ABSTRACT
Flavonoids are secondary metabolites that are widely distributed in plants. These phenolic compounds are classified into various subgroups based on their structures: flavones, flavonols, isoflavones, flavanones, and anthocyanins. They are known to perform various pharmacological actions like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, antidiabetic and antiallergic, etc. Diabetes is a chronic progressive metabolic disorder that affects several biochemical pathways and leads to secondary complications such as neuropathy, retinopathy, nephropathy, and cardiomyopathy. Among them, the management of diabetic neuropathy is one of the major challenges for physicians as well as the pharmaceutical industries. Naturally occurring flavonoids are extensively used for the treatment of diabetes and its related complications due to their antioxidant properties. Moreover, flavonoids inhibit various pathways that are involved in the progression of diabetic neuropathy like the reduction of oxidative stress, decrease in glycogenolysis, increase glucose utilization, decrease in the formation of advanced glycation end products, and inhibition of the α-glucosidase enzyme. This review entails current updates on the therapeutic perspectives of flavonoids in the treatment of neuropathic pain. This manuscript explains the pathological aspects of neuropathic pain, the chemistry of flavonoids, and their application in amelioration of neuropathic pain through preclinical studies either alone or in combination with other therapeutic agents.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus , Diabetic Neuropathies , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Diabetic Neuropathies/drug therapy , Flavonoids/pharmacology , Humans , Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacology , Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use , Oxidative StressABSTRACT
People living on the mountains of the Kurdistan Region, Iraq make a large use of herbs in the local traditional medicine. Among them, Tulipa systola, which grows under and between rocks, is very popular as an anti-inflammatory remedy and pain-relief. The phytochemical study of an ethanolic extract obtained from flowers and roots of Tulip (T systola Stapf.) afforded three compounds, identified as (+)-1-O-E-feruloyl-3-O-E-p-coumaroylglycerol (1), (+)-6-tuliposide A (2), and (-)-kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (3). The significant radical scavenging and antioxidant activity of the isolated compounds were evaluated on three tests, by determining the DPPH free radical scavenging activity, the total antioxidant activity and the hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity. Tuliposide A shows potent allergenic activity.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/chemistry , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Coumarins/chemistry , Coumarins/pharmacology , Flowers/chemistry , Glycerol/analogs & derivatives , Plant Roots/chemistry , Tulipa/chemistry , Glycerol/chemistry , Glycerol/pharmacology , Glycosides/analysis , Glycosides/chemistry , Glycosides/pharmacology , Iraq , Kaempferols/analysis , Kaempferols/chemistry , Kaempferols/pharmacology , Molecular Structure , Phytochemicals/analysis , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , Sodium Oxybate/analogs & derivatives , Sodium Oxybate/analysis , Sodium Oxybate/chemistry , Sodium Oxybate/pharmacologyABSTRACT
In remote villages of Kurdistan-Iraq, such as in those on Safeen Mountain, decoctions, potions, and oils from the local herbal tradition have provided the only medicinal remedies for centuries, up to today. A variety of diseases are treated with different plant preparations, ranging from simple rheumatism to diarrhea, skin diseases, and highly complicated kidney and heart problems. This survey describes, for the first time, the mostly used medicinal plants, resulting from several interviews with local herbal healers. The bioactivity of some isolated compounds is, indeed, strictly related to traditional uses of plants in Safeen Mountain Province. We also report the preliminary results of our ongoing research project on the constituents of the still uninvestigated plant Pterocephalus nestorianus Nab., which is traditionally used against inflammation and oral diseases. Luteolin-7-0-glucoside, 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid and loganic acid were isolated.
Subject(s)
Phytochemicals , Phytotherapy , Plants, Medicinal , Ethnopharmacology , Humans , Iraq , Plant Preparations/therapeutic useABSTRACT
The volatile fractions isolated from Prangos peucedanifolia FENZL leaves and flowers were investigated for their phytochemical composition and biological properties. Flower and leaf hydrodistillation afforded 3.14 and 0.49 g of yellowish oils in 1.25 and 0.41% yields, respectively, from dry vegetable materials. According to the GC-FID and GC/MS analyses, 36 (99.35% of the total oil composition) and 26 compounds (89.12%) were identified in the two oils, respectively. The major constituents in the flower volatile fraction were ß-pinene (35.58%), α-pinene (22.13%), and ß-phellandrene (12.54%), while m-cresol (50.38%) was the main constituent of the leaf volatile fraction. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated against several bacterial and fungal strains, on the basis of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) by the micro- and macrodilution methods. The two volatile fractions showed moderate antifungal and antibacterial activities, especially against Trichophyton rubrum (MIC of 2×10(3) µg/ml), Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC≤1.9×10(3) µg/ml for all).
