UNASSIGNED: Diabetes is a growing metabolic disease that is characterized by high blood sugar levels with life-threatening results. Diabetic wounds are a major problem because they do not resolve in few days. Major problems affecting wound healing are infection, age, stress, etc. at the wound site, and other associated disease conditions. Lycopene is a red pigment obtained from various fruits such as tomatoes, watermelon, and guava. It is a powerful antioxidant that scavenges reactive oxygen species and potential as nutraceuticals. It has reported antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, and antiaging activities based on the literature.
UNASSIGNED: The objective of the current study is to find the wound-healing potential of lycopene emulgel (LE) and report the properties of the compound.
UNASSIGNED: Wound healing activity was assessed in Streptozotocin induced diabetic rats and control rats. Streptozotocin injection (55 mg/kg) was used to induce marked hyperglycaemia, compared with controls. The formulation was applied topically and was evaluated for efficacy.
UNASSIGNED: Treatment of rats with lycopene emulgel (LE) topical application exhibited a significant reduction of wound closure of 95.3 and 88.9% and epithelisation within 21 days.
UNASSIGNED: The formulation was found to be novel, safe, and effective in the functional recovery of wounds.

The use of home remedies for medicinal purposes, most of which are edible plants has continued to be a practice in many homes. However, there has been an increasing report of chronic use with lethal effect. Among the commonly used herbal/ medicinal plants were ginger, garlic and lemon. These were seen to be prevalent across continents with brewing and crude extraction being the most means of consumption. This study investigated the organ wide toxicity of this extract following chronic consumption of crude extract. Twenty-five albino Wister rats, five in each group were used for this experiment. Each animal received 0.5ml/kg body weight of either ginger extract, garlic extract, lemon juice, or a mixture of equal volumes of all three extract (v/v) respectively twice daily for seven (7) days. Statistics were represented as ±SE; P≤0.05 was considered significant. Previous studies have shown that moderate consumption of these medicinal plants were beneficial and have shown no deleterious effect. This study observed no change in the weight of the experimental animals. The weight of the animals continued to increase except for the group that received lemon and the mixture, but these were not significant. It was observed that chronic consumption induced organ wide toxicity to include the liver, kidney, intestinal epithelium, stomach, and pancreas. These were shown to alter tissue architecture and the cell morphology. Packed cell volume was reduced in the lemon and the group that received a combination of all extracts (p=o.03). Blood differentials showed changes in levels. An elevated basophil level was observed in ginger and garlic (p<0.0001; p=0.0006). Monocyte levels increased progressively across each group when compared to the control with the most elevated level seen in the group that received the mixture (p<0.0001). Lymphocyte count was reduced across all the groups that received the extract except for animals that received ginger. This study suggests the application of caution among users of these medicinal plants and continues to draw attention to the need for harmonization and standardization of safe use doses.

OBJECTIVE: The focus of research has recently shifted toward developing herbal-based medicines due to the emerging bacterial resistance and side effects of antibiotics. Solanum xanthocarpum (Sx) is a medicinal plant with potent pharmacological properties. This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of its crude extracts on bacteria isolated from dental plaque in patients with gingivitis.
METHODS: Aqueous, ethyl acetate, hexane, chloroform, and ethanolic extracts were prepared from Sx. Dental plaque samples were collected from patients with plaque-induced gingivitis. Disk diffusion assay was performed to determine the antibacterial activity of the extracts at concentrations of 25 mg/ml, 50 mg/ml, and 75 mg/ml with ampicillin 200 mg/ml as a positive control. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the aqueous extract was also evaluated by broth dilution test against bacteria isolated from dental plaque biofilm.
RESULTS: The antibacterial activity was estimated by measuring the zones of inhibition through the disc diffusion method. The Kruskal Wallis with Dunn post hoc test performed for intergroup comparison between the various extracts showed a statistically significant difference in inhibition of bacterial growth between 25 mg/ml and 75 mg/ml concentrations. There was no significant difference between the 75 mg/ml Sx concentration and the positive control. In addition, the MIC was elucidated to be 0.625 g/ml, at which there was maximum inhibition of bacterial growth.
CONCLUSIONS: The Sx extract exhibited antibacterial activity against periodontal pathogens. Thus, it can be concluded that optimum concentrations of Sx could be used in therapeutic strategies to prevent and manage periodontal diseases.

Aim To assess the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of Calendula officinalis tea formulation. Materials and methods In this study, a formulation of 2 grams of dried marigold flower petals and 100 milliliters (ml) of distilled water was subjected to anti-inflammatory testing using albumin denaturation assay and anti-protease activity and antioxidant testing by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate) assay. An independent sample t-test was done to compare the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potentials of marigold tea formulation and control using SPSS version 22.0 software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), and any p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The highest anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of marigold extract were exhibited at 10 microliters (µl) and 20 µl (p-value = 0.002 and 0.000), respectively. The anti-inflammatory activity was higher than the control at all concentrations, whereas the antioxidant activity was higher at lower concentrations when compared to higher concentrations. Conclusion Marigold flower tea formulation exhibited better anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities than the controls and therefore could be evaluated as a potential therapeutic agent.

UNASSIGNED: Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) is a common household plant with needle-like leaves and white flowers that belongs to the family Lamiaceae and has various medicinal properties including ailments of hair and scalp, cardiovascular, nervous disorders, etc., In the current work, we have focused on formulation and evaluation of 1% hair lotion incorporated with methanolic extract of R. officinalis.
UNASSIGNED: The aerial parts of the plant were extracted with methanol and then the nature of phytochemicals were identified by chemical tests. It showed the presence of proteins, amino acids, fats and oils, steroids, glycosides, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, volatile oil, and vitamins. The extract was formulated to a suitable hair lotion and then evaluated for its various quality control parameters. Finally, the lotion was evaluated for hair growth promoting activity on C57BL/6 mice, using water as control and 2% minoxidil hair lotion as standard.
UNASSIGNED: It was observed that the formulated 1% herbal hair lotion passed all the evaluation parameters and showed a significant hair growth promoting activity than the standard drug-treated animals.
UNASSIGNED: Although several researches have been carried out on the rosemary, an investigation on formulation of hair lotion adding the extract of the aerial part of the plant is for the first time. Since our formulation exhibited an excellent activity, it can be well thought out to be an alternative to the commercially available hair growth promoters with a lot of unwanted effects.

Nutraceuticals are the foods that are used to prevent and cure diseases. Food and nutrients are essential for the body\'s normal function and aid in the maintenance of an individual\'s health and prevent various diseases. Nutraceuticals are medicinal foods that aid in the maintenance of health, the enhancement of immunity, and the prevention and treatment of specific diseases. The markets of nutraceuticals are one of the fastest-growing industry segments. The prime reason for this accelerated market growth lies in the fact that nutraceuticals are low cost, can prevent diseases to occur, hence, can save the health care cost, have more nutritional value, and many others. Nutraceuticals can be classified on different foundations based on what they promise, natural sources, and nutraceutical food available in the market. This article will discuss those classifications in detail along with the role of nutraceuticals in lifestyle diseases, regulations, market trends, and prospects of nutraceuticals. The article will also highlight the concern areas which play as the limiting factor in the nutraceuticals industry growth like lack of quality control, lack of data on its working, and many other things.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Clean-DM1 (C-DM1), a polyherbal formulation of Radix Scrophulariae, Radix Astragali, Rhizoma Atractylodis, and Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced diabetes mice.
METHODS: The information about active components of C-DM1 extract and molecular mechanism was obtained from network pharmacology analysis. Main compounds of C-DM1 extract by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analysis were conducted for quality control. For in vivo study, mice were induced diabetes by HFD for 12 weeks. The mice in the normal group (Nor) were maintained with a regular diet and treated with saline by gavage. The HFD model mice were randomly divided into 3 groups, including a HFD diabetic model group, a C-DM1 extract-administered group (C-DM1, 500 mg/kg), and metformin-administered groups (Met, 500 mg/kg), 8 mice in each group. Food intake, body weight (BW), and fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels were recorded weekly for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks of treatment, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood glucose, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were determined using an automated clinical chemistry analyzer, and homeostatic model for assessing insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were detected. The histopathological changes of liver and pancreatic tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Insulin receptor substrate (IRS)/phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/ protein kinase B (AKT) and adenosine 5\'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) expressions in liver and pancreas tissues were detected by Western blot analysis.
RESULTS: HPLC-MS identified dihydroisotanshinone, dihydroisotanshinone I, cryptotanshinone, harpagoside, and atractyloside A in C-DM1 extract. The administration of C-DM1 extract significantly decreased body weight, calorie intake, and the levels of blood glucose and insulin in the diabetic mice (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The C-DM1 extract administration improved the impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in the diabetic mice and significantly decreased the levels of LDL-C, ALT and AST (P<0.01). The C-DM1 extract inhibited the histopathological changes of fatty liver and hyperplasia of pancreatic islets in the diabetic mice. The C-DM1 extract significantly increased the phosphorylation of IRS, AKT, and AMPK and the expression of PI3K in pancreas and liver tissues (P<0.05 or P<0.01), which was consistent with the analysis results of network pharmacology.
CONCLUSIONS: C-DM1 extract improved diabetes symptoms in long-term HFD-induced mice by regulation of IRS/PI3K/AKT and AMPK expressions in pancreas and liver tissues, suggesting that C-DM1 formulation may help prevent the progression of T2DM.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic still has tremendous impacts on the global socio-economy and quality of living. The traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) approach showed encouraging results during previous outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). With limited treatment availability, TCM herbs and formulations could be useful to reduce COVID-19 symptoms and potential sources for discovering novel therapeutic targets. We reviewed 12 TCM herbs and formulations recommended for COVID-19 management by the National Health Commission and as National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the People\'s Republic of China. This article explored the Chinese national authorities\' guidelines from 2003 to 2020, the scientific data in public databases for the recommended TCM remedies, and their potential mechanistic actions in COVID-19 management. Several TCM herbs and formulations could potentially benefit COVID-19 management. The recommended TCM oral preparations list includes Huoxiang zhengqi, Jinhua Qinggan, Lianhua Qingwen, and Shufeng jiedu; the recommended injection preparations comprise Xiyanping Xuebijing, Re-Du-Ning, Tanreqing, Xingnaojing, Shenfu, Shengmai, and Shenmai. TCM remedies are viable options for symptom alleviation and management of COVID-19. The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic presents an opportunity to find novel therapeutic targets from TCM-active ingredients. Despite the recommendations in Chinese National guidelines, these remedies warrant further assessments in well-designed clinical trials to ascertain their efficacy in the treatment of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) was developed and validated for the determination of aloe-emodin in accordance with ICH guidelines. In addition, a novel RP-UHPLC method was developed, and both methods were used to analyse the herbal extract and herbal formulation.
METHODS: Separation was carried out on a silica gel 60 F254 HPTLC plate using the mobile phase Toluene: Methanol (9:1). The linearity was good across the 800-4000 ng/spot range. Validation results are within acceptable limits. The percent RSD for accuracy was 0.58-1.77, and precision was 1.10-1.97 and 1.45-1.94 for intraday and interday, respectively. The percentage of aloe-emodin found in the herbal extract and aloe vera capsule was 99.83 ± 1.19 and 99.53 ± 1.29, respectively, using this method.
RESULTS: Quantification of aloe-emodin in herbal extract and herbal formulation were done using a novel UHPLC method with chromatographic conditions of orthophosphoric acid Methanol (0.1 percent OPA): Water (65:35, v/v) and pH 3, a flow rate of 1.2 ml/min, and elute detection at 254 nm. At 6.32 minutes, a sharp and symmetric peak was observed. The method developed was validated in accordance with ICH guidelines. The percent RSD numerical value of accuracy was 0.304-0.576, and the inter-day and intraday precision were 0.32-3.08 and 0.51-2.78, respectively. Herbal extract and aloe vera capsule were analysed using the new UHPLC method. Aloe-emodin percentages were reported as 100.3 ± 0.89 and 99.53 ± 1.29, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The antimicrobial and anti-oxidant activities of an aloe-vera herbal formulation were studied, and the results were positive.

UNASSIGNED: Moringa stenopetala (Baker f.) Cudof. and Mentha spicata L. are widely used in the traditional system of medicine for the treatment of diabetes, hypertension, digestive problems and various disorders. The leaves formulation of M. stenopetala and M. spicata herbal tea showed better antidiabetic and antihypertensive effects in rodent models. However, its long-term safety profile has not been investigated yet. Thus, this study investigated the subchronic (90 days) oral toxicity of the leaves formulation of M. stenopetala and M. spicata herbal tea in Wistar albino rats.
UNASSIGNED: Four groups of rats (n = 10, with 5/sex/group) were randomly assigned into a control (vehicle) group and three test groups (559.36, 1118.72 and 2237.44 mg/kg, respectively). The three test groups received the herbal tea of M. stenopetala and M. spicata leaves blend daily for 90 days. The control group received distilled water. During the treatment period, clinical signs were observed daily, and food consumption and body weight changes of the rats were measured weekly. At the end of the experiment, macro-pathological, hematological and biochemical parameters were evaluated. Furthermore, histopathology of liver, kidney, heart, stomach and pancreas were examined.
UNASSIGNED: Subchronic oral administration of the herbal tea of M. stenopetala and M. spicata leaves blend did not result in death or significant toxicity signs in the treated group rats. Moreover, the herbal tea caused no significant changes on body weight, food intake, organ weight, hematological and biochemical parameters in either sex. However, the serum AST, CK and LDH levels were significantly elevated in rats treated with 2237.44 mg/kg of herbal tea in both sexes. There was no significant alteration in the histology of organs, only minor lesions in the liver, kidney and pancreas were observed.
UNASSIGNED: The study results indicate that the herbal tea of M. stenopetala and M. spicata leaves blend is relatively safe/low toxic to rats in subchronic exposure. However, further preclinical (chronic, teratogenic, reproductive and developmental toxicity) studies in animals are required in order to have sufficient safety and toxicity profiles for its use in humans.