Psidium guajava: a review of its traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology.

IT may occasion some surprise to those men of science who are ill-acquainted with India, and who so frequently express the view that Governments are unappreciative of the importance of science to learn that as far back as 1886 the Government of India arranged for Dr. George (later Sir George) Watt, professor of botany in the Presidency College, Calcutta, to prepare a "Dictionary of the Economic Products of India". The six volumes of this standard work were published during the years 1889-99. In 1908 Sir George Watt published a condensed version, "The Commercial Products of India". Whatever the defects of these 'dictionaries', they have been of inestimable value to all interested in Indian natural products. The Wealth of India A Dictionary of Indian Raw Materials and Industrial Products. Raw Materials, Vol. 1. Pp. xxvii+254+39 plates. 15 rupees ; 24s. Industrial Products, Part 1. Pp. xii+182+8 plates. 8 rupees ; 12s. (New Delhi : Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1948.)

The Wealth of India

α-Glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities of guava leaves

Calendula officinalis Linn. (Asteraceae) is used medicinally in Europe, China and India amongst several places in the world. It is also known as “African marigold” and has been a subject of several chemical and pharmacological studies. It is used in traditional medicine, especially for wound healing, jaundice, blood purification, and as an antispasmodic. Chemical studies have underlined the presence of various classes of compounds, the main being triterpenoids, flavonoids, coumarines, quinones, volatile oil, carotenoids and amino acids. The extract of this plant as well as pure compounds isolated from it, have been demonstrated to possess multiple pharmacological activities such as anti-HIV, cytotoxic, antiinflammatory, hepatoprotective, spasmolytic and spasmogenic, amongst others. In this review, we have explored the phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of C. officinalis in order to collate existing information on this plant as well as highlight its multi-activity properties as a medicinal agent. This is as a result of the worldwide cultivation of the plant and increasing published reports on it.

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Phytochemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Calendula officinalis Linn (Asteraceae): a review.

Despite the lack of sufficient information on the safety of herbal products, their use as alternative and/or complimentary medicine is globally popular. There is also increasing interest in medicinal herbs as precursor of pharmacological actives. Of serious concern is their concurrent consumption with conventional drugs. Herb-drug interaction (HDI) is the single most important clinical consequences of this practice. Using a structured assessment procedure, the evidence of HDI presents with varying degree of clinical significance. While the potential for HDI for a number of herbal products is inferred from non-human studies, certain HDIs are well established through human studies and documented case reports. Various mechanisms of pharmacokinetic HDI have been identified and include the alteration in the gastrointestinal functions with consequent effects on drug absorption; induction and inhibition of metabolic enzymes; the induction and inhibition of transport proteins and stimulation of changes to hepatic and renal functions leading to alteration in drug elimination profiles. Due to the intrinsic pharmacologic properties of phytochemicals, pharmacodynamic HDIs are also known to occur. The effects could be synergistic, additive and/or antagonistic. Poor reporting on the part of patients and inability to promptly identify HDI by health providers are identified as major factors in compiling clinically relevant HDIs. A general overview and the significance of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic HDI are provided, detailing basic mechanism and nature of evidence available. The potential of new chemical entities to be involved in HDIs should be considered in their non-clinical safety assessment during the drug development process. More clinically relevant research is also required in this area as current information on HDI is insufficient for clinical applications to increase the level of awareness among health professionals.

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An Overview of the Evidence and Mechanisms of Herb–Drug Interactions

This study analyzed the antidiabetic properties of an ethanol extract of the stem bark of Psidium guajava, an indigenous medicinal plant used to control diabetes in Indian System of Medicine. The anti-hyperglycaemic activity of this plant on blood glucose levels of normal, normal glucose loaded (OGTT) and alloxan-induced hyperglycaemic rats was evaluated. The results showed that ethanol stem bark extract exhibited statistically significant hypoglycaemic activity in alloxan-induced hyperglycaemic rats but was devoid of significant hypoglycaemic effect in normal and normal glucose loaded rats (OGTT).

Antidiabetic activity of an ethanol extract obtained from the stem bark of Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae).

A water extract of Psidium guajava leaves was screened for hypoglycemic activity on alloxan-induced diabetic rats. In both acute and sub-acute tests, the water extract, at an oral dose of 250 mg/kg, showed statistically significant hypoglycemic activity.

Effect of water extract of Psidium guajava leaves on alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

A lanostane-type triterpene, zizyphulanostane-21-oic acid, and a terpenic δ-lactone, zizyphulanostan-18-oic acid, have been isolated from the roots of Zizyphus vulgaris Lam. (syn. Z. sativa Gaertn., Z. mauritina. Lam.) and characterized as lanosta-25 (26)-en-9α-ol-21-oic acid and lanosta-25 (26)-en-22β-ol-18-oic acid 3(19)-olide, respectively, on the basis of spectroscopic techniques and chemical means.

New Compounds from Zizyphus vulgaris

An aqueous extract of Pterocarpus marsupium wood was screened for hypoglycemic activity on alloxan-induced diabetic rats. During both acute and sub-acute tests, the water extract, at an oral dose of 250 mg/kg, showed statistically significant hypoglycemic activity.

Effect of aqueous extract of Pterocarpus marsupium wood on alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

The effect of administering an ethanol extract of Cyamopsis tetragonoloba. Linn. (Leguminosae) beans on blood glucose levels in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats was evaluated in this study. The ethanol extract of beans at 250 mg/kg body weight significantly reduced the blood glucose levels in alloxan-induced diabetic rats within 3 h of administration. Continued administration of the extract at the same dose daily for 10 days produced a statistically significant reduction in the blood glucose levels, whereas marginal activity was seen in normal and glucose-loaded rats.

T. Naved

Papers

Antidiabetic activity of an ethanol extract obtained from the stem bark of Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae).

Effect of water extract of Psidium guajava leaves on alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

New Compounds from Zizyphus vulgaris

Effect of aqueous extract of Pterocarpus marsupium wood on alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

Antihyperglycemic Activity of Cyamopsis tetragonoloba Beans on Blood Glucose Levels in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats