A Brief Review on Guduchi (Tinospora Cordifolia)

Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) is an essential drug of the Ayurvedic medicine system used in different Ayurvedic formulations to treat a variety of ailments. Guduchi is a member of the Menispermaceae family and is widely produced in tropical and sub-tropical countries such as India, Sri Lanka, China, Myanmar, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Bangladesh, and several south-east Asian continents such as Indonesia, Malaysia. All parts of Guduchi have nutritional value and medicinal importance, including the roots, stem, bark, and leaves. A different class of phytochemicals like alkaloids, glycosides, aliphatic compounds, diterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, phenolic compounds, steroid and polysaccharides, etc., are found in Guduchi. Tinosporaside, tinosporine, magnosporine, berberine, choline, Jatrorrhizine, palmatine, beberine, giloin, giloinsterol, and other beneficial biomarkers are present in this herb. Guduchi is used to treat cold, fever, headache, jaundice, digestive disorder, among other things, and it shows several proven pharmacological activities such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory activity, anti-toxic, hepatoprotective, anticancer, cardioprotective activity, radioprotective, antimicrobial, anti-stress, anti-HIV and many more. This review article majorly highlights the phytochemical present in Guduchi, analytical works and pharmacological activities of Guduchi. Copyright © 2022 are reserved by International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research.

Pharmacological Activity, Pharmacokinetics, and Clinical Research Progress of Puerarin.

As a kind of medicine and food homologous plant, kudzu root (Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi) is called an "official medicine" in Chinese folk medicine. Puerarin is the main active component extracted from kudzu root, and its structural formula is 8-ß-D-grapes pyranose-4, 7-dihydroxy isoflavone, with a white needle crystal; it is slightly soluble in water, and its aqueous solution is colorless or light yellow. Puerarin is a natural antioxidant with high health value and has a series of biological activities such as antioxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-tumor effects, immunity improvement, and cardio-cerebrovascular and nerve cell protection. In particular, for the past few years, it has also been extensively used in clinical study. This review focuses on the antioxidant activity of puerarin, the therapy of diverse types of inflammatory diseases, various new drug delivery systems of puerarin, the "structure-activity relationship" of puerarin and its derivatives, and pharmacokinetic and clinical studies, which can provide a new perspective for the puerarin-related drug research and development, clinical application, and further development and utilization.

Brassica Genus Seeds: A Review on Phytochemical Screening and Pharmacological Properties.

Traditionally, Brassica species are widely used in traditional medicine, human food, and animal feed. Recently, special attention has been dedicated to Brassica seeds as source of health-promoting phytochemicals. This review provides a summary of recent research on the Brassica seed phytochemistry, bioactivity, dietary importance, and toxicity by screening the major online scientific database sources and papers published in recent decades by Elsevier, Springer, and John Wiley. The search was conducted covering the period from January 1964 to July 2022. Phytochemically, polyphenols, glucosinolates, and their degradation products were the predominant secondary metabolites in seeds. Different extracts and their purified constituents from seeds of Brassica species have been found to possess a wide range of biological properties including antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and neuroprotective activities. These valuable functional properties of Brassica seeds are related to their richness in active compounds responsible for the prevention and treatment of various chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and COVID-19. Currently, the potential properties of Brassica seeds and their components are the main focus of research, but their toxicity and health risks must also be accounted for.

Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Properties of Morus alba Linn. with Reference to its SARS-CoV-2 Inhibiting Potential

Morus alba Linn. is a plant with varieties of phytochemicals and commonly known as Mulberry tree or Nuni (in Assamese). Mulberry is a perennial and woody plant, belongs to the family Moraceae consider as a native plant of China. In Assam, the leaves of mulberry tree are out most important in horticulture department for feeding purpose. A literature survey was done out by using key words such as Morus alba, or mulberry tree or phytoconstituents, or pharmacological activities, or ethnobotany on the search engine namely Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholars, PubMed. The purpose of this article is to forward a solid review about the plant profile, method of extraction, phytochemicals constituents and pharmacological activities in reference to SARS-CoV-2. All the parts of Morus alba are phytochemically rich but highest number can be found in fruits and leaves. Fruits of Morus alba contains various class of phytochemicals such as alkaloids, anthocyanins, stillbenoids, flavones. Owing to presence of this compounds, it exhibits various pharmacological. Its leaves, fruits and root bark containing flavonoids, anthocyanins, alkaloids and stilbenoids, possess various pharmacological properties. Resveratrol is one of the most important compounds found in M. alba which possess SARS-CoV-2 inhibiting potential. Still there are some gaps remain in exploring whole plants parts and successive studies of toxicity. © 2022 Chemical Publishing Co.. All rights reserved.

Medicinal uses, pharmacological activities, phytochemistry, and the molecular mechanisms of Punica granatum L. (pomegranate) plant extracts: A review.

Punica granatum L (pomegranate) is one of the Mediterranean medicinal plants that has been used for generations in treating ulcers, diarrhea, and male infertility. Increasing evidence has revealed that pomegranate possesses myriads of pharmacological activities such as anti-diabetic, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-malaria, anti-fibrotic, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and other effects. Consumption of pomegranate could be used to improve gut microbiota, and therefore prevent obesity and diabetes. The mechanisms of actions of pomegranate, mainly involve nuclear factor-erythroid factor 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. In recent times, in silico molecular docking studies demonstrated that pomegranate extract and or its phytochemicals are potential inhibitors of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) spike protein and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor contact. Also, some clinical trials have indicated that pomegranate can be consumed for alleviation of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, dental infections, and menopausal symptoms. To date, active compounds, viz. alkaloids, anthocyanidins, tannins, flavonoids, phenolics, proanthocyanidins, sterols, terpenes, terpenoids, xanthonoids, fatty acids, organic acids, lignans, saccharides, and vitamin C have been isolated from pomegranate. Therefore, the current review article aimed to gather and presents an update on the ethnomedicinal uses, pharmacological activities, phytochemistry, and molecular mechanisms of Punica granatum L. This knowledge is of paramount importance in the future in drug discovery for the development of novel natural drugs for the treatment of various ailments.

Genus Lonicera: New drug discovery from traditional usage to modern chemical and pharmacological research.

BACKGROUND: Lonicera Linn. belonging to the family Caprifoliaceae, the largest genus in the plant family, includes about more than 200 species, which are mainly distributed in northern Africa, North America, Europe and Asia. Some species of this genus have been usually used in traditional Chinese medicine as well as functional foods, cosmetics and other applications, such as L. japonica Thunb. Bioactive components and pharmacological activities of the genus Lonicera plants have received an increasing interest from the scientific community. Thus, a comprehensive and systematic review on their traditional usage in China, chemical components, and their pharmacological properties of their whole plants, bioactive extracts, and bioactive isolates including partial structure-activity relationships from the genus is indispensable. METHODS: Information on genus Lonicera of this systematic electronic literature search was gathered via the published articles, patents, clinical trials website (https://clinicaltrials.gov/) and several online bibliographic databases (PubMed, Sci Finder, Research Gate, Science Direct, CNKI, Web of Science and Google Scholar). The following keywords were used for the online search: Lonicera, phytochemical composition, Lonicerae japonica, Lonicera review articles, bioactivities of Lonicera, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial, anticancer, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-diabetic, and clinical trials. This review paper consists of a total of 225 papers covering the Lonicera genus from 1800 to 2021, including research articles, reviews, patents, and book chapters. RESULTS: In this review (1800s-2021), about 420 components from the genus of Lonicera Linn. including 87 flavonoids, 222 terpenoids, 51 organic acids, and other compounds, together with their pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial, anticancer, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, anti-allergic, immunomodulatory effects, and toxicity were summarized. CONCLUSION: The relationship is discussed among their traditional usage, their pharmacological properties, and their chemical components, which indicate the genus Lonicera have a large prospect in terms of new drug exploitation, especially in COVID-19 treatment.

A review on pharmacological activities and synergistic effect of quercetin with small molecule agents.

BACKGROUND: Quercetin is a natural flavonoid, which widely exists in nature, such as tea, coffee, apples, and onions. Numerous studies have showed that quercetin has multiple biological activities such as anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging. Hence, quercetin has a significant therapeutic effect on cancers, obesity, diabetes, and other diseases. In the past decades, a large number of studies have shown that quercetin combined with other agents can significantly improve the overall therapeutic effect, compared to single use. PURPOSE: This work reviews the pharmacological activities of quercetin and its derivatives. In addition, this work also summarizes both in vivo and in vitro experimental evidence for the synergistic effect of quercetin against cancers and metabolic diseases. METHODS: An extensive systematic search for pharmacological activities and synergistic effect of quercetin was performed considering all the relevant literatures published until August 2021 through the databases including NCBI PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The relevant literatures were extracted from the databases with following keyword combinations: "pharmacological activities" OR "biological activities" OR "synergistic effect" OR "combined" OR "combination" AND "quercetin" as well as free-text words. RESULTS: Quercetin and its derivatives possess multiple pharmacological activities including anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cardiovascular, anti-aging, and neuroprotective activities. In addition, the synergistic effect of quercetin with small molecule agents against cancers and metabolic diseases has also been confirmed. CONCLUSION: Quercetin cooperates with agents to improve the therapeutic effect by regulating signal molecules and blocking cell cycle. Synergistic therapy can reduce the dose of agents and avoid the possible toxic and side effects in the treatment process. Although quercetin treatment has some potential side effects, it is safe under the expected use conditions. Hence, quercetin has application value and potential strength as a clinical drug. Furthermore, quercetin, as the main effective therapeutic ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine, may effectively treat and prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

A comprehensive review of herbacetin: From chemistry to pharmacological activities.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Herbacetin is an active constituent of traditional Chinese medicines such as Ephedra sinica Stapf (MaHuang) and Sedum roseum (L.). Scop. (Hong JingTian). MaHuang was used to treat cough, asthma, fever, and edema for more than 5000 years, while Hong JingTian was used to treat depression, fatigue, cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Recent studies indicate that herbacetin and its glycosides play a critical role in the pharmacological activities of these herbs. However, currently, no comprehensive review on herbacetin has been published yet. AIM OF THE STUDY: This review aimed to summarize information on the chemistry, natural sources, and pharmacokinetic features of herbacetin, with an emphasis on its pharmacological activities and possible mechanisms of action. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was performed on the Web of Science, PubMed, and China Knowledge Resource Integrated databases (CNKI) using the search term "herbacetin" ("all fields") from 1935 to 2020. Information was also obtained from classic books of Chinese herbal medicine, Chinese pharmacopeia, and the database "The Plant List" (www.theplantlist.org). Studies have been analyzed and summarized in this review if they dealt with chemistry, taxonomy, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacological activity. RESULTS: Herbacetin is distributed in various plants and can be extracted or synthesized. It showed diverse pharmacological activities including antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, and anticholinesterase. It is thought to have great potential in cancer treatment, especially colon and skin cancers. However, the bioavailability of herbacetin is low and the toxicity of herbacetin has not been studied. Thus, more studies are required to solve these problems. CONCLUSIONS: Herbacetin shows promising pharmacological activities against multiple diseases. Future research should focus on improving bioavailability, further studying its pharmacological mechanism, evaluating its toxicity and optimal dose, and performing the clinical assessment. We hope that the present review will serve as a guideline for future research on herbacetin.

Advances in Pharmacological Activities and Mechanisms of Glycyrrhizic Acid.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) is widely regarded as an important medicinal plant and has been used for centuries in traditional medicine because of its therapeutic properties. Studies have shown that metabolites isolated from licorice have many pharmacological activities, such as antiinflammatory, anti-viral, participation in immune regulation, anti-tumor and other activities. This article gives an overview of the pharmacological activities and mechanisms of licorice metabolites and the adverse reactions that need attention. This review helps to further investigate the possibility of licorice as a potential drug for various diseases. It is hoped that this review can provide a relevant theoretical basis for relevant scholars' research and their own learning.