Background: A simple and sensitive thin-layer chromatographic method has been established for quantification of glycyrrhizin in Glycyrrhiza glabra rhizome and baby herbal formulations by validated Reverse Phase HPTLC method. Materials and Methods: RP-HPTLC Method was carried out using glass coated with RP-18 silica gel 60 F254S HPTLC plates using methanol-water (7: 3 v/v) as mobile phase. Results: The developed plate was scanned and quantified densitometrically at 256 nm. Glycyrrhizin peaks from Glycyrrhiza glabra rhizome and baby herbal formulations were identified by comparing their single spot at Rf = 0.63 ± 0.01. Linear regression analysis revealed a good linear relationship between peak area and amount of glycyrrhizin in the range of 2000-7000 ng/band. Conclusion: The method was validated, in accordance with ICH guidelines for precision, accuracy, and robustness. The proposed method will be useful to enumerate the therapeutic dose of glycyrrhizin in herbal formulations as well as in bulk drug.

The polar fractions of the Juniperus species are rich in bioflavonoid contents. Phytochemical study of the polar fraction of Juniperus sabina aerial parts resulted in the isolation of cupressuflavone (CPF) as the major component in addition to another two bioflavonoids, amentoflavone and robustaflavone. Biflavonoids have various biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, hypoglycemic, neuroprotective, and antipsychotic effects. Previous studies have shown that the metabolism and elimination of biflavonoids in rats are fast, and their oral bioavailability is very low. One of the methods to improve the bioavailability of drugs is to alter the route of administration. Recently, nose-to-brain drug delivery has emerged as a reliable method to bypass the blood–brain barrier and treat neurological disorders. To find the most effective CPF formulation for reaching the brain, three different CPF formulations (A, B and C) were prepared as self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDS). The formulations were administered via the intranasal (IN) route and their effect on the spontaneous motor activity in addition to motor coordination and balance of rats was observed using the activity cage and rotarod, respectively. Moreover, pharmacokinetic investigation was used to determine the blood concentrations of the best formulation after 12 h. of the IN dose. The results showed that formulations B and C, but not A, decreased the locomotor activity and balance of rats. Formula C at IN dose of 5 mg/kg expressed the strongest effect on the tested animals.

Lagenaria siceraria commonly known as bottle gourd, is a medicinal plant widely cultivated in African and Asian countries. It is official in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia. It is traditionally used as a nutritive agent having cardioprotective, cardiotonic, general tonic, diuretic, aphrodisiac, antidote to certain poisons, scorpion strings and alternative purgative. It cures pain, ulcers, fever and is used for pectoral cough, asthma and other bronchial disorders. It also has various biological activities such as: anthelmintic, hepatoprotective, antimicrobial, antihyperlipidemic, antihyperglycemic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity. Lagenaria siceraria contains a number of primary and secondary metabolites. It contains important terpenoids, sterols, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolics and phenolic acids. The information in this review is retrieved from the database search including Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB), PubMed and Google scholar. From the literature, it was clearly revealed that L. siceraria showed a broad spectrum of biological and pharmacological activities due to the presence of various secondary metabolite. In the light of the above-mentioned multiple benefits of bottle gourd, the plant is regarded as a natural guard against diseases. L. siceraria possesses many important chemical constituents, which require further research to explore the medicinal value of this species.

Ulva lactuca is widespread green algae. In some regions, it is used in nutrition. Its nutrients include iron, protein, iodine, vitamins (A, B1, and C) and trace elements. Their extracts showed potential antibacterial, hypolipidemic, cardioprotective and chemoprotective activities. The main chemical constituents of Ulva lactuca methanolic crude extract and its fractions were investigated in this study using different phytochemical and chromatographic methods. Biologically guided fractionation of plants or seaweeds extracts is considered the first step in drug discovery. So, the algal crude extract was fractionated then in vitro bioscreened for the determination of diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) antioxidant, (Nitric Oxide) NO radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory activities. Results showed that water fraction was the most active fraction. Phenolic content, detected from HPLC, play a role in the antioxidant activity. Finally, it can be concluded that Ulva water fraction is effective candidate to be used in the treatment of oxidative stress and related disorders