OBJECTIVE: To quantify phytochemicals using liquid chromatography and mass spectroscopy (LCMS) analysis and explore the therapeutic effect of Aesculus hippocastanum L. (AH) seeds ethanolic extract against gastric ulcers in rats. METHODS: Preliminary phytochemical testing and LCMS analysis were performed according to standard methods. For treatment, the animals were divided into 7 groups including normal control, ulcer control, self-healing, AH seeds low and high doses, ranitidine and per se groups. Rats were orally administered with 10 mg/kg of indomethacin, excluding the normal control group (which received 1% carboxy methyl cellulose) and the per se group (received 200 mg/kg AH seeds extract). The test group rats were then given 2 doses of AH seeds extract (100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively), while the standard group was given ranitidine (50 mg/kg). On the 11th day, rats in all groups were sacrificed, and their stomach was isolated to calculate the ulcer index, and other parameters such as blood prostaglandin (PGE₂), tissue superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malonyldialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH). All isolated stomach tissues were analyzed for histopathological findings. RESULTS: The phytochemical examination shows that the AH seeds contain alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, phenolic components, and glycosides. LCMS analysis confirms the presence of quercetin and rutin. The AH seeds extract showed significant improvement in gastric mucosa conditions after indomethacin-induced gastric lesions (P<0.01). Further marked improvement in blood PGE₂ and antioxidant enzymes, SOD, CAT, MDA and GSH, were observed compared with self-healing and untreated ulcer-induced groups (P<0.01). Histopathology results confirmed that AH seeds extract improved the mucosal layer and gastric epithelial membrane in treated groups compared to untreated ulcer-induced groups. CONCLUSIONS LCMS report confirms the presence of quercetin and rutin in AH seeds ethanolic extract. The therapeutic effect of AH seeds extract against indomethacin-induced ulcer in rat model indicated the regenerated membrane integrity, with improved cellular functions and mucus thickness. Further, improved antioxidant enzyme level would help to reduce PGE₂ biosynthesis.
Rats ; Animals ; Stomach Ulcer/pathology* ; Antioxidants/therapeutic use* ; Ranitidine/adverse effects* ; Aesculus ; Ulcer/drug therapy* ; Quercetin ; Plant Extracts/chemistry* ; Indomethacin/therapeutic use* ; Glutathione ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Rutin/adverse effects* ; Prostaglandins/adverse effects* ; Phytochemicals/therapeutic use*

Peperomia pellucida (L.) Kunth is a medicinal plant used to manage inflammatory illnesses such as conjunctivitis, and gastrointestinal and respiratory tract disorders in tropical and subtropical regions. However, little is known about its pharmacological mechanism of action against eye diseases. This review aims to critically discuss the phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of P. pellucida as well as its roles in the treatment of cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. Recent developments in the uses of P. pellucida for healthcare and nutraceutical products by the pharmaceutical industry are also covered in this review. For this review, a literature search was performed with PubMed, ScienceDirect, SciFinder Scholar and Scopus databases, using relevant keywords. Among the various phytochemicals identified from P. pellucida, β-caryophyllene, carotol, dillapiole, ellagic acid, pellucidin A, phytol and vitexin exhibit strong pharmacological activities within the mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor-κB signalling pathways in inflammatory eye diseases. The antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antihyperglycemic and anti-angiogenic activities displayed by P. pellucida extracts in many in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies suggest its potential role in the management of inflammatory eye diseases. P. pellucida extract was non-toxic against normal cell lines but displayed mild toxicity in animal models. The growing public interest in P. pellucida has inspired the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries to process the plant into health products. Although the potential pharmacological mechanisms against eye diseases have been summarized, further studies of the interactions among constituent phytochemicals from P. pellucida within various signalling pathways shall support the use of the plant as an alternative therapeutic source.
Animals ; Ethnopharmacology ; Eye Diseases/drug therapy* ; Peperomia ; Phytochemicals/therapeutic use* ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts/therapeutic use* ; Plants, Medicinal

Rhizoma phragmitis is a common Chinese herbal medicine whose effects are defined as 'clearing heat and fire, promoting fluid production to quench thirst, eliminating irritability, stopping vomiting, and disinhibiting urine'. During the Novel Coronavirus epidemic in 2020, the Weijing Decoction and Wuye Lugen Decoction, with Rhizoma phragmitis as the main herbal component, were included in The Pneumonia Treatment Protocol for Novel Coronavirus Infection (Trial Version 5) due to remarkable antiviral effects. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that Rhizoma phragmitis has antiviral, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and hypoglycemic functions, lowers blood lipids and protects the liver and kidney. This review aims to provide a systematic summary of the botany, traditional applications, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of Rhizoma phragmitis.
Humans ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology* ; Rhizome ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Antioxidants/therapeutic use* ; Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phytochemicals/therapeutic use* ; Ethnopharmacology ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment

Aims: The exploration of natural products with innovative uses is dynamic and expanding rapidly. Medicinal plants have fascinated many researchers that subsequently lead to research publications highlighting plant extracts with wide range of secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, quinones, terpenoids, tannins and saponins that exhibit antimicrobial activities and disease control. The concentration of these bioactive compounds in each plant species varies based on the pathosystem and environmental conditions. This study aims to uncover the various types of phytochemicals with antifungal properties. Methodology and results: Seven categories of plant-based antifungal compounds were reviewed, which are terpenoids, saponins, phenolic compounds, coumarins, alkaloids, essential oils and peptides, with examples and structures of some available compounds. The mechanism of action of each category of phytochemical was discussed. Also, the impact of some compounds was explained and elaborated. Conclusion, significance and impact of study It is of a great importance to explore natural plant fighters against fungal infection. Those active plant components do not only have antifungal properties, but they also help in the healing process and some even exhibit anticancer activities. The development and knowledge of antifungal activities from plant extracts have the potential for applications in antifungal therapy. Since the exact description of how antifungal compounds function in the human body is still unclear more studies are required to unveil phytochemicals’ properties and to elucidate their effects on living cells.
Phytochemicals--therapeutic use ; Antifungal Agents

Chimonanthus plants widely distributed in southern area of China, which have a long history of edibles and medicine. Phytochemical investigations have shown that Chimonanthus produced 143 non-volatile constituents, including alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, coumarins and others, which exhibit significant anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic and other biological activities. On the basis of systematic reviewing of literatures, this article overviews the non-volatile constituents and pharmacology of Chimonanthus from domestic and foreign over the last 30 years (until June 2018), and may provide a useful reference for the further development of Chimonanthus.
Animals ; Calycanthaceae ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; toxicity ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phytochemicals ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; toxicity ; Phytotherapy

Ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the colon, has a rising incidence worldwide. The known pathogenesis is multifactorial and involves genetic predisposition, epithelial barrier defects, dysregulated immune responses, and environmental factors. Nowadays, the drugs for UC include 5-aminosalicylic acid, steroids, and immunosuppressants. Long-term use of these drugs, however, may cause several side effects, such as hepatic and renal toxicity, drug resistance and allergic reactions. Moreover, the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of UC shows significantly positive effects, low recurrence rate, few side effects and other obvious advantages. This paper summarizes several kinds of active compounds used in the experimental research of anti-UC effects extracted from TCM, mainly including flavonoids, acids, terpenoids, phenols, alkaloids, quinones, and bile acids from some animal medicines. It is found that the anti-UC activities are mainly focused on targeting inflammation or oxidative stress, which is associated with increasing the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-4, IL-10, SOD), suppressing the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-23, NF-κB, NO), reducing the activity of MPO, MDA, IFN-γ, and iNOS. This review may offer valuable reference for UC-related studies on the compounds from natural medicines.
Animals ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Inflammation ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Phytochemicals ; pharmacology

Liu-Wei-Di-Huang (LW) is a Yin nourishing and kidney tonifying prescription in traditional Chinese medicine with promising pharmacological characteristics that can be further exploited and developed in modern medicine. We provide a comprehensive and detailed literature report on the clinical and experimental pharmacology of LW, including its quality control parameters, phytochemistry, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology. Our literature review indicates that the LW prescription possesses a unique combination of pharmacological characteristics that can be safely used for treating very different diseases. Quality control and pharmacokinetic parameters of LW are mostly based on its major bioactive phytochemical constituents. We postulate that modulating or rebalancing the neuroendocrine immunomodulation network in the body is the underlying mechanism of the multiple pharmacological activities displayed by LW.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Kidney ; drug effects ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Neuroimmunomodulation ; drug effects ; Phytochemicals ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Quality Control ; Yin Deficiency ; drug therapy

Danshen, the dried root or rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge., is a traditional and folk medicine in Asian countries, especially in China and Japan. In this review, we summarized the recent researches of Danshen in traditional uses and preparations, chemical constituents, pharmacological activities and side effects. A total of 201 compounds from Danshen have been reported, including lipophilic diterpenoids, water-soluble phenolic acids, and other constituents, which have showed various pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-tumor, anti-atherogenesis, and anti-diabetes. This article intends to provide novel insight information for further development of Danshen, which could be of great value to its improvement of utilization.
Diterpenes ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Hydroxybenzoates ; chemistry ; Molecular Structure ; Oils, Volatile ; chemistry ; Phytochemicals ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry

This article explores the most recent evidence-based information on ethnomedicinal, phytochemical and pharmacological understanding of Hygrophila auriculata for the treatment of various diseases and health conditions. Various ethnomedicinal writings suggest the use of the plant or its parts for the treatment of jaundice, oedema, gastrointestinal ailments, diarrhoea, dysentery, urinogenital disorder, gall stones, urinary calculi, kidney stone, leucorrhoea, rheumatism, tuberculosis, anaemia, body pain, constipation, skin disease, and as an aphrodisiac. The plant has been reported to contain flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin, ellagic acid, gallic acid and quercetin), alkaloids (asteracanthine and asteracanthicine), triterpenes (lupeol, lupenone, hentricontane and betulin), sterols (stigmasterol and asterol), minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, aliphatic esters and essential oils. Extracts and bioactive compounds from the plant have been found to possess antimicrobial, anthelmintic, antitermite, nephroprotective, hepatoprotective, central nervous system protective, antitumour, antidiabetic, anticataract, antioxidant, haematopoietic, diuretic, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antimotility, aphrodisiac, neuroprotection, anti-endotoxin and anti-urolithiatic activities. For this paper, we reviewed patents, clinical studies, analytical studies and marketed formulations from the earliest found examples from 1887 to the end of 2017.
Acanthaceae ; chemistry ; Anti-Infective Agents ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; Antioxidants ; Ethnopharmacology ; Humans ; Medicine, Traditional ; Phytochemicals ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Protective Agents

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the action mechanism of Xingnaojing Injection (, XNJI) for sepsis, and to target screen the potential bioactive ingredients. METHODS: An integrated protocol that combines in silico target screen (molecular docking) and database mapping was employed to find the potential inhibitors from XNJI for the sepsis-related targets and to establish the compound-target (C-T) interaction network. The XNJI's bioactive components database was investigated and the sepsis-associated targets were comprehensively constructed; the 3D structure of adenosine receptor A2a and 5-lipoxygenase proteins were established and evaluated with homology modeling method; system network pharmacology for sepsis treatment was studied between the bioactive ingredients and the sepsis targets using computational biology methods to distinguish inhibitors from non inhibitors for the selected sepsis-related targets and C-T network construction. RESULTS: Multiple bioactive compounds in the XNJI were found to interact with multiple sepsis targets. The 32 bioactive ingredients were generated from XNJI in pharmacological system, and 21 potential targets were predicted to the sepsis disease; the biological activities for some potential inhibitors had been experimentally confirmed, highlighting the reliability of in silico target screen. Further integrated C-T network showed that these bioactive components together probably display synergistic action for sepsis treatment. CONCLUSIONS The uncovered mechanism may offer a superior insight for understanding the theory of the Chinese herbal medicine for combating sepsis. Moreover, the potential inhibitors for the sepsis-related targets may provide a good source to find new lead compounds against sepsis disease.
Arachidonate 5-Lipoxygenase ; metabolism ; Computer Simulation ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Injections ; Phytochemicals ; therapeutic use ; Receptor, Adenosine A2A ; metabolism ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sepsis ; drug therapy ; metabolism