A database for medicinal plants used in the treatment of diabetes and its secondary complications

Effective treatment of diabetes is increasingly dependent on active constituents of medicinal plants capable of controlling hyperglycemia as well as its secondary complications. Sensing the importance of documenting such medicinal plants, here we describe a web database containing information (name, literature citation, active compounds and few related full text articles) of the diabetes medicinal plants exhibiting hypoglycemic, antioxidant and antimicrobial effects. AVAILABILITY: http://www.autogeneralfilters.com/holycross/Home.html.     

A database for medicinal plants used in treatment of asthma

The knowledge of most plants used in the treatment of asthma, the plant part which is effective in treatment is confined to very few persons who are engaged in folklore medicine. However, this form of medicine is not very popular. Therefore, it is of considerable interest to ethno-botanical community to understand the plants and the parts used for treatment. Here, we describe AsthmaPlantBase, a database containing information of medicinal plants for treatment of asthma.

Availability     

A database for medicinal and aromatic plants of JK (Jammu and Kashmir) in India

High throughput screening of small molecules for a given drug target is achieved using plant materials of medicinal value. Therefore, it is important to document the availability and location of such medicinal plants in the form of a database. Here, we describe a web database containing information (botanical name, common name, local name, botany, chemistry, folklore medicinal use and medicinal uses) about the medicinal and aromatic plants available in JK (Jammu and Kashmir). The database is available for free in public domain.

Availability     

A database for the predicted pharmacophoric features of medicinal compounds

Pharmacophore feature is defined by a set of chemical structure patterns having the active site of drug like molecule. Pharmacophore can be used to assist in building hypothesis about desirable chemical properties in drug molecule and hence it can be used to refine and modify drug candidates. We predicted the pharmacophoric features of 150 medicinal compounds from plants for anti-cancer, anti-carcinogenic, anti-diabetic, anti-microbial, and anti-oxidant. Estimation of pharmacophoric feature is necessary to ensure the optimal supramolecular interaction with a biological target and to trigger or block its biological response. We subsequently make this data available to open access using a database at the URL: http://www.hccbif.info/index.htm AVAILABILITY: The database is available for free at http://www.hccbif.info/index.htm.     

Phyto-mellitus: A phyto-chemical database for diabetes

Herbs are the base used for treatment in Ayurveda. We describe a database named Phyto-Mellitus with information on plants traditionally used for diabetes with their chemical constituents. The active principles of these plants are antioxidant and free radical scavenging.

Availability

http://www.bicmlacw.org/bt/     

Mineral content of some medicinal plants used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus

It is known that certain inorganic trace elements such as vanadium, zinc, chromium, copper, iron, potassium, sodium, and nickel play an important role in the maintenance of normoglycemia by activating the beta-cells of the pancreas. In the present study, the elemental composition in the leaves of four traditional medicinal plants (Murraya koenigii, Mentha piperitae, Ocimum sanctum, and Aegle marmelos) widely used in the treatment of diabetes-related metabolic disorders has been studied using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The levels of Cu, Ni, Zn, K, and Na were found to be in trace amounts, whereas Fe, Cr, and V levels were found in marginal levels. The importance of these elements in disorders related to diabetes is also briefly discussed.     

A database for anti-diabetic plants with clinical / experimental trials

A number of plants have been described in Ayurveda and other traditional medicine for the management of diabetes. However, information about them is not easily available. Active constituents of any medicinal plant define the efficacy and safety of treatment to control hyperglycemia. We describe the database to maintain the record of medicinal plants having anti-hyperglycemic or anti-diabetic activity. The database contains information such as plant name, its geographical distribution, useful plant part, known dosage, active constituents, mechanism of action and clinical/experimental data. The database also includes information about plant raw material suppliers or manufacturers in India. The current database includes 238 plants species and 123 Indian industries using them. AVAILABILITY: The database is freely available at http://www.biotechpark.org.in/antidia/index.html.     

Antineoplastic potential of medicinal plants

Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases worldwide and the incidence is on the rise in both developing and developed countries. It is treated by chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. In spite of advances in treatment strategies, cancer still remains a major cause of death. Research is on for development of better drugs which are more effective and simultaneously cause fewer side effects. Plants have been used for the treatment of various ailments of man and animals since ages. They are being screened extensively to explore the possibility of development of economically viable anticancer drugs. Natural products of plant origin currently constitute a considerable proportion of commercially available antineoplastic drugs. This review gives an insight into commercially available anticancer drugs of plant origin and also patents granted to plant derived components, extracts and polyherbal formulations possessing anticancer activity. The exhaustive work reviewed here on antineoplastic activity of various plants both in vitro and experimental models throughout the world will help design further research in this field.     

Fijian medicinal plants and their role in the prevention of Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Medicinal plants (MPs) are natural sources of active compounds with potential therapeutic benefits in alleviating various illnesses for decades. Fijian people also are using these MPs for the management/prevention of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and associated complications. However, till date, none of these Fijian MP’s antidiabetic potential have been explored or evaluated. Here, we investigated the antidiabetic potential of Fijian MPs scientifically. Phytochemicals such as polyphenols were detected to inhibit the activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, the two key carbohydrate enzymes linked to T2DM. Therefore, in the present study, the total phenolic content (TPC), α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of five Fijian MPs: Vobo (Mussaenda raiateensis, MR), Vula walu (Blechnum orientale, BO), Gasau (Miscanthus floridulus, MF), Molikaro (Citrus limon, CL) and Beki ni sina (Dicranopteris caudate, DC) collected from mainland region of Vitilevu, Fiji Islands, were evaluated in vitro. The hydromethanolic (ME) and dichloromethane (DM) extracts of these selected MPs were investigated. The ME extracts of BO (0.102 ± 0.009 mM CE) and DC (0.098 ± 0.09 mM Catechin Equivalence [CE]) showed a higher TPC compared with the control [vanillic acid (0.052 ± 0.003 mM CE, *P value < 0.05)]. However, the TPC of MF, MR and CL were found in the range of 0.020 ± 0.009 to 0.009 ± 0.01 mM CE. The ME extracts of MF and MR inhibited α-glucosidase significantly in comparison with acarbose as evidenced from the IC₅₀ values (IC₅₀ of MF = 1.58 ± 0.03 ng/µl; IC₅₀ of MR = 1.87 ± 0.43 ng/µl and IC₅₀ of acarbose = 3.34 ± 0.15 ng/µl). Moreover, DM extracts of MR (IC₅₀ = 1.31 ± 0.29 ng/µl) also showed significantly higher α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. In contrary, MR (IC₅₀ = 16.18 ± 0.16 ng/µl) and CL (IC₅₀ = 9.21 ± 0.51 ng/µl) also showed significant α-amylase inhibitory activity in ME and DM extracts, respectively. These, results suggest that Fijian MPs could be a potential source of natural inhibitors of enzymes involved in carbohydrate digestion and thus may possibly be used in managing T2DM.     

DNA isolation methods for medicinal and aromatic plants

Several protocols described for plant DNA isolation fail to produce good quality DNA from medicinal herbs and aromatic plants. These plants contain exceptionally high amounts of secondary metabolites that interfere with DNA isolation. To address this problem, we developed 2 DNA isolation methods for sundew and tarragon that produce DNA suitable for molecular biological applications. One of the methods also is applicable for milfoil and Siberian ginseng.     

NeMedPlant: a database of therapeutic applications and chemical constituents of medicinal plants from north-east region of India

The North-East region of India is one of the twelve mega biodiversity region, containing many rare and endangered species. A curated database of medicinal and aromatic plants from the regions called NeMedPlant is developed. The database contains traditional, scientific and medicinal information about plants and their active constituents, obtained from scholarly literature and local sources. The database is cross-linked with major biochemical databases and analytical tools. The integrated database provides resource for investigations into hitherto unexplored medicinal plants and serves to speed up the discovery of natural productsbased drugs. AVAILABILITY: The database is available for free at http://bif.uohyd.ac.in/nemedplant/orhttp://202.41.85.11/nemedplant/     

Drug discovery from medicinal plants

Current research in drug discovery from medicinal plants involves a multifaceted approach combining botanical, phytochemical, biological, and molecular techniques. Medicinal plant drug discovery continues to provide new and important leads against various pharmacological targets including cancer, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer's, malaria, and pain. Several natural product drugs of plant origin have either recently been introduced to the United States market, including arteether, galantamine, nitisinone, and tiotropium, or are currently involved in late-phase clinical trials. As part of our National Cooperative Drug Discovery Group (NCDDG) research project, numerous compounds from tropical rainforest plant species with potential anticancer activity have been identified. Our group has also isolated several compounds, mainly from edible plant species or plants used as dietary supplements, that may act as chemopreventive agents. Although drug discovery from medicinal plants continues to provide an important source of new drug leads, numerous challenges are encountered including the procurement of plant materials, the selection and implementation of appropriate high-throughput screening bioassays, and the scale-up of active compounds.     

Phenolic compounds in medicinal plants

Compositions of phenolic substances were studied in leaves of 21 species of medicinal plants. Flavonoid levels varied from 1.94 to 5.42%, whereas total amounts of monomeric polyphenols and hydroxybenzoic acids were estimated as 0.27 to 0.57%, and hydroxycinnamic acids and their esters with quinic acid, 0.09 to 0.18%. Condensed and polymerized polyphenols were detected in amounts of 0.41 to 1.20%. Qualitative compositions of flavonoids in leaves of seven plants studied were presented. The developed analytical procedures may be useful for plant polyphenol studies and as the basis of hemotaxonomy.     

Molecular approaches for improvement of medicinal and aromatic plants

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are important sources for plant secondary metabolites, which are important for human healthcare. Improvement of the yield and quality of these natural plant products through conventional breeding is still a challenge. However, recent advances in plant genomics research has generated knowledge leading to a better understanding of the complex genetics and biochemistry involved in biosynthesis of these plant secondary metabolites. This genomics research also concerned identification and isolation of genes involved in different steps of a number of metabolic pathways. Progress has also been made in the development of functional genomics resources (EST databases and micro-arrays) in several medicinal plant species, which offer new opportunities for improvement of genotypes using perfect markers or genetic transformation. This review article presents an overview of the recent developments and future possibilities in genetics and genomics of MAP species including use of transgenic approach for their improvement.