Analysis of Metal Content in Herbal Medicines

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Evaluation of Phenolic Compounds Content and Antioxidant Capacity of Some Medicinal Plants, Potentially Used for Their Preventive Role Against Various Oral Diseases

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Metal Complexes of Pharmaceutical Substances

Significant progresses have been made in the inorganic and organic chemistry up to the present concerning the synthesis, characterization, and application of the metal complexes of pharmaceutical substances. From the wide range of fields in which these coordination compounds find their application, many efforts were focused on the study of their importance in the biological processes. The coordination complexes of many pharmaceutical substances having different pharmacological effects e.g., pyrazinamide (PZA), nicotinamide (NAM), nicotinic acid (NIC), theophylline (TEO), captopril (CPL), tolbutamide (TBA), clonidine (CLN), guanfacine (GUAF), etc. with transition metals were synthesized and used in order to improve their pharmacological and pharmacotechnical properties and also for the drug analysis and control. Several techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), X-ray spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, electrochemical methods, thermal methods, and scanning electron microscopy were used for the physicochemical characterization of the complex composition. A significant interest in the development of metal complex-based drugs with unique research and therapeutic and diagnostic opportunities is currently observed in the medicinal inorganic chemistry area

Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench: Biological and Pharmacological Properties. A Review

Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench (EP)is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant, commonly known as purple coneflower and it belongs to the Asteraceae family. The Echinacea genus is originally from North America, in the United States, and its species are widely distributed throughout. There are nine different species of Echinacea, but only three of them are used as medicinal plants with wide therapeutic uses: Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench, Echinacea pallida (Nutt.) Nutt. and Echinacea angustifolia DC. Several significant groups of bioactive compounds with pharmacological activities have been isolated from Echinacea species. Numerous beneficial effects have been demonstrated about these compounds. The immunomodulatory effect was initially demonstrated, but over time other effects have also been highlighted. The present review gives a comprehensive summary of the chemical constituents, bioactive compounds, biological effects and therapeutical uses of purple coneflower. Research shows that such a well-known and recognized species needs to be further studied to obtain efficient products with a guarantee of the safety

In Vitro and Human Pilot Studies of Different Topical Formulations Containing Rosa Species for the Treatment of Psoriasis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytochemical profile and antioxidant properties of the extracts from three Rosa species (R. canina, R. damascena, R. cairo), to develop and investigate topical formulations with lyophilized forms of extracts for the treatment of psoriasis. Phytochemical screening and in vitro total antioxidant capacity (DPPH, FRAP, CUPRAC, SOD) of studied samples were examined and compared. Lyophilized extracts of roses were dissolved in Transcutol HP and different formulations of creams were prepared. Franz diffusion method was used to evaluate the drug release and biocompatibility was tested on HaCaT cells. Rosa damascene had the best results regarding all the analyses that were conducted. After the evaluation of topical products, the formulation with Rosa damascena extract in a self-emulsifying drug delivery system was tested on a human clinical study that involved 20 patients. At the end of the clinical study an improvement in the quality of life of the patients was observed and erythema, induration and scaling were reduced. The present study indicates that our examined extracts exhibited great phenolic content, antioxidant capacity and safety profile of topical formulation and therefore can be used as a reliable source of natural antioxidants and may be used as a complementary treatment to improve the quality life of patients with psoriasis or may be tested on another diseases