Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. F1000Res. 2024 Oct 30;13:106. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.145643.3.
eCollection  2024.

Comparison of the efficacy of aescin and diclofenac sodium in the management of 
postoperative sequelae and their effect on salivary Prostaglandin E2 and serum 
C-reactive protein levels after surgical removal of impacted mandibular third 
molar: a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial.

Singhai A(1)(2), Kambala R(2), Bhola N(2).

Author information:
(1)Oral Surgery, General Dentistry Program, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, 
Makkah, 21442, Saudi Arabia.
(2)Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and 
Research, Wardha, Maharashtra, 442001, India.

INTRODUCTION: Surgical removal of an impacted third molar is one of the most 
common oral surgical procedures performed in dental offices. The postoperative 
phase is often associated with severe inflammation. Non-steroidal 
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are usually prescribed to manage postoperative 
discomfort. NSAIDs have been associated with gastrointestinal bleeding, renal 
function disturbances, and platelet count reductions. Thus, the present study 
demonstrates the utility of aescin in managing postoperative discomfort after 
the surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars.This study aimed to 
correlate and compare the impact of aescin and diclofenac on salivary PGE2 
levels and serum C-reactive protein levels after surgical extraction of the 
mandibular third molar. The study will also evaluate and compare the 
effectiveness of individual drug therapy in managing postoperative pain, 
swelling and mouth opening.
METHODS: The planned study is a single-center, double-blind, randomized, 
parallel, prospective clinical trial. Each patient will be prescribed either 
diclofenac sodium 150 mg/day or aescin (escin) 120 mg/day to be taken orally in 
divided doses for five days after surgically removing the impacted mandibular 
third molar.Pain will be assessed using a visual analog scale. Facial swelling 
and mouth opening will be recorded using a metric scale with standardized 
reference points. ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) will be 
employed to measure salivary Prostaglandin E2 and serum C-reactive protein 
levels. All parameters will be recorded preoperatively (T0) on the second 
postoperative day (T1) and fifth postoperative day (T2).
CONCLUSION: The proposed study is expected to show a clinically acceptable 
response to the administration of aescin for the management of postoperative 
discomfort compared to diclofenac sodium after third molar surgery.The proposed 
study is expected to positively manipulate the levels of salivary Prostaglandin 
E2 and serum C-reactive protein, which are reliable inflammatory markers.The 
outcome of this study may provide an efficacious and safe alternative to 
conventional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for managing postoperative 
discomfort following third molar surgery.

Copyright: © 2024 Singhai A et al.

DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.145643.3
PMCID: PMC11538593
PMID: 39507581 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: No competing interests were disclosed.There are 
no financial or competing interests for the principal investigators for the 
overall trial or each study site.


2. Clin Lab. 2024 Nov 1;70(11). doi: 10.7754/Clin.Lab.2024.240421.

In Vitro Protective Effects of Total Extract and Fractions of Fenugreek 
(Trigonella Foenum-Graecum L.) on Red Blood Cells.

Morshedi I.

BACKGROUND: Erythrocytes are susceptible to oxidative stress throughout their 
lifespan. While compounds like vitamin C can help mitigate oxidative stress, the 
exploration of natural herbal products continues to be a compelling area of 
research. To examine the impact of subfractions derived from acidified 
chloroform fractions of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) on red blood 
cells in the presence of H2O2 as an oxidant, we assessed the factors associated 
with erythrocyte aging and oxidative stress.
METHODS: The maceration technique was employed for extracting fenugreek seeds. 
Through chromatography, a total of 12 subfractions were isolated from the 
acidified chloroform extract of fenugreek seeds. Following an initial 
assessment, four subfractions exhibiting lower erythrocyte toxicity were chosen 
for further investigation. The objective was to evaluate their impact on 
erythrocyte aging by measuring the levels of phosphatidylserine (PS), sialic 
acid, CD47 on the erythrocyte surface, as well as oxidative stress biomarkers. 
The obtained results were presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD), and data 
analysis was performed by using ANOVA.
RESULTS: The results of this study revealed, that among the 12 subfractions 
derived from the acidified chloroform fraction of fenugreek, four subfractions 
demonstrated protective effects against H2O2-induced hemolysis and oxidative 
stress. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis indicated that treatment with three 
of these subfractions led to elevated levels of CD47 and reduced levels of 
phosphatidylserine on the surface of erythrocytes.
CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the subfractions of fenugreek extract 
which likely contain a higher concentration of flavonoids and a lower content of 
saponins could be responsible for the observed protection against erythrocyte 
aging processes. It appears that fenugreek seeds have the ability to safeguard 
human erythrocytes from oxidative damage by reducing oxidative stress, 
preserving the activity of antioxidative enzymes, and maintaining the integrity 
of erythrocyte structure.

DOI: 10.7754/Clin.Lab.2024.240421
PMID: 39506600 [Indexed for MEDLINE]


3. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2024 Nov 1. doi: 10.2174/0113892010332012241027022502. 
Online ahead of print.

Biochemical Screening, In-vitro and In-silico Characterization of Citrullus 
colocynthis Fruit Extracts: A Combined Experimental and Computation Study.

Shehzadi SA(1), Ashraf MA(1), Shafiq N(2), Rida F(2), Javed A(3), Younas F(1), 
Un-Nisa W(4), Younus W(5).

Author information:
(1)Sulaiman Bin Abdullah Aba Al-Khail-Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in 
Basic Sciences (SA-CIRBS), International Islamic University-44000 Islamabad, 
Pakistan.
(2)Synthetic and Natural Product Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of 
Chemistry, Government College Women University Faisalabad-38000, Pakistan.
(3)Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of 
Sciences and Technology (NUST), H-12 Islamabad, Pakistan.
(4)International Islamic University, Islamabad Sulaiman Bin Abdullah Aba 
Al-Khail-Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences (SA-CIRBS) 
Islamabad Pakistan.
(5)Department of Computer Science, Hamdard University, Islamabad, Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Several medicinal plants are identified as therapeutic agents for 
the world's most deadly disease cancer. A member of the "Cucurbitaceae" family 
of medicinal plants, Citrullus colocynthis (C. colocynthis) has various 
pharmacological actions.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: In the present study we have focused on the phytochemical 
analysis, antimicrobial, anticancer and in silico investigation of fruit 
extracts of C. colocynthis. The chloroform, pure ethanolic and aq. ethanolic 
extracts of C. colocynthis whole fruit, peel and pulp separately have been 
investigated.
METHODS: The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, 
flavonoids, steroids, phenols, saponins and glycosides in various parts of the 
fruit. Some compounds have been identified using GC-MS analysis by comparing 
with NIST library data. The antimicrobial activity of all extracts was checked 
by agar well diffusion method against five different bacterial strains such as 
A. baumannii, K. pneumonia, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and E. coli. The zone of 
inhibition (ZOI) ranged between 11 mm to 27 mm against different strains.
RESULTS: The polar solvent extracts (ethanolic and aq. ethanolic extract) of 
peel showed good sensitivity against all bacterial strains as compared to 
non-polar solvent (chloroform extract), which showed activity only against 
Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The cytotoxic activity of C. 
colocynthis all extracts against human brain cancer cell lines (U-87) was 
assessed using MTT assay.
CONCLUSION: The % cell viability of ethanolic (ET-PL), and aq. ethanolic extract 
of whole fruit and pulp showed promising results. The cancerous cell line U-87 
seems to be more sensitive towards polar solvents (ethanolic and aq. ethanolic) 
pulp extracts than peel. Further, based on invitro results, compounds identified 
in ET-PP were screened for their potential as antibacterial and anticancer 
agents through molecular docking and MMGBSA studies. These studies strongly 
supported the in-vitro study results and identified new drug candidates.

Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at 
epub@benthamscience.net.

DOI: 10.2174/0113892010332012241027022502
PMID: 39492776


4. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2024 Nov;30(11):e70103. doi: 10.1111/cns.70103.

Ginsenoside Rg1 Regulates the Activation of Astrocytes Through 
lncRNA-Malat1/miR-124-3p/Lamc1 Axis Driving PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway, 
Promoting the Repair of Spinal Cord Injury.

Zhu Y(1)(2), Zou W(1), Sun B(1)(3), Shen K(1), Xia F(1), Wang H(1), Jiang F(1), 
Lu Z(1).

Author information:
(1)Department of Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow 
University, Suzhou, China.
(2)Department of Orthopedics, The Affiliated Zhangjiagang Hospital of Soochow 
University, Zhangjiagang, China.
(3)Department of Orthopedics, Xuzhou City Hospital of TCM, Xuzhou, China.

AIM: To investigate the regulation of ginsenoside Rg1 on the PI3K/AKT pathway 
through the lncRNA-Malat1/miR-124-3p/ Laminin gamma1 (Lamc1) axis, activating 
astrocytes (As) to promote the repair of spinal cord injury (SCI).
METHODS: Bioinformatics analysis was used to predict miRNA targeting Lamc1 and 
lncRNA targeting miR-124-3p, which were then validated through a dual-luciferase 
assay. Following transfection, the relationships between Malat1, miR-124-3p, and 
Lamc1 expression levels were assessed by qRT-PCR and Western blot (WB). 
Immunofluorescence staining and immunohistochemistry were utilized to measure 
Lamc1 expression, while changes in cavity area were observed through 
hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scale and 
footprint analysis were used to evaluate functional recovery. WB was performed 
to assess the expression of PI3K/AKT pathway-related protein.
RESULTS: Rg1 was found to upregulate Malat1 expression, which in turn modulated 
the Malat1/miR-124-3p/Lamc1 axis. Furthermore, Rg1 activated the PI3K/Akt 
signaling pathway, significantly reducing the SCI cavity area and improving hind 
limb motor function. However, knockout of Malat1 hindered these effects, and 
inhibition of miR-124-3p reversed the silencing effects of Malat1.
CONCLUSIONS: Rg1 can induce Malat1 expression to activate the Lamc1/PI3K/AKT 
signaling pathway by sponging with miR-124-3p, thereby regulating As activity to 
repair SCI.

© 2024 The Author(s). CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & 
Sons Ltd.

DOI: 10.1111/cns.70103
PMCID: PMC11532020
PMID: 39491316 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.


5. J Colloid Interface Sci. 2023 Oct 21;654(Pt B):1031-1039. doi: 
10.1016/j.jcis.2023.10.108. Online ahead of print.

Promoting the adsorption of saponins at the hydrophilic solid-aqueous solution 
interface by the coadsorption with cationic surfactants.

Tucker IM(1), Burley A(1), Petkova RE(1), Hosking SL(1), Webster JRP(2), Li 
PX(2), Ma K(2), Penfold J(3), Thomas RK(4).

Author information:
(1)Unilever Research and Development, Port Sunlight Laboratory, Quarry Road 
East, Bebington, Wirral, UK.
(2)ISIS Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot, 
OXON, UK.
(3)ISIS Facility, STFC, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot, 
OXON, UK; Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University, 
South Parks Road, Oxford, UK. Electronic address: jeff.penfold@stfc.ac.uk.
(4)Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University, South Parks 
Road, Oxford, UK.

HYPOTHESIS: Saponins are highly surface active glycosides, and are extensively 
used to stabilise emulsions and foams in beverages, foods, and cosmetics. 
Derived from a variety of plant species these naturally occurring biosurfactants 
have wider potential for inclusion in many low carbon and or sustainably sourced 
products. Although their adsorption at the air-solution and liquid-liquid 
interfaces has been extensively studied, the nature of their adsorption at solid 
surfaces is much less clear. The aim of this study was to establish the criteria 
for and nature of the adsorption of saponins at both hydrophilic and hydrophobic 
solid surfaces.
EXPERIMENTS: Adsorption at the hydrophilic and hydrophobic solid surfaces was 
investigated using neutron reflectivity. Measurements were made for the saponins 
escin, quillaja and glycyrrhizic acid. At the hydrophilic surface measurements 
were also made for escin / cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, C16TAB, mixtures; 
using deuterium labelling to determine the surface structure and composition.
FINDINGS: At a range of solution concentrations, from below to well in excess of 
the critical micelle concentration, cmc, there was no saponin adsorption evident 
at either the hydrophilic or hydrophobic surface. This implies an inherent 
incompatibility between the surface OH- groups at the hydrophilic surface and 
the saponin sugar groups, and a reluctance for the hydrophobic triterpenoid 
group of the saponin to interact with the octadecyltrichlorosilane, OTS, 
hydrophobic solid surface. Above a critical composition or concentration escin / 
C16TAB mixtures adsorb at the hydrophilic solid surface; with a surface 
composition which is dominated by the escin, and a structure which reflects the 
disparity in the molecular arrangement of the two surfactant components. The 
results provide an important insight into how cooperative adsorption can be 
utilised to promote adsorption of saponins at the solid- solution interface.

Crown Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.10.108
PMID: 39491061

Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors 
declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal 
relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this 
paper.