Currently, viral infection is the most serious health issue which causing unexpected higher rate of death globally. Many viruses are not yet curable, such as corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis virus, human papilloma virus and so others. Furthermore, the toxicities and ineffective responses to resistant strains of synthetic antiviral drugs have reinforced the search of effective and alternative treatment options, such as plant-derived antiviral drug molecules. Therefore, in the present review, an attempt has been taken to summarize the medicinal plants reported for exhibiting antiviral activities available in Bangladesh along with discussing the mechanistic insights into their bioactive components against three most hazardous viruses, namely SARS-CoV-2, HIV, and HBV. The review covers 46 medicinal plants with antiviral activity from 25 families. Among the reported 79 bioactive compounds having antiviral activities isolated from these plants, about 37 of them have been reported for significant activities against varieties of viruses. Hesperidin, apigenin, luteolin, seselin, 6-gingerol, humulene epoxide, quercetin, kaempferol, curcumin, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) have been reported to inhibit multiple molecular targets of SARS-CoV-2 viral replication in a number of in silico investigations. Besides, numerous in silico, in vitro, and in vivo bioassays have been demonstrated that EGCG, anolignan-A, and B, ajoene, curcumin, and oleanolic acid exhibit anti-HIV activity while piperine, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, (+)-cycloolivil-4′-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, quercetin, EGCG, kaempferol, aloin, apigenin, rosmarinic acid, andrographolide, and hesperidin possess anti-HBV activity. Thus, the antiviral medicinal plants and the isolated bioactive compounds may be considered for further advanced investigations with the aim of the development of effective and affordable antiviral drugs.

Cancer is a disorder that rigorously affects the human population worldwide. There is a steady demand for new remedies to both treat and prevent this life-threatening sickness due to toxicities, drug resistance and therapeutic failures in current conventional therapies. Researchers around the world are drawing their attention towards compounds of natural origin. For decades, human beings have been using the flora of the world as a source of cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Currently, clinically approved anticancer compounds are vincristine, vinblastine, taxanes, and podophyllotoxin, all of which come from natural sources. With the triumph of these compounds that have been developed into staple drug products for most cancer therapies, new technologies are now appearing to search for novel biomolecules with anticancer activities. Ellipticine, camptothecin, combretastatin, curcumin, homoharringtonine and others are plant derived bioactive phytocompounds with potential anticancer properties. Researchers have improved the field further through the use of advanced analytical chemistry and computational tools of analysis. The investigation of new strategies for administration such as nanotechnology may enable the development of the phytocompounds as drug products. These technologies have enhanced the anticancer potential of plant-derived drugs with the aim of site-directed drug delivery, enhanced bioavailability, and reduced toxicity. This review discusses mechanistic insights into anticancer compounds of natural origins and their structural activity relationships that make them targets for anticancer treatments.

Oleanolic acid (NZ-15), 7 α, 28-olean diol (NZ-38) and Stigmasterol (NZ-14) were isolated from the ethanolic extracts of the roots of Leea macrophylla (Family: Leeaceae) by using chromatographic analysis. This is the first report of isolation of these compounds from this plant. Their structures were constructed by spectroscopic analysis and by comparing the data with the published one. Subsequently the ethanolic extract was fractionated with two organic solvents and all the fractions were studied to evaluate their in vitro antioxidant property. The ethanolic extract was fractionated with two organic solvents and all the fractions were studied to evaluate their in vitro antioxidant property by DPPH free radical scavenging assay, superoxide anion radical scavenging assay, nitric oxide radical scavenging assay, and reducing power assay. In the DPPH free radical scavenging assay and superoxide radical scavenging assay, the ethyl acetate soluble fraction of ethanolic extract revealed the highest free radical scavenging activity with IC50 value of 2.65 and 155.62 μg/ml, respectively as compared to standard ascorbic acid (IC50 value of 5.8 and 99.66 μg/ml). Ethyl acetate fraction also possessed highest reducing power activity with an EC50 value of 15.27 μg/ml compared to ascorbic acid (EC50 0.91 μg/ml). On the other hand, the carbon tetrachloride fraction exhibited most significant NO scavenging activity with IC50 value of 277.8 μg/ml that was even higher than that of standard ascorbic acid (IC50 value 356.04 μg/ml). In addition, the total phenolic contents of these extract and fractions were evaluated using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and varied from 7.93 to 50.21 mg/g dry weight expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAE). This study showed that different extracts of roots of L. macrophylla possess potential DPPH, superoxide, and NO free radical scavenging activities. The antioxidant activities of the plant extracts might be due to the presence of oleanolic acid, oleanolic acid derivative 7 α, 28-olean diol and stigmasterol.

Purpose: Hyperinflammation in severe COVID-19 infection increases the risk of respiratory failure and one of the cogent reasons of mortality associated with COVID-19. Baricitinib, a janus kinases inhibitor, can potentially suppress inflammatory cascades in severe COVID-19 pneumonia.Methods: The objective of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of high dose of baricitinib with its usual dose in patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. This prospective cohort study was conducted on 238 adult patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Eight milligram and 4 mg of baricitinib was given orally to 122 patients in the high dose (HD) group and 116 patients the usual dose (UD) group, respectively daily for 14 days, and clinical outcomes were compared among the groups.Results: Blood oxygen saturation level was stabilized (≥94% on room air) earlier in the HD group compared to the UD group [5 (IQR: 4–5)/8 (IQR: 6–9),P < 0.05]. Patients in the HD group required intensive care unit (ICU) and intubation supports more in the UD group than that in patients of the HD group [17.2%/9%,P < 0.05; 11.2%/4.1%,P > 0.05;N = 116/122, respectively]. The 30-day mortality and 60-day rehospitalization rate were higher in the UD group than the HD group [6%/3.3%,P < 0.01; 11.9%/7.6%,P > 0.05;N = 116/122, respectively].Conclusion: The daily high dose of baricitinib in severe COVID-19 results in early stabilization of the respiratory functions, declined requirements of critical care supports, reduced rehospitalization with mortality rate compared to its daily usual dose.

The present study evaluated the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of methanolic extract of aerial parts of Adiantum capillus-veneris L. and its different solvent fractions. The in vitro antioxidant activity was assessed by using 2,2’-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. The analysis revealed that ethyl acetate soluble fraction had the highest DPPH radicals scavenging property with IC50 value of 1.05 μg/ml as compared to positive control ascorbic acid (IC50 = 1.34 μg/ml). In addition, ex vivo cytotoxicity assay of A. capillus-veneris L. extract and its different fractions were performed against HELA cells line where 5-Fluorouracil was used as positive control. The result demonstrated that ethyl acetate and n-hexane soluble fractions showed prominent cytotoxicity with IC50 value of 5.68 μg/ml and 17.15 μg/ml, respectively. The study affirmed that superior antioxidant and cytotoxic activities were shown by ethyl acetate soluble fraction of methanolic extract of aerial parts of A. capillus-veneris L. growing in Bangladesh which indicate the presence of bioactive phytoconstituents in the extractives. Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 18(2): 217-222, 2019 (December)