Advances in Traditional Medicine最新文献

Maclura tinctoria (Moraceae), commonly known as dinde, is a lactescent tree of significant economic importance with extensive ethnomedicinal and ethnobotanical applications. Among native populations in the Neotropics, dinde is used to address diverse forms of inflammatory arthritis, along with ailments stemming from viral, bacterial, or fungal origins. Its efficacy stands out notably in the treatment of conditions affecting the buccal cavity, respiratory tract, and venereal infections. These medicinal attributes have spurred investigations into their potential for developing nutraceuticals and pharmacological agents. Also, dinde has a commercial appeal intertwined with the remarkable qualities of its wood, which include the resistance to moisture and termites. This review consolidates information encompassing peer-reviewed articles from major scientific databases such as Science Direct, Scopus, Springer, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The review spans fifty-four phytocompounds, characterized by remarkable structural complexity and identified from the year 2000 onward. These compounds are categorized into flavones, isoflavones, flavonols, flavanols, flavanones, chalcones, and xanthones, where a significant portion exhibiting glycosylation or prenylation. Additionally, phenolic acids and condensed tannins contribute to the chemical diversity of this species. This comprehensive review offers updated insights into the potential bioactivity of chemical constituents identified in this plant, elucidating findings derived from different studies employing both in vitro and in vivo assays.

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Eucalyptus camaldulensis is a medicinal plant used as insect repellant and antimalarial agent in ethnomedicine. This study examined the antiplasmodial and larvicidal potential of E. camaldulensis leaf extract and also identified the plant extract's most active fraction(s). The acute oral toxicity test of the methanol extract was evaluated using Lorke’s method. The larvicidal assay was performed on the extract and partitioned fractions according to the 2005 World Health Organization guidelines, while the 4-day chemosuppressive and curative antimalarial assays were carried out against Plasmodium bergei bergei. Endosulphan and chloroquine (10 mg/kg) was used as the positive controls for the larvicidal and antiplasmodial assays, respectively, while tween 80 in normal saline (1%) was the negative control. The methanol leaf extract of EC showed good larvicidal activity across all tested concentrations (LC₅₀ 3.79 ± 0.64 mg/mL), while the aqueous fraction with LC₅₀ of 2.80 ± 0.14 mg/mL was the most active. Its acute toxicity test showed it was safe up to 5000 mg/kg. The extract significantly increased dose-dependent antiplasmodial activity for the chemosuppressive and curative models (p < 0.05) than the negative control. At 800 mg/kg, EC gave chemosuppressive (53.69 ± 1.62%) and curative (81.26 ± 1.87%) activities, which was significantly lower than that of 10 mg/kg chloroquine (82.00 ± 0.57% and 92.51 ± 0.22% respectively). The aqueous partitioned fraction gave the highest chemosuppression (73.84 ± 2.73%) at 80 mg/kg, which was comparable to the positive control. The methanol extract of E. camaldulensis leaf is a promising larvicidal and antimalarial agent that could proffer a solution to vector control and the prevalence of malaria.

Chronic non-communicable diseases are the primary cause of death globally, with infectious diseases following closely behind. Therefore, efforts are being made worldwide to combat and manage these diseases through the discovery of new treatments, including the exploration of natural products. Cecropia obtusifolia has gained attention due to its pharmacological properties, including hypotensive, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and antimalarial effects. These properties have been attributed to the secondary metabolites present, such as chlorogenic acid, isoorientin, and flavonolignans. The plant has demonstrated the ability to lower blood glucose and lipids, reduce blood pressure, and exhibit antiplasmodial activity. Therefore, this report comprehensively reviews the pharmacological effects and potential applications in treating various illnesses. It aims to serve as a reference for further research and the use of this compound as a therapeutic agent.

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The antimicrobial properties of the Melaleuca cajuputi plant have been documented. However, the underlying antimicrobial mechanisms remain relatively unexplored. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the antibacterial effects of M. cajuputi leaf extract against selected bacterial strains and unveil the potential antibacterial mechanisms of the most potent sub-fraction through time-kill assay, cell morphology studies, and molecular docking analysis. The fractions and sub-fractions were obtained from the methanolic extract of M. cajuputi leaf by bioassay-guided fractionation. The antibacterial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli using broth microdilution assay. The most potent sub-fraction, Melaleuca fraction 2d (MF2d), demonstrated remarkable antibacterial activity with MIC values ranging from 0.063 to 0.25 mg/mL and induced significant cellular damage against the tested bacteria. The chemical characterization of the most potent sub-fraction (MF2d) from methanolic extract of M. cajuputi leaf identified five (5) compounds with 2-isopropyl-10-methyl phenanthrene (83.09%) as the major component. In-silico molecular docking analysis revealed that all the docked ligands showed strong binding propensity towards target bacterial proteins, including DNA gyrase (PDB ID: 1ZI0), dihydropteroate synthase (PDB ID: 1AD1), and D-alanyl transferase (PDB ID: 6O93) with the binding energy ranging from − 6.0 to − 8.4 kcal/mol. The overall findings demonstrated the potential of the M. cajuputi plant as a valuable source of novel antibacterial agents.

In addition to stimulating specific acupoints, acupuncture uses manipulations with varying effects. For Dazhui acupoint, tonifying acupuncture clears heat, while dispersing acupuncture dissipates it. This study aims to compare changes in facial skin temperature caused by these techniques in healthy volunteers. The single-blinded, randomized controlled trial involved 57 healthy volunteers aged 18–30, undergoing three sessions of acupuncture with a one-week interval. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups with different acupuncture sequences: sham-tonifying-dispersing, tonifying-dispersing-sham, and dispersing-sham-tonifying. Acupuncture sessions lasted 30 min, and facial skin temperatures were measured at five time points using a FLIR C5 thermal camera. We recorded that tonifying acupuncture at the Dazhui acupoint led to a significant increase from 34.30 °C (33.65–35.20 °C) to 35.40 °C (34.85–35.85 °C) in facial skin temperature while dispersing acupuncture led to a significant decrease from 34.90 °C (33.95–35.65 °C) to 34.00 °C (33.00–34.75 °C). Compared to the sham group, both tonifying and dispersing acupuncture showed significant differences in skin temperature. The variation in skin temperature between tonifying and dispersing acupuncture was also statistically significant. These results show that acupuncture at the Dazhui acupoint can influence facial skin temperature, establishing a relationship between this acupoint and facial physiology. Moreover, the contrasting skin temperature responses to tonifying and dispersing acupuncture techniques at Dazhui validate their distinct physiological effects.

Searching for cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitory small molecules will open a new horizon to design eco-friendly antiinsectants and anti-Alzheimer’s disease agents since we encounter to drug resistance against available drugs/toxins. Here, the ChE inhibitory activity of methyl alcohol extracts of Ricinus communis L. (RC) has been investigated in vitro and its mechanism was mined computationally. The beans of RC showed anti-ChE properties for acetyl-ChE (AChE) of 65.33% and for butyryl-ChE (BChE) of 49.00%. The methyl alcohol extract of RC leaves showed lesser inhibitory effects of 27.67% for AChE than 5.67% for BChE. In silico findings showed that among phytochemicals found in RC, stigmasterol oleate, fucosterol, trachylobane, lupeol, casbene, and alpha-amyrin have a trustful binding affinity (BA) of − 12.2, − 11.9, − 10.6, − 10.4, − 10.2, and − 9.9 kcal/mol with AChE, respectively, while beta-tocopherol, beyerene and kaurene have same negative BA − 9.8 kcal/mol. Alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol showed identical BA of − 9.6 kcal/mol. In this regard, delta-tocopherol and beta-amyrin showed BA of − 9.5 (kcal/mol), therefore all phytochemicals may be considered putative binders of AChE. In this line, alpha- and beta-amyrin, lupeol, stigmasterol oleate, fucosterol, casbene, beyerene, and catechin found in RC showed greater BA of − 11.3, − 11, − 10.7, − 9.6, − 9.6, − 9.5, − 9.3, and − 9 kcal/mol while alpha-tocopherol, kaurene, and trachylobane have identical BA at − 8.8 kcal/mol, therefore, they may inhibit BChE. In sum, RC can be considered as a natural factory of anti-ChE lead-like molecules that was gifted by Mesopotamian medicine and Kurdish ethnomedicine to the modern biopharmaceuticals.

This study aims to explore previously overlooked facets of the commercialization and utilization of medicinal plants and their derivatives in the "Botica Real" (Royal Apothecary) from 1806 to 1818. Using primary sources from the National Library of Brazil, the National Archives, the Brazilian Historical and Geographic Institute, and online newspaper libraries, a thorough document analysis was conducted. Key documents include the "Regimento dos preços dos medicamentos símplices, preparados e compostos", lists of shipments from the “Botica Real” in Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro (Brazilian states), "Post-mortem Inventories" of merchants, and the "Pharmacopoeia Geral para o Reino e Domínios de Portugal". The examination of these documents unveiled terms related to medicinal species, their scientific names, parts used, and application methods. These terms were categorized by their origin (animal, vegetable, or mineral), with a particular focus on plant species, where botanical nomenclature was updated. The research highlighted an evolution in the number of terms associated with medicinal plants, increasing from 219 in 1806 to 303 in 1818, with a total of 156 identified species across 58 botanical families. Notably, Lamiaceae had 15 species, followed by Asteraceae (14) and Fabaceae (12). Exotic species constituted 85%, while naturalized and native Brazilian species comprised 9% and 5%, respectively. The study documented various pharmaceutical preparations, predominantly in solid, liquid, and semi-solid forms, with spirits, elixirs, and solutions being the most common, along with tinctures, fluid extracts, and compounded powders. This historical survey not only sheds light on past pharmaceutical practices with medicinal plants but also offers valuable insights for contemporary phytotherapy.

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The effects of selective inhibitors of phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4), rolipram on gastric and brain ischemia/reperfusion injuries were investigated. However, the effects of rolipram on myocardial ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) are not fully understood. Here, it was investigated whether rolipram has protective effects on in vitro and in vivo myocardial I/R. Treatment with rolipram on H9c2 cells significantly inhibited cell death during I/R in a concentration-dependent manner. Rolipram also exerted a profound protective effect on apoptosis by decreasing the apoptosis-induced protein Bax and increasing the inhibitory protein Bcl-2 during I/R. Furthermore, rolipram suppressed the caspase-3 activity in cardiomyocytes exposed to I/R. To further investigate the role of rolipram on in vivo myocardial I/R, in vivo myocardial I/R model was established by ligating left anterior descending artery (LAD) for 1 h followed by 1 h of reperfusion. Compared to ischemic control group, administration of rolipram reduced infarct size and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level against myocardial I/R injury model. These findings indicate that rolipram has protective effect against I/R injury in cardiomyocytes. This beneficial effect is partly dependent on decreased Bax, caspase-3 as well as increased Bcl-2.

Curcumin is a well-known natural compound for therapeutic applications. Despite being a promising candidate, its poor water solubility, physicochemical instability, rapid degradation, poor bioactive absorption, low pharmacokinetics, low penetration and targeting efficacy, alkaline sensitivity, heat and light sensitivity limits its usage. Continuous efforts are being carried out to improve the properties of native curcumin into nanocurcumin preparation with change in structural organisation with improved properties. Several nanoformulations such as nanotube, nanopolymer, nanogel, micelle, liposome, dendrimer, quantum dot based nanocurcumin has been constructed and their potential applications explored. This has led to opening of new avenue in therapeutics domain for combating various diseases such as anti-microbial, anti-cancer, anti-diabetes, neuroprotective effect, immunomodulatory effect etc. Further, nanoform of curcumin is highlighted in reference to reversal of drug resistance and drug sensitivity enhancement. Apart from these, the review also summarizes about some clinical trials conducted using nanocurcumin in various disease domain.

During the postpartum period, anxiety emerges as a significant health concern for women, particularly among mothers whose infants are born prematurely. According to Persian Medicine, also known as Traditional Iranian Medicine (PM), anxiety disorders are caused by an imbalance in the brain’s temperament. Recent studies have found a strong connection between one's temperament and overall happiness. Our research aims to explore the link between brain temperament and anxiety levels in mothers of premature infants receiving care in NICUs, drawing upon the principles of PM. In this particular study, 105 mothers with premature infants admitted to NICUs were enrolled based on meeting specific inclusion criteria. The assessment utilized both the “State-Trait Anxiety Inventory” and the “Brain Mizaj Temperament Questionnaire.” The results showed that there was a significant difference in the mean scores of state (overt) anxiety (P = 0.009) and trait (hidden) anxiety (P = 0.006) based on the mothers’ brain temperament, and mothers with a hotter brain temperament had higher levels of overt and hidden anxiety. Consequently, the study’s outcomes suggest a correlation between brain temperament and anxiety levels among mothers with preterm infants hospitalized in NICUs.