Phytochemical analysis and antiproliferative properties of Pistacia atlantica leaves

The medicinal plants may serve as potential sources for the development of new drugs and more effective anticancer agents for future therapy. Pistacia atlantica (Vahl.) Masters (Anacardiaceae) is an important plant used in traditional medicine practice in Algeria, and North Africa countries. The present study has the objective to estimate the in vitro antiproliferative (on the RD and Hep2 human tumor cell lines using the3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) assay) properties of the aqueous extracts of P. atlantica leaves, offering a phytochemical characterization of its aqueous extracts, by spectrophotometry methods. evealed by HPLC, phenolic compounds present among the five different flavonoids identified such as: ((epi)catechin, myricetin, quercetin and kaempferol glycoside derivatives). The MTT assay revealed that the tested extract had a good activity against Hep2 and RD cell lines with median inhibitory concentration (GI50)> 1000 μg/mL against Hep2 and (IC50) = 825,079 μg/mL against RD, (GI 50). The results showed a great bioactive potential for this species with a significant contribution of phenolic compounds, specially the flavonoids which makes it an interesting matrix in the development of novel pharmaceutical formulations. Planned future studies will involve the identification of different extract other than aqueous extract, determination of the mechanisms of action and the bioactive molecule of plant extracts. Keywords: Pistacia atlantica; aqueous extract; antiproliferative; MTT, HPLC.

Aromatic and medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in the region of Tiaret, North West of Algeria

Herbal medicine is gaining an increasing importance in the management of various ailments, but little is known about traditional practices in Algeria. This ethnopharmacological study aims to document medicinal and aromatic plants used in traditional medicine in the region of Tiaret (northwest of Algeria) in order to contribute to safeguard the local pharmacopoeia as cultural heritage, and to provide a scientific basis for developing novel strategies for such practices which can help for drugs discovery. Semi-structured interviews with 64 traditional healers and herbalists were realized in the region of Tiaret (Algeria) throughout field studies achieved from December 2018 to May 2020. Interviews covered sociodemographic information, popular and vernacular names of the medicinal plants, mode of use and toxicity among other data. Results reveal the use of 107 plant species belonging to 45 families and 97 genera for the treatment of various ailments. Lamiaceae, Apiaceae and Asteraceae were the most represented families. The most frequently cited species were Senna alexandrina Mill. (FC=27), Atriplex halimus L. and Bunium incrassatum Amo (FC=23 each), Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (FC=22), and Matricaria chamomilla L. (FC=21). However, the higher use values were reported for Nigella sativa L. (UV=1.5), Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (UV=1.38), Thymus serpyllum L. (UV=1.2), Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam. (UV=1.14), Urtica dioica L. (1.13), and Senna alexandrina Mill. (UV=0.52) respectively. Interestingly, Bunium incrassatum Amo, Echinops spinosissimus Turra, Cucurbita moschata Duchesne, Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br and Malus domestica Borkh. were reported for the first time as medicinal plants in the north Africa and Algeria. Moreover, 246 new therapeutic uses were described. It should be noted that Pistacia atlantica Desf., Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Mast., Oudneya africana R. Br., Euphorbia guyoniana Boiss. & Reut, Teucrium polium L. and Marrubium deserti (Noë) Coss. are endemic to North Africa-Algeria, Northern and Central Sahara. Furthermore, Artemisia herba-alba Asso, Anacyclus pyrethrum (L.) Lag., Cuminum cyminum L., Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch., Boswellia sacra Flueck. and Pistacia atlantica Desf. are considered threatened, rare or endangered species. Our findings are relevant not only for the future studies and experiments in the search for novel compounds, but also for the safeguard of traditional knowledge and biodiversity.

Effect of Pistacia atlantica on the elimination of Helicobacter pylori and improvement of gastric reflux in patients with chronic cough: A randomized clinical trial

Background: Pistacia atlantica (P. atlantica) has been associated with beneficial medical effects on gastrointestinal complications. Objective: It was intended to assess the effects of P. atlantica in elimination of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and amelioration of gastric reflux and chronic cough. Methods: In this clinical trial study, 100 subjects with H. pylori infection who had the symptoms of gastric reflux and chronic cough were recruited and classified into two intervention and placebo groups, continuing 50 subjects each. The intervention group was administered two 500 mg doses of P. atlantica extract each day. The H. pylori antigen load in stool samples was evaluated using ELISA. The severity of cough and gastric re flux was also determined. Results: The subjects in two groups were age and sex matched and the baseline measurements were similar on the day 0. Nonetheless, it was observed that on the day 14, there was a significant reduction of H. pylori antigen load in the intervention group compared with the placebo group (P = 0.00021). Furthermore, the intensity of chronic cough was reduced significantly in the intervention group (P = 0.0014). The gastric reflux was improved in the intervention group at the end of the study. Conclusion: P. atlantica extract was beneficial in controlling H. pylori infection. It also improved the complications of the infection, like gastric reflux and chronic cough. Hence, it is highly recommended to value natural products, along with traditional antibiotics, in ameliorating H. pylori infection.

Effects of Herbal Medicines on Nipple Fissures: A Systematic Review

Context: As a prevalent problem on the first days of childbirth, nipple fissures can cause pain and discomfort and lead to the early cessation of breastfeeding. Effectively treating this complication is therefore crucial. This systematic review investigated the effects of herbal medicines on the treatment of nipple fissures. Data Sources: Keywords such as “treatment”, “nipple fissure”, “fissure”, “medicinal plants”, “sore nipple” and “herbal ingredients” were used individually and in combination to extract relevant articles published by March 2020 from English databases, i.e., Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar. The Persian equivalents of these keywords were used for extracting articles from Google Scholar, SID and Magiran. The selected articles were qualitatively evaluated using the checklist issued by Consolidated Standard of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) in 2017. Results: Out of 132 articles retrieved, 10 eligible ones were included in this study. Investigating the full text of the articles found herbal medicines such as purslane, Aloe vera, olive oil, frankincense, Pistacia atlantica, curcumin and Ziziphus jujuba effective in treating nipple fissures. Conclusions: Given the effects of herbal medicines on treating nipple fissures, it is recommended that comprehensive studies be conducted on different forms and doses of these compounds.

Evaluation of Susceptibility and Resistance of Human Infectious Bacteria and Identification of Bioactive Compounds in Pistacia atlantica, Cassia absus, and Quercus persica

Background: The antimicrobial activity of plants has long been considered an effective mechanism for controlling pathogenic microorganisms. Objectives: This study aimed to identify phytochemical compounds of the seed extracts from ethnomedicinal plants of Pistacia atlantica, Cassia absus, and Quercus persica with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and investigation of their antibacterial and antioxidant activities. Methods: The seeds were collected from Lorestan Province, Iran. Their antibacterial and antiradical activities were analyzed by disk-diffusion and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assays, respectively. Ethanol (96%), methanol (80%), and distilled water extracts were obtained by the maceration method. The methanol extract was used for the analysis of chemical compositions. Results: About 40, 31, and 8 compounds were identified by GC-MS in the seeds of C. absus, P. atlantica, and Q. persica, respectively. Results indicated that 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (36.043%) and tetradecanoic acid (4.92%) were dominated in the seed extracts of C. absus. However, germacyclopetene (38.119%) and 1,2,3-benzenetriol (8.115%) were dominated in the seed extracts of P. atlantica. Furthermore, 5H-tetrazole-5-thione, 1,4-dihydro-1,4-dimethy (38.505%), and tetradecanoic acid (30.546%) were dominated in the seed extracts of Q. persica. The highest inhibitory activity against Micrococcus luteus was observed on the methanol extract of C. absus with ascorbic acid. A significant difference was observed between the Inhibitory Concentration (IC50) values of methanol extract of C. absus with ascorbic acid. Conclusion: Because of the presence of antimicrobial compounds in the tested ethnomedicinal plants, they can be used to synthesize new antimicrobial drugs in medicinal and pharmaceutical sciences.