Diabetes mellitus is one of the major health problems in the world, the incidence and associated mortality are increasing. Inadequate regulation of the blood sugar imposes serious consequences for health. Conventional antidiabetic drugs are effective, however, also with unavoidable side effects. On the other hand, medicinal plants may act as an alternative source of antidiabetic agents. Examples of medicinal plants with antidiabetic potential are described, with focuses on preclinical and clinical studies. The beneficial potential of each plant matrix is given by the combined and concerted action of their profile of biologically active compounds.

https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/9/10/551/pdf

Antidiabetic Potential of Medicinal Plants and Their Active Components.

Ethnopharmacological survey on medicinal plants used in herbal drinks among the traditional communities of Pakistan

α-Amylase catalyses the hydrolysis of starch and ultimately producing glucose. Controlling the catalytic activity of this enzyme reduces glucose production in the postprandial stage, which could be a therapeutic benefit for people with diabetes. This study was conducted to evaluate α-amylase inhibition for utilizing the crude extracts of some medicinal plants traditionally used in Nepal for the treatment of diabetes and its related complications. Microtiter plate approach has been used to assess inhibitory activities of in vitro α-amylase of methanolic extracts of thirty-two medicinal plants. A starch tolerance test was used in rats to investigate the in vivo study of the methanolic extract concerning glibenclamide as the positive control. Acacia catechu, Dioscorea bulbifera, and Swertia chirata exhibited inhibitory activity against α-amylase and with IC50 values; 49.9, 296.1, and 413.5 μg/mL, respectively. Kinetics study revealed that all the extracts displayed a mixed type of inhibition pattern, with Ki values ranging from 26.6–204.2 μg/mL. Free radical scavenging activity was again re-examined and found prominent in extracts of A. catechu. Likewise, A. catechu and S. chirata showed significant reduction of blood glucose concentration up to 30 min after oral dose of 250 mg/kg (F (4, 20) = 4.1, p = .048), and (F (4, 20) = 4.1, p = .036), respectively. Enzymatic assay for α-amylase inhibition using extracts was successfully evaluated. Also, the in-vitro and in-vivo study model revealed that medicinal plants could be a potent source of α-amylase inhibition. So, they could serve as potential candidates for future drug development strategies for curing diabetes with minimal or no adverse side effects.

/pdf/evaluation-of-the-alpha-amylase-inhibitory-activity-of-30x62wy4f1.pdf

Evaluation of the alpha-amylase inhibitory activity of Nepalese medicinal plants used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus

Swertia plants have been considered to be medicinal plants useful for the treatment of various ailments for thousands of years, especially in Asian countries. This is due to the broad variety of chemical compounds that provide multiple ligands for bonding to different endogenous biomacromolecules for patients. Chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Swertia plants are summarized in this paper. Approximately 419 metabolites and 40 bioactive compounds have been reported from 30 Swertia species, including xanthones, flavonoids, seco-iridiods, iridiods, triterpenoids, alkaloids, volatiles, and other secondary metabolites. The bioactivities of Swertia plants include anticarcinogenic, hepatoprotective, anti-oxidant, hypoglycemic, anthelmintic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-diabetic, gut, and airways modulatory, metabolizing isozymes inhibitory, neuroprotective, HIV-I reverse transcriptases inhibitory, anticholinergic, and CNS-depressant activities, etc. In addition, biosynthetic pathways of xanthones, and seco-iridiods, two most important secondary metabolites for Swertia, are elucidated. The xanthones biosynthetic pathway is a mixed biosynthetic pathway involved the shikimate and the malonate routes, and the seco-iridoid pathway starts with geraniol derived from IPP which is produced either via the MEP or the MVA pathway. This review will offer a reference for future researches on the protection of natural resources, the investigation of therapeutic basis, new drug development, and so forth. Metabolic pathways of some crucial active compounds were also discussed in this review.

Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of the Genus Swertia (Gentianaceae): A Review.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a condition associated with severe inflammation, cartilage destruction and degeneration of joints. Rhein (Rh) is an effective anti-inflammatory drug with proven efficacy in in-vitro and in-vivo models. pH sensitive Rh and NH4HCO3 laden poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) (Rh-PLGA-NPs@NH4) are developed for an effective treatment of OA. The Rh-PLGA-NPs@NH4 are prepared along with Rh-PLGA-NPs as a control by double emulsion method. Rh-PLGA-NPs@NH4 was characterized for their size, shape, morphology and encapsulation efficiency (EE). The effect of pH on release of Rh from Rh-PLGA-NPs@NH4 was studied at different pH. Further, the cytotoxicity effect of Rh-PLGA-NPs@NH4 on THP-1 cells were evaluated. Anti-inflammatory efficacy was evaluated on LPS stimulated THP-1 cells and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines was evaluated and compared with control. The size of Rh-PLGA-NPs@NH4 and Rh-PLGA-NPs was found to be 190.7 ± 1.2 nm and 134.6 ± 2.4 nm respectively with poly dispersity (PDI) 0.14 and 0.15. The zeta potential of Rh-PLGA-NPs@NH4 was found to be -22 ± 1.12 mV. Rh-PLGA-NPs@NH4 were uniform, smooth and spherical shape as confirmed using electron microscopy analysis. Rh-PLGA-NPs@NH4 release the Rh more effectively in the low pH of synovial fluid environment (SFE). Rh-PLGA-NPs@NH4 also significantly affect inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β and reduced their release in LPS stimulated THP-1 cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), a mediator responsible for the cartilage collapse was also found to be reduced. Results proposes that Rh-PLGA-NPs could provide therapeutic solution to those patients who suffer from chronic joint ailments by reducing the progression of OA.

/pdf/rhein-laden-ph-responsive-polymeric-nanoparticles-for-4lqmyorjvn.pdf

Rhein laden pH-responsive polymeric nanoparticles for treatment of osteoarthritis

Background: Swertia cordata and Swertia chirayita are temperate Himalayan medicinal plants used as potent herbal drugs in Indian traditional systems of medicine (Ayurvedic, Unani and Siddha). Objective: Assessment of Antioxidant, antibacterial, and antidiabetic potential of Swertia cordata and Swertia chirayita. Materials and Methods: Phytochemicals of methanolic and aqueous extracts of the two Swertia species were analyzed. The antioxidant potential of all the extracts was assessed by measuring total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and free radical scavenging potential was assessed by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrilhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, antibacterial activity was assessed against various pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria in vitro by Kirby-Bauer agar well diffusion method and antidiabetic activity was assessed by α-amylase inhibition. Results: Methanolic leaf extracts of both the species of Swertia contain significant antibacterial as well as anti-diabetic potential, whereas methanolic root extracts of both species were found to have potential antioxidant activity. However, Swertia chirayita showed better activities than Swertia cordata although both species have good reputation in traditional Indian medicine. Conclusion: Both the species are having high medicinal potential in terms of their antioxidant, antibacterial and antidiabetic activities. Studies are required to further elucidate antioxidant, anti-diabetic and antibacterial potentials using various in-vitro, in-vivo biochemical and molecular biology techniques.

Evaluation of antioxidant, antibacterial, and antidiabetic potential of two traditional medicinal plants of India: Swertia cordata and Swertia chirayita.

Naveen Reddy Eruvaram

Papers

Evaluation of antioxidant, antibacterial, and antidiabetic potential of two traditional medicinal plants of India: Swertia cordata and Swertia chirayita.