neurochemical subtleties. Lengthy discussion is published verbatim and in general enhances the value of the papers. A major justification of the duplicate publication usually involved in printing symposia proceedings is the orientation provided in the field by bringing together related work, not merely in juxtaposition, but under evaluative discussion by leading investigators within and across disciplines. In this case comment was incisive and much remains cogent.

Screening Methods in Pharmacology.

Adaptogens comprise a category of herbal medicinal and nutritional products promoting adaptability, resilience, and survival of living organisms in stress. The aim of this review was to summarize the growing knowledge about common adaptogenic plants used in various traditional medical systems (TMS) and conventional medicine and to provide a modern rationale for their use in the treatment of stress-induced and aging-related disorders. Adaptogens have pharmacologically pleiotropic effects on the neuroendocrine-immune system, which explain their traditional use for the treatment of a wide range of conditions. They exhibit a biphasic dose-effect response: at low doses they function as mild stress-mimetics, which activate the adaptive stress-response signaling pathways to cope with severe stress. That is in line with their traditional use for preventing premature aging and to maintain good health and vitality. However, the potential of adaptogens remains poorly explored. Treatment of stress and aging-related diseases require novel approaches. Some combinations of adaptogenic plants provide unique effects due to their synergistic interactions in organisms not obtainable by any ingredient independently. Further progress in this field needs to focus on discovering new combinations of adaptogens based on traditional medical concepts. Robust and rigorous approaches including network pharmacology and systems pharmacology could help in analyzing potential synergistic effects and, more broadly, future uses of adaptogens. In conclusion, the evolution of the adaptogenic concept has led back to basics of TMS and a new level of understanding of holistic approach. It provides a rationale for their use in stress-induced and aging-related diseases.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/med.21743

Evolution of the adaptogenic concept from traditional use to medical systems: Pharmacology of stress- and aging-related diseases.

The growing incidence of microorganisms that resist antimicrobials is a constant concern for the scientific community, while the development of new antimicrobials from new chemical entities has become more and more expensive, time-consuming, and exacerbated by emerging drug-resistant strains. In this regard, many scientists are conducting research on plants aiming to discover possible antimicrobial compounds. The secondary metabolites contained in plants are a source of chemical entities having pharmacological activities and intended to be used for the treatment of different diseases. These chemical entities have the potential to be used as an effective antioxidant, antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic and antimicrobial agents. Among these pharmacologically active entities are the alkaloids which are classified into a number of classes, including pyrrolizidines, pyrrolidines, quinolizidines, indoles, tropanes, piperidines, purines, imidazoles, and isoquinolines. Alkaloids that have antioxidant properties are capable of preventing a variety of degenerative diseases through capturing free radicals, or through binding to catalysts involved indifferent oxidation processes occurring within the human body. Furthermore, these entities are capable of inhibiting the activity of bacteria, fungi, protozoan and etc. The unique properties of these secondary metabolites are the main reason for their utilization by the pharmaceutical companies for the treatment of different diseases. Generally, these alkaloids are extracted from plants, animals and fungi. Penicillin is the most famous natural drug discovery deriving from fungus. Similarly, marines have been used as a source for thousands of bioactive marine natural products. In this review, we cover the medical use of natural alkaloids isolated from a variety of plants and utilized by humans as antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and anticancer agents. An example for such alkaloids is berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid, found in roots and stem-bark of Berberis asculin P. Renault plant and used to kill a variety of microorganisms.

/pdf/the-biological-activity-of-natural-alkaloids-against-59i3cfcinb.pdf

The Biological Activity of Natural Alkaloids against Herbivores, Cancerous Cells and Pathogens.

Effect of bifidobacterium breve A-1 on anxiety and depressive symptoms in schizophrenia: A proof-of-concept study.

Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid suppresses TXNIP mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation in MSU crystal stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages through the upregulation of Nrf2 transcription factor and alleviates MSU crystal induced inflammation in rats

A systematic review on Piper longum L.: Bridging traditional knowledge and pharmacological evidence for future translational research

Preventive potentials of piperlongumine and a Piper longum extract against stress responses and pain

Aim: To compare doxycycline like oral efficacies of piperlongumine and a Piper longum fruits extract (PLE) as stress resistance inducers. Methods: Efficacies of oral pretreatments with 5 mg/kg piperlongumine or PLE or of 50 mg/kg doxycycline for 10 consecutive days in inducing stress resistance against alteration in body weights, core temperatures, gastric ulcers, and other pathologies in male mice triggered by occasional exposures to less than 1 min durations of unavoidable foot shocks were compared. Results: Doxycycline like long lasting protective effects of piperlongumine and PLE against gradual alterations in body weights, basal core temperatures and transient hyperthermic responses triggered by foot shocks during the post-treatment days were observed. Altered responses of stressed mice in tail suspension test observed one day after the last foot shock exposures and gastric ulcers and other pathologies quantified one day after the test were also suppressed in piperlongumine or PLE or doxycycline pretreated groups. Conclusion: Piperlongumine and crude Piper longum fruit extracts are doxycycline like long acting desensitizers of stress triggered co-morbidities. Reported observations add further experimental evidences justifying traditionally known medicinal uses of piper longum and other plants of the Piperaceae family, and reveal that piperlongumine is also another very long acting and orally active inducer of stress resistance. Efforts to confirm stress preventive potentials of low dose plant derived products enriched in piperlongumine or piperine like amide alkaloids in volunteers and patients can be warranted.

Long lasting preventive effects of piperlongumine and a Piper longum extract against stress triggered pathologies in mice

Medicinal uses of edible and other plants for prevention and cure of obesity and overweight associated metabolic and mental health problems have since long been known to scholars and practitioners of Ayurvedic and other traditionally known system of medicine. Modernized versions of numerous edible plant derived formulations mentioned in ancient Ayurvedic texts are at present some of the most popular, or best selling, herbal remedies in India and numerous other countries suffering from double burden of diseases caused by malnutrition and obesity. Preclinical and clinical information now available on edible plants and their bioactive constituents justify traditionally known medicinal uses of products derived from them for prevention and cure of obesity associated type-2 diabetes, psychopathologies and other health problems. Such information now available on a few edible Ayurvedic plants and their formulations and suggesting that their stress response regulating effects are involved in their broad spectrums of bioactivity profiles are summarized in this communication. Implications of recent physiological and pharmacological observations made with numerous phytochemicals isolated from edible plants for better understanding of traditionally known medicinal uses of herbal remedies are also pointed out.

http://koreascience.or.kr:80/article/JAKO201518050733425.pdf

Vaishali Yadav

Papers

A systematic review on Piper longum L.: Bridging traditional knowledge and pharmacological evidence for future translational research

Preventive potentials of piperlongumine and a Piper longum extract against stress responses and pain

Long lasting preventive effects of piperlongumine and a Piper longum extract against stress triggered pathologies in mice

Potential of some traditionally used edible plants for prevention and cure of diabesity associated comorbidities

Nutraceuticals: A Revolutionary Approach for Nano Drug Delivery