Herbs as antimicrobial remedies and the scientific evidences.

Herbs has long been traditionally proved as effective remedies in preventing and treating various microbial infectious diseases, such as ringworm, Athlete's foot, nail infections, scalp infections, vaginal and oral infections. The successful experience of using herbs as antimicrobial agents has been shared throughout generations and has guided the modem generations in using herbs as an alternative therapy to\:vards conventional antimicrobial agents. The traditional use of certain herbs in treating infections also has been proved and supported with scientific evidences through ethnopharmacologyand reverse pharmacology studies. Some herbs are also proved to be used as safe home remedies as practiced traditionally through evidences from scientific studies

Influence of Environmental Stress toward Carotenogenesis Regulatory Mechanism through In Vitro Model System

Carotenoid biosynthesis is influenced by some aspects and is liable to geometric isomerisation with the existence of oxygen, light, and heat, which affect color degradation and oxidation. The major problems related to carotenoid accumulation inherently originate from pigment instability. This chapter discusses an overview on the influence of stringent control of genetic, developmental, and environmental factors toward carotenoid biogenesis in potato minitubers through the potential model system for rapid initiation, extraction, and analysis of carotenoids. The outcome of this experimental system is a discovery of variables regulating carotenoid accumulation as a result of the environmental change assessment through manipulation of drought stress, light intensity, and nutrient strength on carotenoid accumulation

Natural surfactants for pharmaceutical emulsion

Surfactants are widely used in the preparation of pharmaceuticals. In emulsion, it is a vital ingredient that allows mixing of two immiscible liquids. Emulsions have significant importance as carriers for water-insoluble drugs. There are many types of synthetic surfactants but there are also known natural surfactants which have been used and more to be explored

Characterization of carotenoids content and composition of saffron from different localities

The most essential carotenoids for humans are found in plants that are normally yellow, orange, and red coloured pigments. They are typically and mostly lipophilic in nature, but some unique plant species may yield watersoluble carotenoids. Saffron or Crocus sativus contains hydrophilic carotenoids named crocin. Thus, this paper will describe the extraction and characterization of hydrophilic and lipophilic carotenoids (colour properties) obtained from saffrons of different geographical origins. They are specifically the Iranian, Turkish, and Kashmiri saffron respectively. Maceration techniques have been employed to extract the targeted compounds, whereas the characterization of the compounds has been analysed using HPLC. The extraction and characterization of carotenoids in saffron from different geographical origins found that the amount of crocin content was substantially higher in Iranian saffron, which was 11414.67 ± 516.34 μg/g DW followed by Turkish and Kashmiri saffron. Lipohilic carotenoids (i.e. crocetin, β-carotene, and zeaxanthin) were detectable in Iranian and Turkish saffron but absent in Kashmiri saffron. Similarly, the highest amount of crocetin content was found in Iranian saffron at 1054.73 ± 50.31 μg/g DW, while the highest amount of β-carotene and zeaxanthin was found in Turkish saffron at 512.92 ± 79.98 μg/g DW and 252.04 ± 60.34 μg/g DW, respectively. There was a marked difference in carotenoid composition sourced from different localities. Various environmental factors like climatic conditions, agricultural practices, stigma separation, and storing and drying processes may play an important role to explain such differenc

Qualitative and quantitative phenolic compounds analysis of dicranopteris linearis different fractional polarities leaves extract

Dicranopteris linearis occupies in an open ground that contains poor soils and often colonizing disturbed space that partly shaded area. It has been known for various traditional values including medicinal, edible food, soil erosion protection, pen and furniture. Even though the plants possess both economic and medicinal value, they still form the neglected group of a plant. The present study was carried out to characterize the phenolic compounds in D. linearis leaves extract in different fractional polarities qualitative and quantitatively. Dried leaves of D. linearis were successfully extracted by using water extraction before separated by petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and butanol fractions. All the fractional extracts have been analysed by using GCTOF-MS and HPLC. The result from GCTOF-MS analysis of fractional extracts showed 38 compounds found in petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and butanol extracts. However, only four phenolic compounds were identified through HPLC analysis in ethyl acetate and butanol extracts which were 2-Methoxy-4-vinylphenol, Vanillin, 4-Hydroxybenzaldehyde and 4-Hydroxybenzohydrazide. The results revealed that D. linearis contained 699.83 ± 6.26 μg GAE /g DW of total phenolic acid whereas individual phenolic acids were predominantly caffeic acid (0.44 ± 0.01 μg/g DW) and ferulic acid (0.22 ± 0.00 μg/g DW) in ethyl acetate and caffeic acid (0.10 ± 0.00 μg/g DW) and 2-Coumaric acid (0.44 ± 0.00 μg/g DW) in butanol extracts. In the present study, the plant extracts demonstrated the highest phenolic compound detected in ethyl acetate and butanol compared to petroleum ether extract

Phytochemical screening expedition 2009 : drug discovery from nature.

Malaysia is a tropical country endowed with very rich and diverse specIes of flora with promising medicinal values, which are still fully untapped, The country also has a strong tradition in ethnomedical practices, many ohvhich utilize the local flora. These two factors have initiated the research in natural products sciences, which provide an ideal common ground for collaboration between chemists, botanists and pharmacologists. In addition, phytochemical research on our local medicinal plants is an area of great potential that needs to be explored further. For that reason, Phytochemical Screening Expedition has been regularly organized as yearly programme at Kulliyyah ofPharmacy since 200

Isolation and purification of β-Carotene from Morinda citrifolia as HPLC standard and active pharmaceutical ingredient

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of individual carotenoids content and composition are complicated, time consuming and in fact very costly. The crucial and vital part is the availability and reliability of the pure standards. Most of the individual carotenoids are commercially available either in natural or synthetic form but they are quite expensive and some of it not available in the market anymore. These problems strongly associated with the accuracy and reliability of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis data. Therefore, this study aimed to set up an analytical scheme of obtaining β-carotene standard from the leaves of Morinda citrifolia as one of the carotenoid standards for HPLC analysis. M. citrifolia has been selected due to its abundance throughout the year with tropical climate. The scheme via open column chromatography (OCC) established that the purity of β-carotene standard was 97% and the coefficient of correlation was 0.9923. However after 30 day storage period of time, the purity decreased to 95.46%. Although these had an effect on the carotenoid standard stability but it can be a reliable source of β-carotene standard for HPLC analysis as well as active pharmaceutical ingredient for cosmeceutical, nutraceutical, food and beverage industries

Carotenoid diversity in 22 species of Malay traditional ulam

There has been renewed interest of discovering sources of antioxidants that could help in preventing or controlling the occurrence of many chronic illness especially for the ones related to oxidative damages caused by free-radicals. These antioxidants including the yellow-orange-red pigments, collectively known as carotenoids, which some of them play vital role as pro-vitamin A that supples humans' skin and visual health. Carotenoids also act as boosters to our immune system. Interestingly, although they are yellow-to-red in colours, carotenoids are found in greater concentration in dark green leaves. Due to its location in the vicinity of the equator, Malaysia is blessed with wonderful diversity of evergreen plants yet documentation for their carotenoids' accumulation is still lacking

Characterisation of allelochemical compounds in Rhizophora apiculata and Acrostichum aureum of mangrove forest species

Rhizophora apiculata and Acrostichum aureum are a common mangrove species in Malaysia. Allelochemical interaction of the mangrove species was speculated to play an important role in the dominance in a harsh environment. This study assessed the quantitative and qualitative determination for total phenolic content and individual phenolic compounds as allelochemical content for R. apiculata and A. aureum leaves as potential allelopathic substance and evaluation of the ecological role of the substance. Two types of maceration extraction; water extraction and sequential alkaline extract were used for allelochemical screening analysis. Both extractions were separated by different solvents polarity; hexane, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, butanol, and ethanol. A. aureum had the highest total phenolic contents (1129.52 GAE/g DW) as compared to R. apiculata. Meanwhile, the highest phenolic compound was detected in ethanol separation for A. aureum at 2176.83 ug/g DW as caffeic acid followed by vanillic acid, ferulic acid,4-hydroxybenzoic acid, trans-p coumaric acid, 2-coumaric acid and 3-coumaric acid respectively. Interestingly, only A. aureum was identified with seven phenolic compounds in sequential alkaline extraction. Therefore, A. aureum may work as an allelochemical producer and can contribute to the establishment of pure colonies of A. aureum in the mangrove ecosystem

Carotenoids of Capsicum fruits: pigment profile and health-promoting functional-attributes

Pepper of the Capsicum species is a common ingredient in various food preparations by different cultures worldwide. The Capsicum is recognised by its five main domesticated species, namely Capsicum annuum, C. baccatum, C. chinense, C. frutescens and C. pubescens. The genetic diversity in Capsicum offers fruits in wide ranges of morphology and carotenoid profile. Carotenoids enhance the value of pepper from a nutritional standpoint, despite being commonly prized for the pharmacologically active pungent capsaicinoids. Carotenoids of pepper comprise mainly of the unique, powerful and highly stable capsanthin and capsoroubin, together with β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, antheraxanthin and violaxanthin. These carotenoids are present at diverse profile and varying levels, biosynthetically connected to the fruit maturity stages. This review describes the health-promoting functional attributes of the carotenoids that are mainly associated with their excellent role as lipophilic antioxidants. Capsicum as a great source of carotenoids is discussed in the aspects of main domesticated species, biosynthesis, pigment profile, antioxidant activity and safety. Findings from a number of in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies provided appreciable evidence on the protective effects of pepper’s carotenoids against degenerative diseases. Hence, pepper with its functional carotenoids might be recommended in health-promoting and disease preventing strategies