatty acid profiles of brown and yellow varieties of flaxseeds in the raw and roasted states using gas chromatography (GC).Methods: Samples of flaxseeds were extracted with n-hexane in a Soxhlet apparatus for 8 h. Methylesterification of the samples was performed by methanolic boron trifluoride (BF3-MeOH) method according to American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS). Fatty acid (FA), analyzed using GC equipped with a split/splitless capillary injector and flame ionization detector (FID).Results: The results indicate that lipid content varied with the type of seed. Seed oil content was 53.31 ± 0.30 and 45.20 ± 0.20 % for roasted and unroasted brown flax, respectively, and 10.25 ± 0.04 % for the yellow type. The yellow and roasted brown type, at 300oC, showed the lowest and highest oil content, respectively. The highest calculated oxidizability (COX) value was found for the unroasted brown type (13.19 ± 0.01 %) whilst the lowest amount was observed for the roasted brown seed at 350oC (12.79 ± 0.01 %). COX value for yellow type was 5.62 ± 0.01 %.Conclusion: This study shows that the fatty acids content of flaxseeds vary with roasting conditions. This is significant because flax seed fatty acid composition influences the applications of the oil.Keywords: Oil, Flaxseed, Roasting, Fatty acid, Linum usitatissimum, Calculated oxidizability valu

Determination of Synthetic Food Colors, Caffeine, Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate in Sports Drinks

Purpose: To employ high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques to determine edible additives in commercial sports drinks.Methods: A total of 105 samples including 21 different brands of sports drinks were purchased from markets in Tehran, Iran. The process conditions included a C18 column, a mobile phase consisting of aqueous ammonium acetate buffer (pH = 4.2) and acetonitrile (80:20 v/v) at a flow rate of 0.8 ml min–1. The injection volume was 20 μL and the UV detector was set at 225 nm.Results: Mean recovery was between 95 and 106 %. The mean concentrations of sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate in Iranian brands (147.72 and 11.54 ppm, respectively) were significantly higher than in foreign brands (19.43 and 4.91 ppm, respectively, p < 0.05). The maximum amount of sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate was 251.50 ± 18.69 and 96.38 ± 38.56 ppm, respectively, while caffeine content was in the range of 293.48 ± 14.33 - 607.32 ± 135.33 ppm.Conclusion: HPLC permits the detection of sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate at very low concentrations. Furthermore, caffeine was detected in all the sport drinks. Only Brilliant Blue and Allura Red were detected in the drinks.Keywords: Edible additives, Sports drinks, Sodium benzoate, Potassium sorbate, Caffeine, Brilliant Blue, Allura Re

Determination of 8 Synthetic Food Dyes by Solid Phase Extraction and Reversed-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Purpose: To develop a simple, selective, and sensitive extraction and assay method for the analysis of eight food dyes.Methods: All sulphonated colors were extracted by an NH2-aminopropyl-modified silica SPE cartridge, and thereafter determined by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) using a C18 column with gradient elution of ammonium acetate buffer (pH 6.7), methanol, and acetonitrile. The analysis was carried out on a UV detector with two optimized method settings within 17 min.Results: Certificated standard material (CRM) was used to validate the method, and significant difference was not observed between the results and assigned values. Maximum LOD was 1.154 ppm at 250 nm for Brilliant blue, and 0.873 ppm for carmoisine. Recovery was 94.2 % for Brilliant blue in jelly powder.Conclusion: This method was successfully applied to determine colorants in various (30) water-soluble foods, including fruit flavored drinks, sugar confectionery, sweets, etc.Keywords: Synthetic colors, Food, Fruit flavored drinks, Solid phase extraction, RP-HPL

The Contents of Sesamol in Iranian Sesame Seeds

Abstract Sesamol is a sesame lignan. Sesame lignans have multiple functions, including antioxidant activity and also seem to have potential as a source of phytostrogens. This study was condncted to evaluate sesamol contents of 7 brands of Iranian sesame seeds (Sesamum indicume L.). The brands were named Karaj 29, Darab 14, Ultan, Dezful, Varamin, Branching Naz, and Nonbranching Naz. After method validation, the methanolic extracts of seeds were investigated by HPLC. Their mean of total sesamol was found to be 4.67±0.92 mg/g (ranging between 2.75 and 6.13 mg/g). The brands Karaj 29 with 5.84±0.25 mg/g, Dezful with 5.48±0.08 mg/g, and Varamin with 5.4±0.1mg/g had the highest content, and Darab 14 with the content of 3.30±0.57mg/g had the lowest (p<0.05). Iranian sesame can be considered to be a good source of natural antioxidants for medicinal and commercial uses