Management of type 2 diabetes mellitus by lifestyle, diet and medicinal plants

Globally, the prevalence of chronic, noncommunicable diseases is increasing at an alarming rate and diabetes is one of them. If diabetes is not controlled then a lot of complication like coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy arise in diabetic patients and causes morbidity and/or mortality. Diabetes is increasing at an epidemic form and in near future the largest increases will take place in the regions dominated by developing economies. So, it will be a great social and economical burden to developing countries as well as the developed. But if we be aware about our diet and lifestyle and take proper medication we may prevent and reduce the prevalence of diabetes. Oral medicine plays an important role in management of diabetes. But most of the oral drugs are costly and have a lot of side effects. For this it is also necessary to take medicines with fewer or no side effects. And antidiabetic medicinal plants may play an important role in this case. In this article we have tried to describe how diet and lifestyle with using medicinal plants may help to prevent or maintain diabetes and help to reduce the mortality and morbidity due to diabetes or complication related to it.     

Cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants for specialty industrial materials

Specialty materials such as essential oils, pharmaceuticals, colorants, dyes, cosmetics and biocides are obtained from plants. Many species of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are cultivated for such industrial uses, but most are still wild collected. The need for renewable sources of industrial products as well as the need to protect plant biodiversity creates an opportunity for farmers to produce such crops. The production of plants as raw material for fine chemicals is different than cultivation of ornamental or food crops. This review attempts to give an overview of the use of MAPs in various industries, as well as trends in the various markets involved. Economic and regulatory issues relevant for such uses of MAP material are also discussed, with a focus on the situation in the European Union. The aim is to provide information to potential producers to help identify interesting MAPs for cultivation.     

Antiinflammatory screening of the medicinal plant Gynura procumbens

Gynura procumbens isused in Thai folk medicine to treat topicalinflammation, rheumatism, and viral ailments. In thepresent work, attempts were made to verify the folkmedicinal claim that the crude ethanolic extract ofG. procumbens has antinflammatory action and torelate the activity to particular fractions using acroton oil-induced mouse ear inflammation model. Theoriginal ethanolic extract of G. procumbens waspartitioned between water and ethyl acetate. Theresidues were subjected to antinflammatoryevaluation. While the water extract did not show anyantinflammatory activity, the administration of theoriginal organic extract significantly inhibited theincrease in ear thickness in response to crotonoil (n = 5). The activity of 0.75 mg/ear originalorganic extract showed similar antinflammatoryactivity (inhibition 65.2%) to that of 6 mg/earhydrocortisone 21-hemisuccinate sodium salt(inhibition 64.8%). The organic extract was thenfractionated with a series of solvents in order ofincreasing polarity. Each fraction was dried,dissolved in acetone and monitored using the samebioassay. These experiments showed that the hexaneand toluene fractions showed significant inhibitionsof 44.6% and 34.8%, respectively. These twofractions had similar activities to 4 mg/ear ofhydrocortisone (inhibition 35.0%). The possiblechemical constituents in the extracts and fractionswere investigated using thin layer chromatography andspecific color reagents. These tests showed thatsteroids might be one class of antinflammatorycompounds in this plant.     

Phytochemical screening and in vitro amylase inhibitory effect of the leaves of Breynia retusa

This study was proposed based on the folklore claim and on the scarcity of scientific evidence from the literature for the medicinal uses of Breynia retusa. The aim of the present study was to analyse the phytochemical constituents of the leaves of B. retusa. The fractions obtained by successive fractionation using solvents of varying polarity were studied for the presence of primary and secondary metabolites and the total phenolic content of the different fractions were determined by HPLC. The results of the study support the traditional acclaim of the therapeutic uses of B. retusa. The potential of B. retusa to inhibit alpha-amylase, a prime enzyme involved in carbohydrate metabolism was analysed and it was observed that the ethyl acetate and methanolic extract of the leaves of B. retusa possessed in vitro amylase inhibitory activity.     

Antibacterial activity and phytochemical study of six medicinal plants used in Benin

The ethanol extracts obtained from Psidium guajava, Flacourtia flavescens Boswellia dalzielii, Ficus exasperata, Pavetta corymbosa and Hybanthus enneaspermus, six species traditionally used in Benin to treat several infectious diseases, were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Enteroccocus feacalis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The minimum inhibitory concentration of extracts was determinate using the microplate dilution method. The presence of major phytoconstituents was detected qualitatively. The diphenylpicrylhydrazine radical scavenging activity was also performed. The extracts exhibited antibacterial activities against the tested bacteria. Boswellia dalzielii, Psidium guayava, Pavetta corymbosa and Flacourtia flavescens exibited the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration values (0.313-2.5 mg mL(-1)). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the lest sensitive microorganism with MIC values higher than 10 mg mL(-1). In antioxidant assay the crude extracts of B. dalzielii and P. corymbosa appeared to be as potent as quercetol with an inhibition percentage of 83 and 75.3% at 10 microg mL(-1) which is comparable to 75.9% for quercetol at the same concentration.     

Free radical scavenging activity of selected medicinal plants of Eastern Botswana

Water and methanol extracts from roots of Ozoroa paniculosa (Anarcardiaceae); seeds of Colophospermum mopane (Caesalpiniaceae) and Cucumis metuliferus (Cucurbitaceae) ripe fruits were assessed for in vitro antioxidant activity. Free radical scavenging activity was measured spectrophotometrically as maximum fading power of DPPH at 525 nm. Water and methanol extracts of Ozoroa paniculosa exhibited higher scavenging potency than extracts of either Colophospermum mopane or Cucumis metuliferus at all tested concentrations. None of the extracts from Cucumis metuliferus exhibited any recognizable free radical scavenging activity. Above 50 microg mL(-1) both water and methanol extracts of Ozoroa paniculosa exhibited 91% scavenging activity similar to the control compounds L-ascorbic acid (91%) and (-) epicatechin (92%). Between 50-100 microg mL(-1), water and methanol extracts of Colophospermum mopane exhibited scavenging potency of < or = 70%. However, above 100 microg mL(-1), both water and methanolic extracts of C. mopane exhibited scavenging activity > 70%. Chloroform extracts of all the tested plants showed poor scavenging activity (< 30%). The order of scavenging potency for the tested samples was as follows: L-ascorbic acid > or = epicatechin > O. paniculosa (methanolic extract) > O. paniculosa (water extract) > O. paniculosa (ethylacetate extract) > C. mopane (methanolic extract) > C. mopane (water extract) > all extracts of C. metuliferus. These findings lend credence to the use of these plants as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents in folk medicine.     

Characterization and propagation of some medicinal plants in the central-south region of Chile

The increase of land use for crop cultivation and forest in South Central Chile, and the increasing wildcrafting of medicinal plants has resulted in a significant reduction of the plant population density of many native and endemic medicinal plants. Their cultivation and domestication is very limited, and there are no regulations or legislation for wildcrafting in Chile. The objectives of this study were to collect genetic material from five native medicinal plants (Adesmia emarginata, Buddleja globosa, Fabiana imbricata, Linum chamissonis, and Sophora macrocarpa), characterize the environmental conditions in which these grow in the Bio-Bio Region, Chile, and to determine the content of specific bioactive molecules. A maximum of 10 accessions of each species were collected in 2003, 2004, and 2005 in a longitudinal and transversal transect of the Bio-Bio Region (36°00′-38°30′S; 71°W). Data of altitude, light conditions, soil chemical and physical characteristics and associated flora of the site collection were recorded. Seed germination requirements and the content of specific bioactive molecules (flavonoids or rutin) were also determined. In general, all these species are adapted to grow in poor soils with different pH values, P and K levels, low organic matter and N content. Flavonoids were determined in both A. emarginata (0.6-1%) and B. globosa (9.7-13.9%) leaves, while rutin concentration was determined in F. imbricata leaves and stems (1.3-5.3%). Results showed great variations for the content of active principles with medicinal activity, which indicates a corresponding variation in the quality of raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry. Due to the fact that information on the domestication, propagation, cultivation and agronomic practices can ensure good pharmaceutical quality, this study provides a basis for further research on Chilean medicinal plants.     

Evaluation of enzymes inhibition activities of medicinal plant from Burkina Faso

The aim of the present study was to evaluate some enzymes inhibitory effects of 11 plant species belonging to 9 families from Burkina Faso. Methanolic extracts were used for their Glutathione-s-transferase (GST), Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), Carboxylesterase (CES) and Xanthine Oxidase (XO) inhibitory activities at final concentration of 100 microg mL(-1). The total phenolics, flavonoids and tannins were also determined spectrophotometrically using Folin-Ciocalteu, AlCl3 and ammonium citrate iron reagents, respectively. Among the 11 species tested, the best inhibitory percentages were found with Euphorbia hirta, Sclerocarya birrea and Scoparia dulcis (inhibition > 40%) followed by Annona senegalensis, Annona squamosa, Polygala arenaria and Ceratotheca sesamoides (inhibition > 25%). The best total phenolic and tannin contents were found with S. birrea with 56.10 mg GAE/100 mg extract and 47.75 mg TAE/100 mg extract, respectively. E hirta presented the higher total flavonoids (9.96 mg QE/100 mg extract). It's was found that Sclerocarya birrea has inhibited all enzymes at more than 30% and this activity is correlated to total tannins contents. Contrary to S. birrea, the enzymatic activities of E. hirta and S. dulcis are correlated to total flavonoids contents. Present findings suggest that the methanolic extracts of those plant species are potential inhibitors of GST, AChE, CES and XO and confirm their traditional uses in the treatment of mental disorders, gout, painful inflammations and cardiovascular diseases.     

The potential of using insecticidal properties of medicinal plants against insect pests

In this study, botanicals extracted from two the species of family Scrophulariaceae, Verbascum cheiranthifolium Boiss and Verbascum speciosum Schard, were examined for their effect on mortality and progeny production against adults of Sitophilus oryzae (L.). The plant extracts were applied at five dose rates, which 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3% (w/v). Adults of S. oryzae was exposed to the treated wheat at 25 degrees C and 65% RH and mortality was assessed after 24 h, 48 h, 7 day, 14 day and 21 day of exposure. Then all adults were removed and the treated substrate remained at the same conditions for an additional 45 day after this interval, the commodity was checked for progeny production. In use two extracts the mortality of adults increased with the increase of dose and exposure interval so that; mortality was 100% after 21 days of exposure at the highest dose rate. Results indicated that applied of V. cheiranthifolium extract was more effective than V. speciosum against adult insects. Interestingly, in two cases complete suppression (100% reduction) of the progeny production (F1) was observed in the treated wheat than in control even in the lowest dose rate. Therefore, our results indicate that these medicinal plants can be used for protection of stored grain from infestations of stored-product insect pests.     

Biological activities of extracts of plants grown in Portugal

The antioxidant properties of herbs and spices are important in the prevention of several diseases. Extracts from Foeniculum vulgare (Apiaceae), Dittrichia viscosa (Asteraceae), Origanum vulgare, Salvia officinalis, Thymbra capitata, Thymus camphoratus, Thymus carnosus and Thymus mastichina (Lamiaceae) were investigated for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Some extracts were studied for the first time. Deodorized-, organic- and water-solvent extracts of dried and ground plant material were prepared using solvents of different polarity. The antioxidant activity was assessed by the diphenylpycrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical method and scavenging of the superoxide anion radicals through an enzymatic hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase system. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase. Total phenolic content was quantified by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. S. officinalis extracts were the best in scavenging DPPH radicals and superoxide anion radicals. O. vulgare and T. mastichina extracts were also effective as DPPH and superoxide scavengers, respectively. Deodorized chloroformic extracts from T. mastichina, T. camphoratus, T. carnosus, O. vulgare, F. vulgare and S. officinalis exhibited high ability for inhibiting lipoxygenase. Only in very few cases, a weak-moderate positive correlation was detected between the total phenol content and antioxidant activity. For 5-lipoxygenase inhibition, a negative correlation was detected in the majority of the extracts.     

Antioxidant activity of some Jordanian medicinal plants used traditionally for treatment of diabetes

Medicinal plants are being used extensively in Jordanian traditional medicinal system for the treatment of diabetes symptoms. Twenty one plant samples were collected from different Jordanian locations and used for antioxidant evaluation. The level of antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH and ABTS assays in relation to the total phenolic contents of the medically used parts. The most frequently used plant parts as medicines were fruit, shoot and leaves. The total phenolic contents of methanol and aqueous extracts, from plants parts, ranged from 6.6 to 103.0 and 3.0 to 98.6 GAE mg g(-1) of plant part dry weight, respectively. DPPH-TEAC of the methanol extracts of plants parts were varied from 4.1 to 365.0 mg g(-1) of plant dry weight versus 0.6 to 267.0 mg g(-1) in aqueous extracts. Moreover, the mean values of ABTS*- (IC50) varied from 6.9 to 400.0 microg dry weight mL(-1) ABTS in methanol extracts versus 9.8 to 580.5 microg mL(-1) in aqueous extracts. According to their antioxidant capacity, the plants were divided into three categories: high (DPPH-TEAC > or = 80 mg g(-1) ), (i.e., Punica granatum peel, Quercus calliprinos leave, Quercus calliprinos fruit, Cinchona ledgeriana and Juniperus communis leave), moderate (DPPH-TEAC range 20-80 mg g(-1)) (i.e., Salvia fruticosa shoot, Crataegus azarolus stem, Crataegus azarolus leave, Varthemia iphionoides shoot, Artemisia herba-alba shoot, Thymus capitatus shoot, Morus nigra leaves and Arum palaestinum leaves) and low antioxidant plants (DPPH-TEAC < 20 mg g(-1)), (i.e., Matricaria aurea shoot, Artemisia judaica shoot, Teucrium polium shoot, Pinus halepenss pollen grains, Sarcopoterium spinosum root, Crataegus azarolus fruit, Inula viscose shoot and Achillea fragrantissima shoot). The antioxidant activity of these plant's extracts and their potential rule in radical scavenging agreed with their potential use by Jordanian population as a traditional anti-diabetic agents.     

内生真菌对药用植物活性成分影响研究进展

内生真菌的代谢产物种类丰富、结构新颖,是提取药用植物活性成分的理想资源。近几年关于内生真菌对药用植物的生长发育,环境胁迫抗性和参与药用植物次级代谢产物合成的研究报道逐渐增加。本文将从内生真菌对药用植物活性成分的角度对内生真菌对药用植物有效活性成分含量、活性、毒性,降解作用以及参与药用植物次级代谢产物合成的机理进行研究探讨,并对今后的发展前景进行展望。     

Phytochemical Composition,Antiglycation, Antioxidant Activity and Methylglyoxal-Trapping Action of Brassica Vegetables

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Brassica vegetables are common in cuisines worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the antiglycation, methylglyoxal (MG)-trapping action and...     

Evaluation of antioxidant activities of the edible and medicinal Suaeda species and related phenolic compounds

Antioxidants are the chemical substances that reduce or prevent oxidation. The present study aimed to assess in vitro and ex vivo antioxidant activities of four acetonic extracts Tunisian halophytes (Suaeda fruticosa, Suaeda pruinosa, Suaeda mollis and Suaeda maritima). Various experimental models were used for characterization of antioxidant activities of shoot extracts. Eventually, the promising specie was subjected to phenolic identification using RP-HPLC. The analyzed shoot extracts exhibited that antioxidant activities varied considerably as function of species. The highest DPPH scavenging ability was found in S. mollis with the lowest IC₅₀ value (2.5 μg/ml), followed by S. pruinosa, S. fruticosa and S. maritima. The same tendency was observed with ferric reducing power. Concerning β-carotene bleaching assays and total antioxidant activity, results showed that S. fruticosa exhibited the highest antioxidant ability against the inhibition of β-carotene bleaching, and a better total antioxidant capacity. Moreover antioxidant capacities using ORAC method and a cell based-assay showed that S. mollis, S. fruticosa, and S. pruinosa exhibit statistically similar antioxidant activity. The identification of phenolic compounds in S. mollis extract using RP-HPLC revealed that 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid and rutin hydrate were the major molecules. These results suggested that Suaeda species showed a variability of their antioxidant activities.     

44种花卉抗氧化活性研究

以44种花卉为材料,比较其水提液DPPH·、O2·-、·OH的清除能力和还原力,并测定多酚和黄酮含量,研究自由基清除能力、还原力和多酚、黄酮含量之间的关系。结果表明：龙眼(Dimocarpus longgana)、荔枝(Litchi chinensis)、玫瑰(R. rugosa)、月季(R. chinensis)和桂花(O. fragrans)等花卉品种都表现出较好的自由基清除能力和还原力,较高的多酚含量和黄酮含量。3种自由基清除能力、还原力和多酚含量都存在显著(p＜0.05)或极显著(p＜0.01)相关性。除·OH清除率外,另外2种自由基清除能力、还原力和黄酮含量也存在显著(p＜0.05)相关性。因此,花卉的抗氧化活性和还原力与多酚含量呈正相关。     

Chemical composition of two semi-aquatic plants for food use

The seasonal variation in the nutrient composition ofEnhydra fluctuans andMarsilea quadrifolia, two edible semi-aquatic plants, was studied in order to promote their consumption as green leafy vegetables. Both plants had a high crude protein content throughout all harvesting seasons.Enhydra fluctuans had a low ash content and was a good source of -carotene (3.7 to 4.2 mg/100 g on a fresh weight basis).Marsilea quadrifolia exhibited wide fluctuations between seasons and was not very promising in nutrient composition when compared to other commonly used green leafy vegetables.     

Diversity and antibacterial activities of fungi derived from the Gorgonian Echinogorgia rebekka from the South China Sea

The diversity of symbiotic fungi associated with the gorgonian coral Echinogorgia rebekka from the Weizhou coral reef in the South China Sea was investigated. Combined with morphologic traits, ITS-rDNA sequences revealed 18 fungal strains from this gorgonian. All of the 18 fungi belonged to the phylum Ascomycota and were distributed among seven genera in five orders: Eurotiales (Aspergillus and Penicillium), Pleosporales (Alternaria), Capnodiales (Cladosporium), Trichosphaeriales (Nigrospora) and Hypocreales (Hypocrea and Nectria). Antibacterial activities of these fungal strains were investigated with five pathogenic bacteria. All of the 18 fungal strains displayed different levels of antibacterial activities, most of which exhibited moderate to high antibacterial activities to the Gram-positive pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus tetragenus, and showed relatively low bioactivities to other three pathogenic bacteria. Several fungal strains in the genera Penicillium and Cladosporium with strong antibacterial activities provide potential for further research on isolation of bioactive secondary metabolites.     

长白山珍稀药材山兰的体外抗氧化活性研究

探索山兰丙酮层、正丁醇层、甲醇层提取物的体外抗氧化活性,为珍稀药材山兰的开发利用提供理论依据。以山兰为原料,用95%乙醇提取,依次用丙酮、正丁醇和甲醇萃取,测定其体外抗氧化活性(总抗氧化能力、DPPH清除率、ABTS清除率和铁离子还原能力)。结果表明,山兰正丁醇层提取物的抗氧化活性优于丙酮层和甲醇层提取物的抗氧化活性,接近于Vc的表现,值得深入开发。     

Identification and antimicrobial activity of two alkaloids from traditional Chinese medicinal plant Tinospora capillipes

Two antimicrobial alkaloids, palmatine and jatrorrhizine, were isolated from tubers of traditional Chinese medicinal plant Tinospora capillipes using activity-guided isolation method and chromatography. Their antimicrobial activity was determined in vitro. The results showed that palmatine and jatrorrhizine had inhibitory activity against plant pathogens Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum, Mycosphaerella sentina, Pestalotia mangiferae, Cercospora kaki, Gymnosporangium haraeanum, Rhizoctonia solani and Colletotrichum graminicola, with the EC₅₀ values of 0.0348-0.8356 g L⁻¹ and 0.0240-0.8649 g L⁻¹, respectively. Palmatine and jatrorrhizine also exhibited inhibition against animal pathogens Bacillus cereus, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus subtilis, Staphyloccocus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidi, Micrococcus lysodeikticus, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli, with the MIC values of 0.1-0.8 g L⁻¹ and 0.1-0.6 g L⁻¹, respectively. These results suggested that palmatine and jatrorrhizine showed relatively broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against plant and animal pathogens.