Journal of ethnopharmacology
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Review
A review of the phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of Magnoliae officinalis cortex.
Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex (the dried bark of Magnolia officinalis), a widely used traditional Chinese medicine, is also known as 'Houpo' (Chinese: ). Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex has a wide range of pharmacological effects and has been used to treat conditions such as abdominal distention, vomiting, diarrhea, food accumulation, Qi stagnation, constipation, phlegm and fluid retention and cough resulting from asthma. ⋯ Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex is an essential traditional Chinese medicine with pharmacological activities that mainly affect the digestive system, nervous system and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems. This review summarises its botany, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology. These information suggest that we should focus on the development of new drugs related to Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex, including specific constituents, so that Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex can exert greater therapeutic potential. Meanwhile, it is important to pay attention to the rational use of Magnolia resources, avoiding over-harvesting which could lead to lack of resources. We should also pursue research on Magnolia substitutes and develop resources such as Magnoliae Officinalis Flos and Magnolia Leaf.
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Mistletoe has been used since ancient times in Europe mostly for medicinal purposes. Since 1917, mistletoe preparations have been applied in cancer therapy and today are the most frequently used complementary medicine in tumor treatment. The main cytotoxic constituents of Viscum album are lectins and viscotoxins. ⋯ The complete mistletoe extract is more potent to inhibit tumor cell proliferation than isolated ML-1 at an equivalent concentration level. Phenolic compounds found in all Iscucin® preparations might contribute to uphold the cytotoxic activity of ML-1 by antioxidative action. However, further studies are necessary to evaluate the role of VT-A and possible synergistic actions to the antiproliferative effect of aqueous mistletoe extracts.
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Sida cordifolia is used commonly in traditional systems of medicine (TSM) and as folk remedies for treating the wounds (both external and internal), infected area, rheumatic disorders, muscular weakness, tuberculosis, heart problems, bronchitis, neurological problems etc. Therefore, in order to authenticate the claims, a mechanism-oriented investigation of the wound healing properties of this plant is essential. ⋯ It was concluded that HF3 can be applied topically in hydrogel form in the case of delayed wound healing caused by the steroidal drug-dexamethasone, aptly justifying its traditional use. Regarding its mechanism of action, our findings report that the potent adaptive response of SCA-treated WT and Δtrx2 strains towards intracellular ROS specifically mitochondrial-ROS confirms its antioxidant potential. Moreover, as SCA was able to rescue the Δtrx2 strains from stress, it can be inferred that it might be able to induce the enzyme thioredoxin-II to restore redox homeostasis. The findings with the conditional mutant ∆trx2 are the first proof linking SCA action related to particular cellular pathways which may be because of the phenols and flavonoids and their synergistic effect.