Search results for "Phytotherapy"
showing 10 items of 153 documents
Phytochemical Analysis and Cytotoxicity Towards Multidrug-Resistant Leukemia Cells of Essential Oils Derived from Lebanese Medicinal Plants
2012
Juniperus excelsa fruit essential oil as well as J. oxycedrus, Cedrus libani, and Pinus pinea wood essential oils have been obtained with yields between 2.2 ± 0.3 % to 3.4 ± 0.5 % and analyzed by gas chromatography. Sesquiterpenes mainly characterized C. libani and J. oxycedrus essential oils, while in P. pinea and J. excelsa, monoterpenes were the most abundant compounds. In J. oxycedrus, cis-calamenene (7.8 %), cuparene (3.8 %), and cis-thujopsenal (2.0 %) have been detected for the first time. The cytotoxic activity of these essential oils against drug-sensitive CCRF-CEM and multidrug-resistant P-glycoprotein-expressing CEM/ADR5000 leukemia cells has been investigated (IC₅₀ values: 29.46…
Inhibition of pro-inflammatory enzymes by inuviscolide, a sesquiterpene lactone from Inula viscosa
2006
Abstract This work concerns the pharmacological activity of inuviscolide, a sesquiterpenoid from Inula viscosa. It exerts inhibitory effects on elastase, cyclooxygenase 1 and secretory phospholipase A2. Furthermore, it reduces the skin leukocyte infiltration in a murine model of dermatitis induced by repeated application of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate.
The ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and biological properties of Nigella damascena – A review
2022
This review is a systematic scientific work on medicinal and traditional use, on the chemical composition of specialized metabolites, volatile and non-volatile, on aspects related to toxicology and phytotherapy of Nigella damascena L. The genus Nigella (Ranunculaceae) is distributed throughout the Mediterranean basin, extending to northern India, and has been divided into three sections. Nigella damanscena L. is traditionally used as an ingredient in food, for example, as flavouring agents in bread and cheese, but is also known in folk medicine, used to regulate menstruation; for catarrhal affections and amenorrhea; as a diuretic and sternutatory; as an analgesic, anti-oedematous, and antip…
Multifactorial nature of hepatocellular carcinoma drug resistance: Could plant polyphenols be helpful?
2007
Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a quite frequent tumor which results in high mortality and most often exhibits a poor response to present drug therapies. Clearly, a thorough understanding of the biological bases of this malignancy might suggest new strategies for its treatment. Here we examine the evidences that both "pharmacological" mechanisms (e.g. drug transporter or detoxification enzyme over-expression) and alterations in other critical factors, including the IAPs (Inhibitory of Apoptosis Proteins), involved in enhancement of cell survival and proliferation may determine the therapeutic resistance of HCC; we also underline the possible role in the process of the activation o…
Herbal hepatotoxicity: a hidden epidemic
2011
Complementary and alternative therapies, including herbal products, have become increasingly popular in the general population and among patients and physicians. Regulations and pharmacovigilance regarding herbal drugs are still incomplete and need to be improved. In fact, herbals are commonly marketed on the Internet, and in many countries they are sold as food supplements, which are beyond the control of drug regulatory agencies. In Europe and the U.S., reports of hepatotoxicity from these products, including those advertised for liver diseases, are accumulating. Many herbal drugs are also commonly used in children, and in women during pregnancy and lactation, because they are believed to…
Modulation of Diabetes by Natural Products and Medicinal Plants via Incretins
2019
Incretins are metabolic hormones released after a meal that increase insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells. The two main incretins are the intestinal peptides glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide. Both induce a decrease in glycemia, slow down the absorption of nutrients, and are inactivated by the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase-4. Recently, incretin-based therapies have become a useful tool to treat diabetic patients, and different studies have focused on the identification of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, including those of natural origin. This review focuses on the new findings of medicinal plants and natural products as possible active ag…
Network pharmacology of cancer: From understanding of complex interactomes to the design of multi-target specific therapeutics from nature
2015
Despite massive investments in drug research and development, the significant decline in the number of new drugs approved or translated to clinical use raises the question, whether single targeted drug discovery is the right approach. To combat complex systemic diseases that harbour robust biological networks such as cancer, single target intervention is proved to be ineffective. In such cases, network pharmacology approaches are highly useful, because they differ from conventional drug discovery by addressing the ability of drugs to target numerous proteins or networks involved in a disease. Pleiotropic natural products are one of the promising strategies due to their multi-targeting and d…
Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and biological activity of Erodium species: a review
2019
Erodium spp. is a genus that can be found in all continents that has been traditionally used in folk medicine to treat many diseases such as hemorrhage, dermatological disorders, indigestion, and inflammatory diseases. Moreover, Erodium leaves have been used for the preparation of salads, omelets, sandwiches, sauces and soups, among other food products. The objective of this review was to show the recent and relevant studies about extraction of bioactive compounds, the phytochemical characterization, the potential biological activities and toxicological evidence reported in both in vitro and in vivo studies from Erodium spp. In addition, the use of Erodium spp. as natural compounds against …
Genetic and phytochemical difference between some Indian and Italian plants of Whitania somnifera (L.) Dunal
2007
The geographical distribution of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal is quite wide. However, in Italy. this species is very rare and grows spontaneously only in Sicily and in Sardinia. The PCR-RAPD technique has been utilized in this work to determine the genetic relationship among Sicilian, Sardinian and Indian samples and the HPLC analysis of whitaferin A was used as a marker to evaluate the phytochemical differences. The genetic difference between Indian and Sicilian plants of W. somnifera turned out to be smaller than that between Indian and Sardinian plants of this species. The phytochemical analysis as well showed that the Sardinian specimen strongly differed from the Indian and Sicilian on…
Flavonoids from Acacia pennata and their Cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2) Inhibitory Activities
2007
Two new flavonoids quercetin 4'-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-3-O-beta-D-allopyranoside (1) and apigenin 6-C-[2''-O-(E)-feruloyl- beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-8-C-beta-glucopyranoside (2), along with the known isorhamnetin 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside (3), kaempferol 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4), and isovitexin (5) were isolated from the leaves of Acacia pennata Willd. (Mimosaceae) and tested for their anti-inflammatory activity. Their structures were determined by 1D and 2D NMR and mass spectrometry. They were tested for an inhibitory effect on COX-1 and COX-2, showing 60-90% inhibition at 10(-4) g/mL and 5-14% inhibition at 10(-4) g/mL, respectively.