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The Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Use of Natural Products

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 45183

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Dr. Sibao Chen

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Department of Food Science and Nutrition (FSN), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China
Interests: functional food; natural compound; food bioactive compound; traditional Chinese medicine; quality control; anticancer; drug development
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is being published to present innovative studies and reviews on biological and pharmacological activities and mechanisms of action, as well as therapeutic uses of specified plant extracts, phytopharmaceuticals, and their isolated constituents. This includes pharmacological studies and therapeutic uses of specified herbal medicinal products, herbal preparations, and purified compounds which have a defined and consistent quality ensuring reproducible pharmacological activity.

The Issue covers the effects and mechanisms of natural products related with stress-associated disorders, age-associated disorders, neuropharmacology, endocrine pharmacology, metabolic syndrome and obesity, cancer, immunopharmacology, inflammation, infectious diseases, as well as pulmonary, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and urogenital diseases.

Prof. Sibao Chen
Guest Editor

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Keywords

natural products
phytopharmaceuticals
herbal medicinal products
pharmacological activities and mechanisms of action
therapeutic use

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 7852 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Discovery of Hepatotoxic Equivalent Markers and Mechanism of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. by Metabolomics Coupled with Molecular Docking

by Yinhuan Zhang, Lirong Liu, Menghan Feng, Hao Wu, Yihang Dai, Zhixin Jia, Cong Fang, Mingyan Liu, Xiaoning Yan, Meixia Zhu, Beibei Huang, Biqiong Qu and Hongbin Xiao

Molecules 2023, 28(1), 25; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules28010025 - 21 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1326

Abstract

Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (PMT), a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine for treating diseases such as poisoning and white hair, has attracted constant attention due to the frequent occurrence of liver injury incidents. To date, its hepatotoxic equivalent markers (HEMs) and potential hepatotoxic mechanisms are still unclear. In order to clarify the HEMs of PMT and further explore the potential mechanisms of hepatotoxicity, firstly, the chemical constituents in PMT extract were globally characterized, and the fingerprints of PMT extracts were established along with the detection of their hepatotoxicity in vivo. Then, the correlations between hepatotoxic features and component contents were modeled by chemometrics to screen HEMs of PMT, which were then further evaluated. Finally, the hepatotoxic mechanisms of PMT were investigated using liver metabolomics and molecular docking. The results show that the chemical combination of 2,3,5,4-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside (TSG) and emodin-8-O-glucoside (EG) was discovered as the HEMs of PMT through pre-screening and verifying process. Liver metabolomics revealed that PMT caused liver injury by interfering with purine metabolism, which might be related to mitochondrial function disorder and oxidative injury via the up-regulations of xanthosine and xanthine, and the down-regulation of 5′ nucleotidase (NT5E) and adenylate kinase 2 (AK2). This study not only found that the HEMs of PMT were TSG and EG, but also clarified that PMT might affect purine metabolism to induce liver injury, which contributed to our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of PMT hepatotoxicity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Use of Natural Products)

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15 pages, 8115 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genistein Modified with 8-Prenyl Group Suppresses Osteoclast Activity Directly via Its Prototype but Not Metabolite by Gut Microbiota

by Zuo-Cheng Qiu, Feng-Xiang Zhang, Xue-Ling Hu, Yang-Yang Zhang, Zi-Ling Tang, Jie Zhang, Li Yang, Man-Sau Wong, Jia-Xu Chen and Hui-Hui Xiao

Molecules 2022, 27(22), 7811; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27227811 - 13 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1532

Abstract

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a significant threat to human health globally. Genistein, a soy-derived isoflavone, is regarded as a promising anti-osteoporosis drug with the effects of promoting osteoblastogenesis and suppressing osteoclastogenesis. However, its oral bioavailability (6.8%) is limited by water solubility, intestinal permeability, and biotransformation. Fortunately, 8-prenelylated genistein (8PG), a derivative of genistein found in Erythrina Variegate, presented excellent predicted oral bioavailability (51.64%) with an improved osteoblastogenesis effect, although its effects on osteoclastogenesis and intestinal biotransformation were still unclear. In this study, an in vitro microbial transformation platform and UPLC-QTOF/MS analysis method were developed to explore the functional metabolites of 8PG. RANKL-induced RAW264.7 cells were utilized to evaluate the effects of 8PG on osteoclastogenesis. Our results showed that genistein was transformed into dihydrogenistein and 5-hydroxy equol, while 8PG metabolites were undetectable under the same conditions. The 8PG (10⁻⁶ M) was more potent in inhibiting osteoclastogenesis than genistein (10⁻⁵ M) and it down-regulated NFATC1, cSRC, MMP-9 and Cathepsin K. It was concluded that 8-prenyl plays an important role in influencing the osteoclast activity and intestinal biotransformation of 8PG, which provides evidence supporting the further development of 8PG as a good anti-osteoporosis agent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Use of Natural Products)

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11 pages, 1599 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ginger Constituent 6-Shogaol Attenuates Vincristine-Induced Activation of Mouse Gastroesophageal Vagal Afferent C-Fibers

by Mayur J. Patil, Yongming Huang, Mingwei Yu, Xinzhong Dong, Bradley J. Undem and Shaoyong Yu

Molecules 2022, 27(21), 7465; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27217465 - 02 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1395

Abstract

Chemotherapeutic agent-induced nausea and vomiting are the severe adverse effects that are induced by their stimulations on the peripheral and/or central emetic nerve pathways. Even though ginger has been widely used as an herbal medicine to treat emesis, mechanisms underlying its neuronal actions are still less clear. The present study aimed to determine the chemotherapeutic agent vincristine-induced effect on gastroesophageal vagal afferent nerve endings and the potential inhibitory role of ginger constituent 6-shogaol on such response. Two-photon neuron imaging studies were performed in ex vivo gastroesophageal-vagal preparations from Pirt-GCaMP6 transgenic mice. Vincristine was applied to the gastroesophageal vagal afferent nerve endings, and the evoked calcium influxes in their intact nodose ganglion neuron somas were recorded. The responsive nodose neuron population was first characterized, and the inhibitory effects of 5-HT3 antagonist palonosetron, TRPA1 antagonist HC-030031, and ginger constituent 6-shogaol were then determined. Vincristine application at gastroesophageal vagal afferent nerve endings elicited intensive calcium influxes in a sub-population of vagal ganglion neurons. These neurons were characterized by their positive responses to P2X_2/3 receptor agonist α,β-methylene ATP and TRPA1 agonist cinnamaldehyde, suggesting their nociceptive placodal nodose C-fiber neuron lineages. Pretreatment with TRPA1 selective blocker HC-030031 inhibited vincristine-induced calcium influxes in gastroesophageal nodose C-fiber neurons, indicating that TRPA1 played a functional role in mediating vincristine-induced activation response. Such inhibitory effect was comparable to that from 5-HT3 receptor antagonist palonosetron. Alternatively, pretreatment with ginger constituent 6-shogaol significantly attenuated vincristine-induced activation response. The present study provides new evidence that chemotherapeutic agent vincristine directly activates vagal nodose nociceptive C-fiber neurons at their peripheral nerve endings in the upper gastrointestinal tract. This activation response requires both TRPA1 and 5-HT3 receptors and can be attenuated by ginger constituent 6-shogaol. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Use of Natural Products)

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12 pages, 2944 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polygonatum sibiricum Polysaccharides Attenuate Lipopoly-Saccharide-Induced Septic Liver Injury by Suppression of Pyroptosis via NLRP3/GSDMD Signals

by Linxia Xiao, Liang Qi, Guozhe Zhang, Hongxia Liu, Yaqin Gu, Lihu Zhang, Mingguang Zhang and Hongyan Wu

Molecules 2022, 27(18), 5999; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27185999 - 15 Sep 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1994

Abstract

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome with high mortality. Acute liver injury is an independent predictor for poor prognosis in septic patients. Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharides (PSP) have been reported to possess anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activities. To evaluate the effects of PSP on septic liver injury and demonstrate the potential molecular mechanisms, the septic acute liver injury (SALI) model was established in BALB/c mice via intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that PSP treatment could remarkably reduce the 48 h mortality rate of septic mice; alleviate liver histopathologic damage; lower the activity of neutrophil infiltration marker MPO in liver tissue; and decrease the levels of liver function indexes AST, ALT, ALP, and TBIL, inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IL-6, and pyroptosis-related inflammatory cytokines IL-18 and IL-1β in serum. TUNEL staining and detecting GSDMD-NT protein expression level in liver tissue revealed that PSP could restrain excessive pyroptosis. In addition, PSP treatment reversed the upregulations of mRNA expression levels of the NLRP3/GSDMD signals in the liver. Our results indicated the potential protective role of PSP against SALI by inhibiting pyroptosis via NLRP3/GSDMD signals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Use of Natural Products)

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14 pages, 8931 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Neuroprotective Effect of Dioscin against Parkinson’s Disease via Adjusting Dual-Specificity Phosphatase 6 (DUSP6)-Mediated Oxidative Stress

by Zhang Mao, Meng Gao, Xuerong Zhao, Lili Li and Jinyong Peng

Molecules 2022, 27(10), 3151; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27103151 - 14 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2067

Abstract

Exploration of lead compounds against Parkinson’s disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disease, is of great important. Dioscin, a bioactive natural product, shows various pharmacological effects. However, the activities and mechanisms of dioscin against PD have not been well investigated. In this study, the tests on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced PC12 cells and rats were carried out. The results showed that dioscin dramatically improved cell viability, decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, improved motor behavior and tyrosine hydroxylase(TH) levels and restored the levels of glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in rats. Mechanism investigation showed that dioscin not only markedly increased the expression level of dual- specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) by 1.87-fold in cells and 2.56-fold in rats, and decreased phospho-extracellular regulated protein kinases (p-ERK) level by 2.12-fold in cells and 2.34-fold in rats, but also increased the levels of nuclear factor erythroid2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and decreased the levels of kelch-1ike ECH-associated protein l (Keap1) in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, DUSP6 siRNA transfection experiment in PC12 cells validated the protective effects of dioscin against PD via regulating DUSP6 to adjust the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway. Our data supported that dioscin has protection against PD in regulating oxidative stress via DUSP6 signal, which should be considered as an efficient candidate for the treatment of PD in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Use of Natural Products)

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12 pages, 2852 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Angelica gigas NAKAI and Its Active Compound, Decursin, Inhibit Cellular Injury as an Antioxidant by the Regulation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase and YAP Signaling

by Yu-Rim Song, Boyun Jang, Sung-Min Lee, Su-Jin Bae, Seon-Been Bak and Young-Woo Kim

Molecules 2022, 27(6), 1858; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27061858 - 13 Mar 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2313

Abstract

Natural products and medicinal herbs have been used to treat various human diseases by regulating cellular functions and metabolic pathways. Angelica gigas NAKAI (AG) helps regulate pathological processes in some medical fields, including gastroenterology, gynecology, and neuropsychiatry. Although some papers have reported its diverse indications, the effects of AG against arachidonic acid (AA)+ iron and carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) have not been reported. In HepG2 cells, AA+ iron induced cellular apoptosis and mitochondrial damage, as assessed by mitochondrial membrane permeability (MMP) and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. On the other hand, AG markedly inhibited these detrimental phenomena and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production induced by AA+ iron. AG activated the liver kinase B1 (LKB1)-dependent AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which affected oxidative stress in the cells. Moreover, AG also regulated the expression of yes-associated protein (YAP) signaling as mediated by the AMPK pathways. In mice, an oral treatment of AG protected against liver toxicity induced by CCl₄, as indicated by the plasma and histochemical parameters. Among the compounds in AG, decursin had antioxidant activity and affected the AMPK pathway. In conclusion, AG has antioxidant effects in vivo and in vitro, indicating that natural products such as AG could be potential candidate for the nutraceuticals to treat various disorders by regulating mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular metabolic pathways. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Use of Natural Products)

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14 pages, 17058 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Decreased Human Platelet Activation and Mouse Pulmonary Thrombosis by Rutaecarpine and Comparison of the Relative Effectiveness with BAY11-7082: Crucial Signals of p38-NF-κB

by Wei-Chieh Huang, Shaw-Min Hou, Ming-Ping Wu, Chih-Wei Hsia, Thanasekaran Jayakumar, Chih-Hsuan Hsia, Periyakali Saravana Bhavan, Chi-Li Chung and Joen-Rong Sheu

Molecules 2022, 27(2), 476; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27020476 - 12 Jan 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1977

Abstract

Platelets play a critical role in arterial thrombosis. Rutaecarpine (RUT) was purified from Tetradium ruticarpum, a well-known Chinese medicine. This study examined the relative activity of RUT with NF-κB inhibitors in human platelets. BAY11-7082 (an inhibitor of IκB kinase [IKK]), Ro106-9920 (an inhibitor of proteasomes), and RUT concentration-dependently (1–6 μM) inhibited platelet aggregation and P-selectin expression. RUT was found to have a similar effect to that of BAY11-7082; however, it exhibits more effectiveness than Ro106-9920. RUT suppresses the NF-κB pathway as it inhibits IKK, IκBα, and p65 phosphorylation and reverses IκBα degradation in activated platelets. This study also investigated the role of p38 and NF-κB in cell signaling events and found that SB203580 (an inhibitor of p38) markedly reduced p38, IKK, and p65 phosphorylation and reversed IκBα degradation as well as p65 activation in a confocal microscope, whereas BAY11-7082 had no effects in p38 phosphorylation. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay shows that RUT and BAY11-7082 did not exhibit free radical scavenging activity. In the in vivo study, compared with BAY11-7082, RUT more effectively reduced mortality in adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced acute pulmonary thromboembolism without affecting the bleeding time. In conclusion, a distinctive pathway of p38-mediated NF-κB activation may involve RUT-mediated antiplatelet activation, and RUT could act as a strong prophylactic or therapeutic drug for cardiovascular diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Use of Natural Products)

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13 pages, 1818 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tectoridin Stimulates the Activity of Human Dermal Papilla Cells and Promotes Hair Shaft Elongation in Mouse Vibrissae Hair Follicle Culture

by Gary Ka-Wing Yuen, Bryan Siu-Yin Ho, Lish Sheng-Ying Lin, Tina Ting-Xia Dong and Karl Wah-Keung Tsim

Molecules 2022, 27(2), 400; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27020400 - 08 Jan 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3106

Abstract

To search hair growth-promoting herbal extract, a screening platform of having HEK293T fibroblast being transfected with pTOPFLASH DNA construct was developed over a thousand of herbal extracts and phytochemicals were screened. One of the hits was ethanolic extract of Rhizoma Belamcandae, the rhizome of Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC. Tectoridin, an isoflavone from Rhizoma Belamcandae, was shown to be responsible for this activation of promoter construct, inducing the transcription of pTOPFLASH in the transfected fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner. The blockage by DKK-1 suggested the action of tectoridin could be mediated by the Wnt receptor. The hair growth-promoting effects of tectoridin were illustrated in human follicular dermal papilla cells and mouse vibrissae organ cultures. In tectoridin-treated dermal papilla cultures, an activation of Wnt signaling was demonstrated by various indicative markers, including TCF/LEF1 transcriptional activity, nuclear translocation of β-catenin, expressions level of mRNAs encoding axin-related protein, (AXIN2), β-catenin, lymphoid enhancer-binding factor-1 (LEF-1), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). In addition, an increase of hair shaft elongation was observed in cultured mouse vibrissae upon the treatment of tectoridin. Tectoridin, as well as the herbal extract of Rhizoma Belamcandae, possesses hair promoting activity, which deserves further development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Use of Natural Products)

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21 pages, 6572 KiB

Open AccessReview

Anticancer, Cardio-Protective and Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Natural-Sources-Derived Phenolic Acids

by Afnan, Ammara Saleem, Muhammad Furqan Akhtar, Ali Sharif, Bushra Akhtar, Rida Siddique, Ghulam Md Ashraf, Badrah S. Alghamdi and Saif A. Alharthy

Molecules 2022, 27(21), 7286; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27217286 - 26 Oct 2022

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 2911

Abstract

Phenolic acids (PAs) are one of the utmost prevalent classes of plant-derived bioactive chemicals. They have a specific taste and odor, and are found in numerous medicinal and food plants, such as Cynomorium coccineum L., Prunus domestica (L.), and Vitis vinifera L. Their biosynthesis, physical and chemical characteristics and structure–activity relationship are well understood. These phytochemicals and their derivatives exert several bioactivities including but not limited to anticancer, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, immune-regulatory and anti-obesity properties. They are strong antioxidants because of hydroxyl groups which play pivotal role in their anticancer, anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective potential. They may play significant role in improving human health owing to anticarcinogenic, anti-arthritis, antihypertensive, anti-stroke, and anti-atherosclerosis activities, as several PAs have demonstrated biological activities against these disease during in vitro and in vivo studies. These PAs exhibited anticancer action by promoting apoptosis, targeting angiogenesis, and reducing abnormal cell growth, while anti-inflammatory activity was attributed to reducing proinflammatory cytokines. Pas exhibited anti-atherosclerotic activity via inhibition of platelets. Moreover, they also reduced cardiovascular complications such as myocardial infarction and stroke by activating Paraoxonase 1. The present review focuses on the plant sources, structure activity relationship, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective actions of PAs that is attributed to modulation of oxidative stress and signal transduction pathways, along with highlighting their mechanism of actions in disease conditions. Further, preclinical and clinical studies must be carried out to evaluate the mechanism of action and drug targets of PAs to understand their therapeutic actions and disease therapy in humans, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Use of Natural Products)

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19 pages, 580 KiB

Open AccessReview

Medicinal Plants Used for Anxiety, Depression, or Stress Treatment: An Update

by Maša Kenda, Nina Kočevar Glavač, Milan Nagy and Marija Sollner Dolenc

Molecules 2022, 27(18), 6021; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27186021 - 15 Sep 2022

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 10233

Abstract

Depression, anxiety, stress, and other mental disorders, which are on the rise worldwide, are indications that pharmacological therapy can have serious adverse effects, which is why many patients prefer to use herbal products to treat these symptoms. Here, we reviewed plants and products derived from them that are commonly used for the above indications, focusing on clinical data and safety profiles. While lavender, hops, maypop, lemon balm, and valerian have consistently been shown in clinical trials to relieve mild forms of neurological disorders, particularly depression, anxiety, and stress, currently available data do not fully support the use of peppermint for anxiety disorders and depression. Recent studies support the use of saffron for depression; however, its toxicological profile raises safety concerns. St. John’s wort is effective in alleviating mild to moderate depression; however, careful use is necessary particularly due to possible interactions with other drugs. In conclusion, more studies are needed to validate the mechanism of action so that these plants can be used successfully and safely to alleviate or eliminate various mental disorders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Use of Natural Products)

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22 pages, 856 KiB

Open AccessReview

Delving into the Therapeutic Potential of Carica papaya Leaf against Thrombocytopenia

by Seemal Munir, Zhi-Wei Liu, Tayyaba Tariq, Roshina Rabail, Przemysław Łukasz Kowalczewski, Jacek Lewandowicz, Andrzej Blecharczyk, Muhammad Abid, Muhammad Inam-Ur-Raheem and Rana Muhammad Aadil

Molecules 2022, 27(9), 2760; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules27092760 - 25 Apr 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5441

Abstract

Thrombocytopenia is a clinical manifestation that refers to the low platelet count, i.e., <150 × 10³/μL, of blood, resulting in imbalanced hemostasis, which leads to several fatal complications. The causative factors vary greatly, but, as a consequence, they interfere with platelet production and promote destruction, leading to death. Carica papaya leaf has unique therapeutic and medicinal characteristics against thrombocytopenia, and this is supported by scientific studies. Secondary metabolites and minerals in the leaf, such as carpaine and quercetin, promote platelet production, inhibit platelet destruction, and maintain platelet membrane through gene expression activity and the ceasing of viral proteases, respectively. This review explores the scientific studies that support the role of papaya leaf in the form of juice, extract, or powder against thrombocytopenia through animal modeling and clinical trials. Phytochemical profiles of C. papaya leaf revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, cardiac glycosides, tannins, terpenes, and saponins, which impart therapeutic potential to the leaf. The therapeutic benefits of the leaf include immunomodulatory, antiviral, antidiabetic, anticancer, antimalarial, antiangiogenic, antibacterial, and antioxidant activities. Several conducted scientific research studies have proved the efficacy of C. papaya leaf against thrombocytopenia, expanding the implication of natural sources to eradicate numerous ailments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Use of Natural Products)

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20 pages, 387 KiB

Open AccessReview

Herbal Products Used in Menopause and for Gynecological Disorders

by Maša Kenda, Nina Kočevar Glavač, Milan Nagy, Marija Sollner Dolenc and on behalf of the OEMONOM

Molecules 2021, 26(24), 7421; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26247421 - 08 Dec 2021

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 9524

Abstract

Herbal products are often used as an alternative to pharmacological therapy. Menopausal symptoms and gynecological disorders (such as premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea) are the indications where pharmacological therapy may have serious adverse events, hence many women prefer to use herbal products to help with these symptoms. Here, we reviewed plants and derived products, which are commonly used for the abovementioned indications, focusing on clinical data, safely profile and whether or not their use is justified. We noted that limited data are available on the use of some plants for alleviating the symptoms of menopause and gynecological disorders. While black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemose) and red clover (Trifolium pretense) were consistently shown to help reduce menopausal symptoms in clinical studies, currently available data do not fully support the use of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), hops (Humulus lupulus), valerian (Valeriana officinalis), and soybean (Glycine max and Glycine soja) for this indication. For premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) shows effectiveness, but more clinical studies are needed to confirm such effect upon the use of evening primrose (Oenothera biennis). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Pharmacological Properties and Therapeutic Use of Natural Products)

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