Introduction: Medicinal herbs Acorus calamus, Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, and Piper betle have been traditionally used for treating stomach-related conditions such as irregular bowel movement, bloating, and gastric ulcers. The present study aimed to explore current status, research trends, and future directions of these herbs as functional herbal teas in prevention and treatment of gastritis. Methods: A total of 80 articles from Scopus database were retrieved and reviewed. Research trends were quantitatively analysed using VOSviewer software, focusing on the keywords, authors, countries, journals, and documents. A narrative review was integrated to provide comprehensive insights into the study. Results: Analysis revealed China and India as driving forces of this specific area of research, with the Journal of Ethnopharmacology emerging as a prominent source for publications in this field. “Curcumin”, “ginger”, and “Helicobacter pylori” were the main keywords of the study. Several gastroprotective mechanisms, including stimulation of mucosal proliferation, regulation of gastric acid production, reduction of inflammation in the gastric mucosa, protection of the gastric mucosa from oxidative damage, and inhibition of the growth of H. pylori, were associated with these herbs. Active compounds, such as α-asarone, curcumin, gingerol, and piperbetol, were found to be responsible for these effects. Conclusion: This study highlights various gastroprotective properties of A. calamus, C. longa, Z. officinale, and P. betle, providing researchers with a deeper understanding of the subject matter and opening new avenues for potential development into a functional herbal tea formulation known as “Lega Tea” (Relief Tea).

Aims: This study was aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatoid effects of the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens derived surfactin. Methodology and results: Crude and biosurfactant extracts were analyzed using thin-layer chromatography to determine the presence of biosurfactant. Both extracts were evaluated for their inhibitory effects against the acetylcholinesterase and 5-lipoxygenase enzymes. Human synovial cells were induced with TNF-α and IL-1β. The percentages of the cell viability for both normal and induced cells were determined with an MTT assay. Results showed that surfactin was detected in the biosurfactant extract and demonstrated higher inhibitory effects compared to the crude extract against both inhibitory enzymes acetylcholinesterse (IC50=30.60 μg/mL) and lipoxygenase (IC50=110.10 μg/mL). Both crudes showed no cytotoxic effects at the highest concentration used (50 μg/mL) against normal human synovial cells but showed active reactions against the induced cells. The anti-proliferative effects of biosurfactant and crude extracts were in dose-dependent manner. Conclusion, significance and impact of study Notably, surfactin obtained from B. amyloliquefaciens has shown an inhibitory effect against pro-inflammatory enzymes and cell viability of the induced rheumatoid arthritis cell line. These results highlighted the therapeutic potential of surfactin application as an anti-inflammatory agent for arthritis treatment. Further study is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory effect of surfactin.
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ; Surface-Active Agents ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; Rheumatoid Factor