High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC)

As antique as Dioscorides era are the first records on using Chelidonium as a remedy to several sicknesses. Inspired by the "signatura rerum" principle and an apparent ancient folk tradition, various indications were given, such as anti-jaundice and cholagogue, pain-relieving, and quite often mentioned-ophthalmological problems. Central and Eastern European folk medicine has always been using this herb extensively. In this region, the plant is known under many unique vernacular names, especially in Slavonic languages, associated or not with old Greek relation to "chelidon"-the swallow. Typically for Papaveroidae subfamily, yellow-colored latex is produced in abundance and leaks intensely upon injury. Major pharmacologically relevant components, most of which were first isolated over a century ago, are isoquinoline alkaloids-berberine, chelerythrine, chelidonine, coptisine, sanguinarine. Modern pharmacology took interest in this herb but it has not ended up in gaining an officially approved and evidence-based herbal medicine status. On the contrary, the number of relevant studies and publications tended to drop. Recently, some controversial reports and sometimes insufficiently proven studies appeared, suggesting anticancer properties. Anticancer potential was in line with anecdotical knowledge spread in East European countries, however, in the absence of directly-acting cytostatic compounds, some other mechanisms might be involved. Other properties that could boost the interest in this herb are antimicrobial and antiviral activities. Being a common synanthropic weed or ruderal plant, C. majus spreads in all temperate Eurasia and acclimates well to North America. Little is known about the natural variation of bioactive metabolites, including several aforementioned isoquinoline alkaloids. In this review, we put together older and recent literature data on phytochemistry, pharmacology, and clinical studies on C. majus aiming at a critical evaluation of state-of-the-art from the viewpoint of historical and folk indications. The controversies around this herb, the safety and drug quality issues and a prospective role in phytotherapy are discussed as well.

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Greater Celandine's Ups and Downs-21 Centuries of Medicinal Uses of Chelidonium majus From the Viewpoint of Today's Pharmacology.

Arctium lappa L. (Asteraceae) is used in folk medicine around the World, and shows several kinds of biological activity, particularly in vitro antitumor activity in different cell lines. This study evaluated the antiproliferative activity of the crude extract, semipurified fractions, and isolated compounds from the leaves of A. lappa, through bioassay-guided testing in Caco-2 cells. The crude extract was obtained with a 50% hydroethanolic extract and then partitioned with hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. The ethyl-acetate fraction (EAF) showed antiproliferative activity. This fraction was subjected to sequential column chromatography over silica gel to afford onopordopicrin (1), mixtures of 1 with dehydromelitensin-8-(4'-hydroxymethacrylate) (2), a mixture of 2 with dehydromelitensin (3), mixture of 1 with melitensin (4), dehydrovomifoliol (5), and loliolide (6). The compounds were identified by spectroscopic methods (NMR, MS) and comparison with literature data. This is the first description of compounds 2-5 from this species. The compounds tested in Caco-2 cells showed the following CC(50) (µg/mL) values: 1: 19.7 ± 3.4, 1 with 2: 24.6 ± 1.5, 2 with 3: 27 ± 11.7, 1 with 4: 42 ± 13.1, 6 30 ± 6.2; compound 5 showed no activity.

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Evaluation of the antiproliferative activity of the leaves from Arctium lappa by a bioassay-guided fractionation.

In recent years a lot of the scientific interest has been concentrated on the identification of factors among low cost herbs that can be helpful in improving the health of humans. A shocking feature of herbal analysis has been that rarely any rare, exotic and exquisite plant has proved more fascinating. Typically some common, less familiar, and disdained weed have been discovered to possess undreamt of virtues. Urtica dioica is a weed and its seeds, leaves and even roots are used for medicinal purpose. It is a sensible reservoir of micronutrients and nutritional elements which leads us to focus our study on this herb. Despite of being wholesome, leaves are easily digested and high in minerals (especially iron), vitamin C and pro-vitamin A. U.dioica is used as both medicine and food in many countries particularly in Mediterranean region because of being widespread and having conjointly exceptional biological activities. This comprehensive review is an effort to summarise the recent data on nutrition, pharmacological and clinical effects of U. dioica keeping in view the increased demand by patients to use natural products with antioxidant activity, anti diabetic activity and having potential for treatment of inflammatory diseases. The review of nutritional properties is also an important aspect as every person needs general nutritional support in order to stay well or become optimally healthy. This review provides an overview of U. dioica in relation to antioxidant activity, anti diabetic activity, antimutagenic activity, antimicrobial activity, analgesic effect and treatment of inflammatory diseases that promotes its use.

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.): a reservoir of nutrition and bioactive components with great functional potential

A large range of chronic and degenerative diseases can be prevented through the use of food products and food bioactives. This study reports the health benefits and biological activities of the Urtica dioica (U. dioica) edible plant, with particular focus on its cancer chemopreventive potential. Numerous studies have attempted to investigate the most efficient anti-cancer therapy with few side effects and high toxicity on cancer cells to overcome the chemoresistance of cancer cells and the adverse effects of current therapies. In this regard, natural products from edible plants have been assessed as sources of anti-cancer agents. In this article, we review current knowledge from studies that have examined the cytotoxic, anti-tumor and anti-metastatic effects of U. dioica plant on several human cancers. Special attention has been dedicated to the treatment of breast cancer, the most prevalent cancer among women and one of the main causes of death worldwide. The anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of U. dioica have been demonstrated on different human cancers, investigating the properties of U. dioica at cellular and molecular levels. The potent cytotoxicity and anti-cancer activity of the U. dioica extracts are due to its bioactive natural products content, including polyphenols which reportedly possess anti-oxidant, anti-mutagenic and anti-proliferative properties. The efficacy of this edible plant to prevent or mitigate human cancers has been demonstrated in laboratory conditions as well as in experimental animal models, paving the way to the development of nutraceuticals for new anti-cancer therapies.

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/15/2753/pdf

Therapeutic Perspectives of Molecules from Urtica dioica Extracts for Cancer Treatment

This review presents data on the classification, medical and industrial uses, active substance compositions, and methods for standardization of plant raw materials and medicinal substances from plants of Asarum species.

Uses, Chemical Composition, and Standardization of Plant Raw Material and Medicinal Substances from Plants of the Genus Asarum L.

Homeopathic matrix tinctures of greater celandine (Chelidonium majus L.) were obtained using freshly collected and dried plant material (roots). The samples analyzed by GC-MS showed the presence of a combination of alkaloids including canadine, stylopine, homochelidonine, protopine, dihydronitidine, norchelerythrine, dihydroberberine, and norsanguinarine. Some of these compounds (dihydroberberine, norchelerythrine, and norsanguinarine) were present only in the tinctures prepared from dried material and not detected in the preparations obtained using freshly collected raw material. New methods for the quality control of homeopathic matrix tinctures of celandine root have been developed using qualitative chemical reactions and TLC on Sorbfil plates eluted in an ethyl acetate-ethanol-0.1 M sodium hydroxide (6: 3: 2) solution with reference to the standard solutions of sanguirythrine (sanguinarine + chelerythrine) and berberine in ethanol. The spots (adsorption bands) on the TLC plates are detected using a modified Dragendorff’s reagent. Alkaloids are extracted from tinctures with chloroform. Quantitative estimation of the total alkaloid content (recalculated for sanguirythrine) was carried out by UV spectrophotometry at 278 nm. The total alkaloid content in homeopathic matrix tinctures obtained from freshly collected raw material varies within 0.015–0.032%, and in that from dried material, within 0.028–0.081%.

New methods for the quality control of a homeopathic matrix tincture of greater celandine

The chemical composition of the juice of freshly collected great burdock (Arctium Lappa L.) leaves was studied. The main components in the ethyl acetate extract were determined. Adifference between the samples collected in two successive years was found.

Sesquiterpene lactones in juice of great burdock leaves

Literature on the application, chemical composition, and standardization of nettle (Urtica) raw material and related medicinal plant preparations is reviewed.

Application, chemical composition, and standardization of nettle raw material and related drugs (Review)

The composition of lipophilic fractions of homeopathic matrix tinctures of Urtica dioica L. (I) and U. urens L. (II) derived from freshly collected plants and dried (desiccated) material (herb and roots) was studid using GC-MS techniques. The analyses of n-hexane extracts of tincture I revealed 43 compounds (of which 27 were identified) whereas the analysis of the extract of tincture II revealed 28 compounds (21 identified). The extract from I contains fatty acids in the form of ethyl esters, terpenoids (apiol, eugenol), squalene, and some other substances. The main fatty acids are palmitic, linolenic, and nonadecanoic. Tincture of I obtained from a desiccated raw material contains ethyl esters of linoleic and 2,3-benzofurandicarboxylic acids, which are not found in II. Tincture obtained from freshly collected material contains greater amounts of ethyl esters of oleic, 9-oxononanoic, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acids, 3-ethyl-4-methyl-(1H)-pyrrol-2,5-dione, 5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-2(4H)-benzofuranone, and eugenol. The extract of tincture II contains significant amounts of palmitic, linoleic, and linolenic acids and 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol. Some of the identified substances, including ethyl esters of heptadecenoic, arachic, 8,11-eicosadienoic, heneicosanoic, and behenic acids were detected only in the tincture from dried (desiccated) raw material. The lipophilic fraction of matrix tinctures from U. dioica root contain large amounts of linoleic, linolenic, and nonadecanoic acids and their isomers in addition to palmitic, myristic, 9-oxononanoic, and pentadecanoic acids. The content of identified components was greater in the tinctures from freshly collected material (except for squalene, the concentration of which increases by a factor of about four in the tincture prepared from desiccated material).

Ya. F. Kopyt’ko

Papers

Uses, Chemical Composition, and Standardization of Plant Raw Material and Medicinal Substances from Plants of the Genus Asarum L.

New methods for the quality control of a homeopathic matrix tincture of greater celandine

Sesquiterpene lactones in juice of great burdock leaves

Application, chemical composition, and standardization of nettle raw material and related drugs (Review)

Composition of the lipophilic fraction of stinging nettle ( Urtica dioica L. and U. urens L.) homeopathic matrix tinctures