In recent decades, interest in theCordycepsgenus has amplified due to its immunostimulatory potential.Cordycepsspecies, its extracts, and bioactive constituents have been related with cytokine production such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, phagocytosis stimulation of immune cells, nitric oxide production by increasing inducible nitric oxide synthase activity, and stimulation of inflammatory response via mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Other pharmacological activities like antioxidant, anti-cancer, antihyperlipidemic, anti-diabetic, anti-fatigue, anti-aging, hypocholesterolemic, hypotensive, vasorelaxation, anti-depressant, aphrodisiac, and kidney protection, has been reported in pre-clinical studies. These biological activities are correlated with the bioactive compounds present inCordycepsincluding nucleosides, sterols, flavonoids, cyclic peptides, phenolic, bioxanthracenes, polyketides, and alkaloids, being the cyclic peptides compounds the most studied. An organized review of the existing literature was executed by surveying several databanks like PubMed, Scopus, etc. using keywords likeCordyceps, cordycepin, immune system, immunostimulation, immunomodulatory, pharmacology, anti-cancer, anti-viral, clinical trials, ethnomedicine, pharmacology, phytochemical analysis, and different species names. This review collects and analyzes state-of-the-art about the properties ofCordycepsspecies along with ethnopharmacological properties, application in food, chemical compounds, extraction of bioactive compounds, and various pharmacological properties with a special focus on the stimulatory properties of immunity.

Garlic (Allium sativum) is an edible tuber belonging to the family Liliaceae. It has been used since ancient times as a spice to enhance the sensory characteristics of food and as a household remedy for the treatment of a variety of ailments. Garlic has been studied for its medicinal and therapeutic effects in the treatment of various human diseases for a long time. Health benefits associated with the consumption of garlic are attributed to the various sulfur compounds present in it such as allicin, ajoene, vinyl-dithiin, and other volatile organosulfur compounds which are all metabolized from alliin. Several researches in the literature have shown evidence that garlic exhibits antioxidant, antiviral, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, antihypertensive, anti-anemic, anti-hyperlipidemic, anticarcinogenic, antiaggregant, and immunomodulatory properties. The present review identifies and discusses the various health benefits associated with the consumption of garlic, its essential oil, and bioactive constituents, along with exploring the various snack-food products developed by incorporating garlic.

Multidrug‐resistant (MDR) pathogens have created a fatal problem for human health and antimicrobial treatment. Among the currently available antibiotics, many are inactive against MDR pathogens. In this context, heterocyclic compounds/drugs play a vital role. Thus, it is very much essential to explore new research to combat the issue. Of the available nitrogen‐bearing heterocyclic compounds/drugs, pyridine derivatives are of special interest due to their solubility. Encouragingly, some of the newly synthesized pyridine compounds/drugs are found to inhibit multidrug‐resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Pyridine scaffold bearing poor basicity generally improves water solubility in pharmaceutically potential molecules and has led to the discovery of numerous broad‐spectrum therapeutic agents. Keeping these in mind, we have reviewed the chemistry, recent synthetic techniques, and bacterial preventative activity of pyridine derivatives since 2015. This will facilitate the development of pyridine‐based novel antibiotic/drug design in the near future as a versatile scaffold with limited side effects for the next‐generation therapeutics.

Vacha (Acorus calamus Linn. (Acoraceae)) is a traditional Indian medicinal herb, which is practiced to treat a wide range of health ailments, including neurological, gastrointestinal, respiratory, metabolic, kidney, and liver disorders. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive up-to-date report on its ethnomedicinal use, phytochemistry, and pharmacotherapeutic potential, while identifying potential areas for further research. To date, 145 constituents have been isolated from this herb and identified, including phenylpropanoids, sesquiterpenoids, and monoterpenes. Compelling evidence is suggestive of the biopotential of its various extracts and active constituents in several metabolic and neurological disorders, such as anticonvulsant, antidepressant, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, and anti-obesity effects. The present extensive literature survey is expected to provide insights into the involvement of several signaling pathways and oxidative mechanisms that can mitigate oxidative stress, and other indirect mechanisms modulated by active biomolecules of A. calamus to improve neurological and metabolic disorders.

Chyawanprash (CP) is an Ayurvedic health supplement which is made up of a super-concentrated blend of nutrient-rich herbs and minerals. It is meant to restore drained reserves of life force (ojas) and to preserve strength, stamina, and vitality, while stalling the course of aging. Chyawanprash is formulated by processing around 50 medicinal herbs and their extracts, including the prime ingredient, Amla (Indian gooseberry), which is the world’s richest source of vitamin C. Chyawanprash preparation involves preparing a decoction of herbs, followed by dried extract preparation, subsequent mixture with honey, and addition of aromatic herb powders (namely clove, cardamom, and cinnamon) as standard. The finished product has a fruit jam-like consistency, and a sweet, sour, and spicy flavor. Scientific exploration of CP is warranted to understand its therapeutic efficacy. Scattered information exploring the therapeutic potential of CP is available, and there is a need to assemble it. Thus, an effort was made to compile the scattered information from ancient Ayurvedic texts and treatises, along with ethnobotanical, ethnopharmacological, and scientifically validated literature, that highlight the role of CP in therapeutics. Citations relevant to the topic were screened.