The medicinal importance of a novel plant Olax nana Wall. ex Benth. (family: Olacaceae) was revealed for the first time via HPLC-DAD finger printing, qualitative phytochemical analysis, antioxidant, cholinesterase, and α-glucosidase inhibitory assays. The crude methanolic extract of O. nana (ON-Cr) was subjected to qualitative phytochemical analysis and HPLC-DAD finger printing. The antioxidant potential of ON-Cr was assessed via 1,1-diphenyl,2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azinobis[3-ethylbenzthiazoline]-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) free radical scavenging assays. Furthermore, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) & butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activities were performed using Ellman’s assay, while α- glucosidase inhibitory assay was carried out using a standard protocol. The qualitative phytochemical analysis of ON-Cr revealed the presence of secondary metabolites like alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, sterols, saponins and terpenoids. The HPLC-DAD finger printing revealed the presence of 40 potential compounds in ON-Cr. Considerable anti-radical activities was revealed by ON-Cr in the DPPH, ABTS and H2O2 free radical scavenging assays with IC50 values of 71.46, 72.55 and 92.33 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, ON-Cr showed potent AChE and BChE inhibitory potentials as indicated by their IC50 values of 33.2 and 55.36 μg/mL, respectively. In the α-glucosidase inhibition assay, ON-Cr exhibited moderate inhibitory propensity with an IC50 value of 639.89 μg/mL. This study investigated Olax nana for the first time for detailed qualitative phytochemical tests, HPLC-DAD finger printing analysis, antioxidant, anticholinesterase and α-glucosidase inhibition assays. The antioxidant and cholinesterase inhibitory results were considerable and can provide scientific basis for further studies on the neuroprotective and anti-Alzheimer’s potentials of this plant. ON-Cr may further be subjected to fractionation and polarity guided fractionation to narrow down the search for isolation of bioactive compounds.

Foodborne diseases are one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality, especially in low-income countries with poor sanitation and inadequate healthcare facilities. The foremost bacterial pathogens responsible for global outbreaks include Salmonella species, Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Shigella sp., Vibrio, Listeria monocytogenes and Clostridium botulinum. Among the viral and parasitic pathogens, norovirus, hepatitis A virus, Giardia lamblia, Trichinella spiralis, Toxoplasma and Entamoeba histolytica are commonly associated with foodborne diseases. The toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens also cause these infections. The currently available therapies for these infections are associated with various limited efficacy, high cost and side-effects. There is an urgent need for effective alternative therapies for the prevention and treatment of foodborne diseases. Several plant extracts and phytochemicals were found to be highly effective to control the growth of these pathogens causing foodborne infections in in vitro systems. The present review attempts to provide comprehensive scientific information on major foodborne pathogens and the potential role of phytochemicals in the prevention and treatment of these infections. Further detailed studies are necessary to evaluate the activities of these extracts and phytochemicals along with their mechanism of action using in vivo models.

Passiflora incarnata is widely used as an anxiolytic and sedative due to its putative GABAergic properties. Passiflora incarnata L. methanolic extract (PI-ME) was evaluated in an animal model of streptozotocin-induced diabetic neuropathic allodynia and vulvodynia in rats along with antinociceptive, anxiolytic and sedative activities in mice in order to examine possible underlying mechanisms. PI-ME was tested preliminary for qualitative phytochemical analysis and then quantitatively by proximate and GC-MS analysis. The antinociceptive property was evaluated using the abdominal constriction assay and hot plate test. The anxiolytic activity was performed in a stair case model and sedative activity in an open field test. The antagonistic activities were evaluated using naloxone and/or pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). PI-ME was evaluated for prospective anti-allodynic and anti-vulvodynic properties in a rat model of streptozotocin induced neuropathic pain using the static and dynamic testing paradigms of mechanical allodynia and vulvodynia. GC-MS analysis revealed that PI-ME contained predominant quantities of oleamide (9-octadecenamide), palmitic acid (hexadecanoic acid) and 3-hydroxy-dodecanoic acid, among other active constituents. In the abdominal constriction assay and hot plate test, PI-ME produced dose dependant, naloxone and pentylenetetrazole reversible antinociception suggesting an involvement of opioidergic and GABAergic mechanisms. In the stair case test, PI-ME at 200 mg/kg increased the number of steps climbed while at 600 mg/kg a significant decrease was observed. The rearing incidence was diminished by PI-ME at all tested doses and in the open field test, PI-ME decreased locomotor activity to an extent that was analagous to diazepam. The effects of PI-ME were antagonized by PTZ in both the staircase and open field tests implicating GABAergic mechanisms in its anxiolytic and sedative activities. In the streptozotocin-induced neuropathic nociceptive model, PI-ME (200 and 300 mg/kg) exhibited static and dynamic anti-allodynic effects exemplified by an increase in paw withdrawal threshold and paw withdrawal latency. PI-ME relieved only the dynamic component of vulvodynia by increasing flinching response latency. These findings suggest that Passiflora incarnata might be useful for treating neuropathic pain. The antinociceptive and behavioural findings inferring that its activity may stem from underlying opioidergic and GABAergic mechanisms though a potential oleamide-sourced cannabimimetic involvement is also discussed.

Nanotechnology has potential future for enhancing therapeutic efficacy and reducing the unwanted effects of herbal drugs. The biological research on Euphorbia species has been supported by the use of some plants in traditional medicines. Many species of Euphorbia have been reported as having strong sedative and analgesic effects. In the present research work gold nanoparticles of Euphorbia milii methanolic extract (Au-EM) were synthesized, characterized and tested for antinociceptive, muscle relaxant and sedative activities. Au-EM was prepared by stirring 1 mM warm trihydrated tetrachloroaurate solution with E. milii methanolic extract without using any external reducing agents. The gold nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Visible spectroscopy, infrared spectrophotometery, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy while their stability was evaluated against varying pH and different volumes of sodium chloride (NaCl). The metal sensing capacity of Au-EM was tested towards cobalt, copper, lead, mercury and nickel. Au-EM was evaluated in BALB/c mice at a dose of 10 and 20 mg/kg for antinociceptive, muscle relaxant and sedative activities in comparison with the crude E. milii methanolic extract. Au-EM showed remarkable stability in different NaCl and pH solutions. Au-EM produced significant (P < 0.01) antinociceptive effect at doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg as compared to the crude E. milii methanolic extract. In the rotarod test, Au-EM showed significant muscle relaxant effect at 10 mg/kg (P < 0.05) and 20 mg/kg (P < 0.01) after 30, 60 and 90 min. In an open field test significant sedative effect (P < 0.05) of Au-EM was observed at 10 and 20 mg/kg. Moreover significant detection sensitivity was demonstrated towards all the tested heavy metals. These results concluded that the gold nanoparticles improved the potency of E. milii methanolic extract and exhibited significant analgesic, muscle relaxant and sedative properties. The significant metals sensing ability and enhanced stability in different NaCl and pH solutions may enable us to explore different formulations of E. milii gold nanoparticles for potentially effective and safe nano-herbal therapy.

The current therapy of neuropathic pain is inadequate and is limited by the extent of pain relief and the occurrence of dose dependant side effects. Insufficient control of pain with conventional medications prompts the use of complementary and alternative medicine therapies by patients with neuropathic pain. This study therefore investigated a standardized methanolic extract of Bacopa monnieri, a widely reputed nootropic plant, for prospective antinociceptive effect in the chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain. Placement of four loose ligatures around the sciatic nerve produced partial denervation of the hindpaw in rats. Bacopa monnieri (40 and 80 mg/kg, p.o) and the positive control, gabapentin (75 mg/kg, i.p), were administered daily after CCI or sham surgery and the behavioral paradigms of static- and dynamic-allodynia (paw withdrawal threshold to von Frey filament stimulation [PWT] and paw withdrawal latency to light-brushing [PWL]), cold-allodynia (paw withdrawal duration [PWD] to acetone), heat- (PWL to heat-stimulus) and punctate-hyperalgesia (PWD to pin-prick) were assessed on days 3, 7, 14 and 21. CCI consistently generated static- (days 3–21), dynamic- (days 14–21) and cold-allodynia (days 3–21) plus heat- and mechano-hyperalgesia (days 3–21). The tested doses of Bacopa monnieri significantly attenuated the CCI-induced allodynia and hyperalgesia, exemplified by increased PWT (days 7–21), PWL to light brushing (days 14–21) and heat (days 7–21) as well as decreased PWD to pin prick and cold stimuli (days 3–21). The extract also counterbalanced the CCI-induced aberrations in the nociceptive behaviors by increasing the pain threshold to that of pre-surgery baseline. Gabapentin also afforded analogous beneficial behavioral profile but of higher magnitude. Our findings suggest that Bacopa monnieri can be used as adjuvant therapy for neuropathic pain conditions afflicted with allodynia and hyperalgesia.