A Review of Recent Phytomedicinal Investigations and the Need for DNA Barcoding of Endemic Plants of Northern Cyprus

Aims: To review the phytomedicinal researches on endemic plants of Northern Cyprus and to assess the plants of their DNA barcoding status.Study Design:A review.Methodology:This work reviewed available and accessible original articles in EBSCO, Ovid MEDLINE®, PubMed®, ScienceDirectTM, Scopus®and Web of ScienceTMdatabases on phytomedicinal investigations and BOLD System, MMDBD version 1.5 and GenBank®on DNA barcodes of the endemic plants of Northern Cyprusuntil May, 2020. Using keywords searches related to phytochemistry, biological activity and DNA barcoding, DNA Sequences and the data obtain evaluated and the information that does not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded. We believe that this information would tentatively help researchers to ethically explore these plants for their Medicinal and Aromatic potentials.Results:Only 6 of the 20 endemic plants of Northern Cyprus were phytopharmaceutically investigated,while DNA sequences of 5 were foundto be deposited in the publicly accessible databases accounting for30% and 25% of the total plants respectively Conclusion:Endemism is related to uniqueness in features including the phytomedicinal features, thus Northern Cyprus endemic plants holdample of such. However the results of this review showed that only few were harnessed for their medicinal properties and hence the need for their pharmacological properties and comprehensive barcoding for proper authentication, detection of adulteration, and quality control.

Dendrobium orchid polysaccharide extract: Preparation, characterization and in vivo skin hydrating efficacy / 中草药·英文版

Objective: Dendrobium spp., the major globally commercializing tropical orchid, has been continuously used in Chinese medicine. However, preparation and standardization of this therapeutic orchid including its clinical evidence for topical application are sparely to be exploited. Methods: Maceration of the white orchid (Dendrobium cv. Khao Sanan) in water was varied on the extraction time. The extraction yields and total polysaccharide content of the extracts were compared. The best extract condition was selected, standardized, and evaluated on safety and skin hydrating efficacy in human volunteers. Results: The extraction for 3 h gave the extract with polysaccharide content that significantly (P < 0.001) greater than the other extraction times with the following specification: yield [(35.60 ± 2.51)%], moisture content [(7.65 ± 0.21)%], total polysaccharide, sugar, reducing sugar and ash content [(72.95 ± 2.37)%, (34.38 ± 0.00)%, (16.28 ± 0.00)%, and (0.12 ± 0.00)%], pH (4.42 ± 0.01), viscosity [(15.07 ± 0.12) cps] swelling and water absorption capacities [(10.00 ± 0.00)%, (1.19 ± 0.24) g/g]. This antioxidative polysaccharide caused no skin irritation with a better skin hydrating efficacy than the untreated skin and the benchmark as examined in 22 Thai volunteers. Conclusion: White Dendrobium is ready to be supplied as a specialty ingredient with a safe and efficient profile for skin dryness therapy. This innovative application of the identified traditional Chinese medicinal herb flows in the main stream of the consumers’ preferences and demand upon natural derived products.

Fitoterapias en lesiones de mucosa oral: propiedades reparativas y aplicación clínica: revisión sistemática de la literatura / Phytotherapies in oral mucosa lesions: reparative properties and clinical application: systematic review of the literature

Dada la exposición constante a injurias, las lesiones de mucosa oral (LMO) y su cicatrización son asunto de importancia para la práctica odontológica, siendo relevante contribuir al restablecimiento de la integridad del área afectada. Se plantea la utilización de fitofármacos como coadyuvantes en la cicatrización de LMO, pero aun cuando los fitofármacos están socialmente valorados, no siempre existe evidencia que los respalde como alternativa terapéutica. Es por esto que consideramos necesario determinar que fitofármacos efectivamente ejercen acción sobre las LMO, para una práctica odontológica basada en evidencia. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo exploratoria pre-sistemático (scoping review), para lo cual se realizaron búsquedas en las bases de datos MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, Korean Journal Database, ProQuest Central, SciELO, Biblioteca Cochrane, CUMED, IBECS y LILACS, utilizando los términos MeSH "phytotherapy", "plant extracts", "medicinal plants", "ethnopharmacology", "mouth mucosa" y "oral mucosa". Se incluyeron artículos de los últimos 15 años escritos en español, inglés o portugués, siendo requisito el estudio de heridas o lesiones ulcerativas de la mucosa oral y la evaluación de fitofármacos como alternativa terapéutica para la resolución de las mismas. Resultados: Se seleccionaron mediante lectura de resumen un total de 21 artículos para revisión, correspondiendo 6 a estudios experimentales realizados en animales, 3 a estudios en cultivos celulares, 11 a ensayos clínicos y 1 a revisión Cochrane. Acorde a lo obtenido, los fitofármacos entregan una amplia gama de evidencia de mejorías clínicas e histológicas; existiendo un gran número de artículos científicos que avalan las propiedades benéficas de las plantas y sus componentes activos, sin embargo en cuanto a la cavidad oral, existe un menor número de ensayos clínicos en donde se observen resultados específicos para la mucosa oral. Es necesario ampliar el estudio e inversión en el campo de la fitoterapia, especilamente en lo que concierne a la cicatrización en cavidad oral y sus efectos en la regeneración celular, con el fin de avalar este tipo de terapias.

Given the constant exposure to injuries, oral mucosal lesions (OML) and their healing are important issues for dental practice, and it is important to contribute to the restoration of the integrity of the affected area. The use of phytopharmaceuticals as adjuvants in the healing of OML is considered, but even when phytopharmaceuticals are socially valued, there is not always evidence to support them as a therapeutic alternative. This is why we consider it necessary to determine that phytopharmaceuticals effectively exert action on the OMLs, for an evidence-based dental practice. A descriptive exploratory scoping study was carried out, for which MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, Korean Journal Database, ProQuest Central, SciELO, Cochrane Library, CUMED, IBECS And LILACS, using the terms MeSH "phytotherapy", "plant extracts", "medicinal plants", "ethnopharmacology", "mouth mucosa" and "oral mucosa". We included articles of the last 15 years written in Spanish, English or Portuguese, being required the study of wounds or ulcerative lesions of the oral mucosa and the evaluation of phytopharmaceuticals as a therapeutic alternative for the resolution of the same. Results: A total of 21 articles were selected for review, 6 for experimental studies in animals, 3 for studies on cell cultures, 11 for clinical trials and 1 for Cochrane review. According to the obtained, the phytopharmaceuticals deliver a wide range of evidence of clinical and histological improvements; There is a large number of scientific articles that support the beneficial properties of the plants and their active components, however in the oral cavity, there are fewer clinical trials where specific results are observed for the oral mucosa. It is necessary to expand the study and investment in the field of phytotherapy, especially with regard to healing in the oral cavity and its effects on cellular regeneration, in order to support this type of therapies.

Flavonoid electrochemistry: a review on the electroanalytical applications

Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds widespread in vegetal kingdom. They present a C-15 skeleton, which is divided into three units A, B and C. Unit C is an oxygen containing heterocyclic, whose oxidation state and saturation level define major subclasses. Units A and B are aromatic rings, in which four major types of substituents, i. e. hydroxyl, methoxyl, prenyl and glycosides, lead to over 8000 different flavonoids. The great healthy-protecting value of these phytochemical biomarkers has attracted the attention of scientific community. Their main biological actions include anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties, which are strictly linked to antioxidant activities. So that, electroanalysis have been extensively applied on mechanistic studies and also for analytical determinations. This review presents the state of the art regarding the main applications of electroanalysis on the flavonoid research. The approaches on redox behavior characterization leading to a better understanding of structure antioxidant activity relationships are highlighted.

Technological development of Cecropia glaziovi extract pellets by extrusion-spheronization

Cecropia glaziovi Snethl., Urticaceae, is commonly used in South America and is one of the species included in the Brazilian Medicinal Plants Research Program. Pharmacological studies have led to reports of the potential of C. glaziovi as a hypotensive, antiasthmatic and anxiolytic agent. The strict requirements regarding the quality, safety and effectiveness of phytopharmaceutical products represent an enormous challenge in the search for products with a high level of uniformity, reproducibility and stability. The incorporation of dry extracts into multiparticulate dosage forms, such as pellets produced by extrusion/spheronization technology, is a suitable alternative to overcome the lack of technological properties of dry extracts, since they are associated with low flowability and high hygroscopicity. In this study, an optimized dry extract (ODE) of C. glaziovi was incorporated into pellets seeking to decrease the moisture sorption and increase the stability, safety and percentage of the extract in the final product. Pellets containing around 50% of ODE were considered the most technologically viable, offering a narrow particle size distribution, significant improvement in the flowability and compressibility properties, and decrease in the moisture compared with the ODE. In conclusion, pellets containing a high dose of the C. glaviovi extract were successfully prepared, achieving degrees of quality, physical stability and feasibility compatible with the desirable characteristics of a phytopharmaceutical.

Spray drying of Eugenia dysenterica extract: effects of in-process parameters on product quality

A 2³ full factorial design was used to assess the impact of spraying air flow rate (30-50 L/min), drying air inlet temperature (90-150 ºC) and extract feed rate (4-6 g/min) on the quality of Eugenia dysenterica DC., Myrtaceae, spray-dried extracts. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to analyze the significance of the effects of process factors on product quality and to obtain fitted equations to predict dry powder properties. Powder yields were satisfactory, ranging from 34.64 to 63.92%. The dried products showed moisture contents and water activities below 5% and 0.5, respectively. The recuperation ratios of total polyphenols, tannins and flavonoids ranged from 88.66 to 99.07%, 70.38 to 81.87% and 74.51 to 98.68%, respectively. Additionally, in some conditions the parameters related to dry product’s flowability and compressibility varied over a range acceptable for pharmaceutical purposes. RSM proved that studied factors significantly affected most of the quality indicators at different levels. The spray drying technology is an attractive and promising alternative for the development of intermediate phytopharmaceutical products of E. dysenterica.

Approaches to pre-formulation R and D for phytopharmaceuticals emanating from herb based traditional Ayurvedic processes.

Botanicals constitute a large part of the drugs from the traditional medicine (TM) and ethno medicine (EM) known for their history of safe use (HOSU). Phytopharmaceuticals having a base of such origin offer high advantages as they come with safety profi les, and often allow extrapolation of the HOSU data, under certain circumstances. However, while current pharmaceutical technologies are being adopted by the industry to make phytopharmaceuticals with such origin, there is a need for preformulation research and development (R and D) during formulation. Some suggestions for R and D studies in case of aqueous extracts known in Ayurveda, converted on an industrial scale to obtain a phytopharmaceutical, and formulated as a solid dosage form (granules, tablets, or capsules) are discussed.

Impact of natural products in modern drug development.

Usage of natural substances as therapeutic agents in modern medicine has sharply declined from the predominant position held in the early decades of last century, but search for bioactive molecules from nature (plants, animals, microflora) continues to play an important role in fashioning new medicinal agents. With the advent of modern techniques, instrumentation and automation in isolation and structural characterisation, we have on hand an enormous repository of natural compounds. In parallel to this, biology has also made tremendous progress in expanding its frontiers of knowledge. An interplay of these two disciplines constitutes the modern thrust in research in the realm of compounds elaborated by nature. The purpose of this article is to underline how natural products research continues to make significant contributions in the domain of discovery and development of new medicinal products. It is proposed to present the material under several heads, each of which has made natural products research relevant in the search for new and better medication.

Avaliação farmacognóstica da própolis da região de Maringá / Pharmacognostic evaluation of propolis in the region of Maringá

Os autores propõem procedimentos para estabelecer o controle de qualidade da própolis. Para tanto, foram adaptadas e executadas técnicas farmacopéicas e/ou desenvolvidas técnicas novas. Foram estabelecidos perfis dos teores de flavonóides, de ceras, de substâncias voláteis totais (através da perda por dessecação) e de cinzas totais. Os valores obtidos para as amostras de própolis estudadas, coletadas em um apiário-escola, foram comparados com os de própolis adquiridas no mercado. Foi estabelecido, ainda, o perfil destes parâmetros para amostras de própolis coletadas nos diferentes locais da colméla, no periodo de três anos, com coletas de inverno e verão. Os teores de flavonóides variaram entre 2,05 - 5,52 por cento.

The aim of this work was to establish a control quality methodology for propolis. For that, techniques were carried out as described in pharmacopoeias, or adapt from it. Moreover it developed new techniques. It was used propolis collected in the school apiary. Profiles of flavonoids, waxes, total volatile substances and total ashes were determined in propolis collected in different places of bees' hive. The results obtained from this propolis were compared with commercial propolis. Flavonoid drift values obtained from apiary school were established in the range between 2.05-5.52 percent.

Avaliaçäo da qualidade de produtos fitoterápicos comercializados em Porto Alegre - RS / Qualitative evaluation of herbal medicines comercialized in Porto Alegre - RS (Brazil)

Este trabalho é uma avaliaçäo qualitativa de produtos fitoterápicos e insumos vegetais comercializados em Porto Alegre no período de julho a outubro de 1997, com o objetivo de verificar as mudanças geradas na qualidade destes produtos após a vigência da Portaria n§ 6 da SVS-MS (DOU de 31/01/95). Foram analisados 42 produtos, adquiridos mediante compra em ervaterios, farmácias de manipulaçäo e drogarias de Porto Alegre. As técnicas utilizadas foram baseadas na Farmacopéia Brasileira 4ª ed. e em literatura especializada ou desenvolvidas na disciplina de Farmacognosia da Faculdade de Farmácia - UFRGS. Foram considerados como indicadores de qualidade: identidade, ausência de matérias orgânicas estranhas, estado de conservaçäo e presença dos principais constituintes químicos das amostras em análise. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que a vigência da Portaria n§6 da SVS-MS (DOU 31/01/95) ainda näo induziu uma alteraçäo no quadro de qualidade dos produtos fitoterápicos comercializados em Porto Alegre, visto que das 42 amostras analisadas, 71,4(por cento) näo atendem aos quesitos mínimos de qualidade exigidos por esta norma, à semelhança de resultados obtidos em trabalhos anteriores. (AU)

This paper presents a qualitative evaluation of some herbal Medicines commerciali- zed in Porto Alegre - RS (Brazil) from july to october, 1997, in order to verify if the new Brazilian legislation about these products (Portaria 6 - SVS - MS - DOU 01.31.95) induced the improve- ment in their quality. Forty-two samples purchased from herbalists, drugstores and pharmacies Were analysed considering botanical identity, absence of foreign organic materiaIs, conservation state and presence of the main chemical compouds as quality indicators. The methods employed were based in the Farmacopéia Brasileira 4. ed and specialized literature The results showed that the Portaria 6 ­ SVS - MS (DOU 01.31.95) validity has not yet influenced the quality State of herbal products com- mercialized in Porto Alegre, since 71,4 % of the analysed samples do not fit the minimum quality demands required by such legal rule, These results meet the ones observed in previous researchs in rela- tion to the unsatisfactory qualitity 'of the Brazilian herbal medicines. (AU)