Cucurbitacins - An insight into medicinal leads from nature.
Authors: Kaushik U, Aeri V, Mir SR
Abstract
Cucurbitacins which are structurally diverse triterpenes found in the members of Cucurbitaceae and several other plant families possess immense pharmacological potential. This diverse group of compounds may prove to be important lead molecules for future research. Research focused on these unattended medicinal leads from the nature can prove to be of immense significance in generating scientifically validated data with regard to their efficacy and possible role in various diseases. This review is aimed to provide an insight into the chemical nature and medicinal ...
Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews - May 28, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Pharmacogn Rev Source Type: research
Occurrence of taraxerol and taraxasterol in medicinal plants.
Authors: Sharma K, Zafar R
Abstract
Indian soil germinates thousands of medicinal drugs that are cultivated with a purpose to obtain a novel drug. As it is a well-established fact that the structural analogs with greater pharmacological activity and fewer side-effects may be generated by the molecular modification of the functional groups of such lead compounds. This review throws light on two natural triterpenes - Taraxerol and Taraxasterol which have many important pharmacological actions including anti-cancer activity, their chemistry, biosynthesis aspects, and possible use of these compounds as drugs i...
Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews - May 28, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Pharmacogn Rev Source Type: research
Biosynthesis and regulation of terpenoid indole alkaloids in Catharanthus roseus.
Authors: Zhu J, Wang M, Wen W, Yu R
Abstract
Catharanthus roseus produces a wide range of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIA). Many of them, such as vinblastine and vincristine, have significant bioactivity. They are valuable chemotherapy drugs used in combination with other drugs to treat lymphoma and leukemia. The TIA biosynthetic pathway has been investigated for many years, for scientific interest and for their potential in manufacturing applications, to fulfill the market demand. In this review, the progress and perspective of C. roseus TIA biosynthesis and its regulating enzymes are described. In additi...
Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews - May 28, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Pharmacogn Rev Source Type: research
Antibiotics and bioactive natural products in treatment of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus: A brief review.
The objective of this review is to provide a brief overview of antibiotics as well as anti-MRSA natural products and their future prospect.
PMID: 26009690 [PubMed] (Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews)
Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews - May 28, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Pharmacogn Rev Source Type: research
Hepcidin - A novel biomarker with changing trends.
Authors: Kali A, Charles MV, Seetharam RS
Abstract
Hepcidin is a novel peptide hormone of hepatic origin. It has a crucial role in iron metabolism. The causative association of this peptide in anemia and iron overloading states has been well established. Current research has expanded the diagnostic implications of hepcidin in other medical conditions. Increased serum hepcidin has been reported in neoplastic diseases, inflammation, and sepsis. However, the clinical use of hepcidin as a biomarker is limited owing to nonavailability of an appropriate diagnostic test. Assays for serum and urine hepcidin estima...
Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews - May 28, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Pharmacogn Rev Source Type: research
Azadirachta indica: A herbal panacea in dentistry - An update.
The objective of this article is to focus on the various aspects of Azadirachta indica in dentistry in order to provide a tool for future research.
PMID: 26009692 [PubMed] (Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews)
Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews - May 28, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Pharmacogn Rev Source Type: research
Phytochemical profile of sugarcane and its potential health aspects.
Authors: Singh A, Lal UR, Mukhtar HM, Singh PS, Shah G, Dhawan RK
Abstract
Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum Linn.) is an important perennial grass of Poaceae family, indigenous to tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is cultivated worldwide due to the economical and medicinal value of its high yielding products. Sugarcane juice is well known as a raw material for the production of refined sugar and its wax is considered as a potential substitute for the expensive carnauba wax, which is of cosmetic and pharmaceutical interest. Refined sugar is the primary product of sugarcane juice, but during its pro...
Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews - May 28, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Pharmacogn Rev Source Type: research
Alpinia calcarata Roscoe: A potential phytopharmacological source of natural medicine.
This article provides a comprehensive review of its ethnomedical uses, chemical constituents and the pharmacological profile as a medicinal plant. Particular attention has been given to the pharmacological effects of the essential oil of Alpinia calcarata in this review so that the potential use of this plant either in pharmaceutics or as an agricultural resource can be evaluated.
PMID: 26009694 [PubMed] (Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews)
Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews - May 28, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Pharmacogn Rev Source Type: research
Echinacea purpurea: Pharmacology, phytochemistry and analysis methods.
Authors: Manayi A, Vazirian M, Saeidnia S
Abstract
Echinacea purpurea (Asteraceae) is a perennial medicinal herb with important immunostimulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, especially the alleviation of cold symptoms. The plant also attracted scientists' attention to assess other aspects of its beneficial effects. For instance, antianxiety, antidepression, cytotoxicity, and antimutagenicity as induced by the plant have been revealed in various studies. The findings of the clinical trials are controversial in terms of side effects. While some studies revealed the beneficial effects of the plant on th...
Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews - May 28, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Pharmacogn Rev Source Type: research
Phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and clinical trial of Ficus racemosa.
Authors: Yadav RK, Nandy BC, Maity S, Sarkar S, Saha S
Abstract
Ficus racemosa is an important medicinal plant, found in India, Australia, and Southeast Asia. It is popularly known as 'gular.' It reduces blood glucose concentration due to the presence of β-sitosterol. Many active constituents that have been isolated from various parts of this plant possess useful pharmacological activities. The literature survey proposed that it has multiple pharmacological actions that include antidiabetic, antioxidant, antidiarrhoeal, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antifungal, antibacterial, hypolipidemic, antifilarial...
Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews - May 28, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Pharmacogn Rev Source Type: research
Pharmaceutical scope of a phytochemically unexplored medicinal plant, Sarcochlamys pulcherrima (Roxb.) Gaud.: A review.
Authors: Mazumder AH, Das J, Gogoi HK, Paul SB
Abstract
Sarcochlamys pulcherrima (Roxb.) Gaud. is widely used as traditional medicine and food by different tribes and communities of Assam in India and in neighboring countries. Recent studies conducted in our laboratory showed the broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of its crude extract and different solvent fractions and detected the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, saponin, and acidic compounds. This review gives a bird's eye view of the traditional uses of S. pulcherrima as food and medicine based on the information gathered by pers...
Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews - May 28, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Pharmacogn Rev Source Type: research
Misleading "non-rasayanas".
Authors: Kukkupuni SK, Narayanan VS
PMID: 26009698 [PubMed] (Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews)
Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews - May 28, 2015 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Pharmacogn Rev Source Type: research
A potential of some medicinal plants as an antiulcer agents.
This article reviews the antiacid/anti-peptic, gastroprotective and/or antiulcer properties of the most commonly employed herbal medicines and their identified active constituents. The experimental parameters used for antiulcer activity were cold restraint stress-induced ulcer model, Diclofenac-induced ulcer model in rats, (HCl-ethanol)-induced ulcer in mice and water immersion stress-induced ulcer in rats. The ideal aims of treatment of peptic ulcer disease are to relieve pain, heal the ulcer and delay ulcer recurrence. About 70% of patients with peptic ulcer disease are infected by Helicobacter pylori and eradication of ...
Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews - November 25, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Pharmacogn Rev Source Type: research
Erythrina variegata Linn: A review on morphology, phytochemistry, and pharmacological aspects.
Authors: Kumar A, Lingadurai S, Jain A, Barman NR
Abstract
This review gives an account of the current knowledge on the morphology, phytochemistry, and pharmacological aspects of Erythrina variegata. E. variegata also called Erythrina indica is a thorny deciduous tree growing to 60 feet tall. A wide range of chemical compounds have been isolated, mainly alkaloids, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and lectin. Different parts of the plant have been used in traditional medicine as nervine sedative, collyrium in opthalmia, antiasthmatic, antiepileptic, antiseptic, and as an astringent. The alkaloids extracted from t...
Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews - November 25, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Pharmacogn Rev Source Type: research
Pistia stratiotes (Jalkumbhi).
Authors: Tripathi P, Kumar R, Sharma AK, Mishra A, Gupta R
Abstract
Pistia stratiotes (Family: Araceae) is commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine. This review article is a compilation of all the updated information on its phytochemical and pharmacological activities, which were performed by different methods. Studies indicate that P. stratiotes possesses diuretic, antidiabetic, antidermatophytic, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties. These results are very encouraging and indicate that this plant should be studied more extensively to confirm the reproducibility of these results and also to reveal other po...
Source: Pharmacognosy Reviews - November 25, 2014 Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Tags: Pharmacogn Rev Source Type: research
