Osteoporosis is a systemic bone disease characterized by reduced bone mass and the deterioration of bone microarchitecture leading to bone fragility and an increased risk of fractures. Conventional anti-osteoporotic pharmaceutics are effective in the treatment and prophylaxis of osteoporosis, however they are associated with various side effects that push many women into seeking botanicals as an alternative therapy. Traditional folk medicine is a rich source of bioactive compounds waiting for discovery and investigation that might be used in those patients, and therefore botanicals have recently received increasing attention. The aim of this review of literature is to present the comprehensive information about plant-derived compounds that might be used to maintain bone health in perimenopausal and postmenopausal females.

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Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacterium that colonizes the stomach of about 60% of people worldwide. The search for new drugs with activity against H. pylori is now a hotspot in the effective and safe control of this bacterium. Therefore, the aim of this research was to determine the antibacterial activity of extracts from selected plants of the Papaveraceae family against planktonic and biofilm forms of the multidrug-resistant clinical strain of H. pylori using a broad spectrum of analytical in vitro methods. It was revealed that among the tested extracts, those obtained from Corydalis cheilanthifolia and Chelidonium majus were the most active, with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 64 µg/mL and 128 µg/mL, respectively. High concentrations of both extracts showed cytotoxicity against cell lines of human hepatic origin. Therefore, we attempted to lower their MICs through the use of a synergistic combination with synthetic antimicrobials as well as by applying cellulose as a drug carrier. Using checkerboard assays, we determined that both extracts presented synergistic interactions with amoxicillin (AMX) and 3-bromopyruvate (3-BP) (FICI = 0.5) and additive relationships with sertraline (SER) (FICI = 0.75). The antibiofilm activity of extracts and their combinations with AMX, 3-BP, or SER, was analyzed by two methods, i.e., the microcapillary overgrowth under flow conditions (the Bioflux system) and assessment of the viability of lawn biofilms after exposure to drugs released from bacterial cellulose (BC) carriers. Using both methods, we observed a several-fold decrease in the level of H. pylori biofilm, indicating the ability of the tested compounds to eradicate the microbial biofilm. The obtained results indicate that application of plant-derived extracts from the Papaveraceae family combined with synthetic antimicrobials, absorbed into organic BC carrier, may be considered a promising way of fighting biofilm-forming H. pylori.

Previous studies proved that food strongly enhanced the bioavailability of vinpocetine. Food may change the pharmacokinetics of a drug by affecting various factors, including gastrointestinal pH. However, the influence of proton pump inhibitor-induced pH alterations on vinpocetine pharmacokinetics is not known. The aim was to evaluate the influence of omeprazole on the pharmacokinetics of oral vinpocetine. One group of male Wistar rats received single oral doses of vinpocetine (2 mg/kg - regimen V). In the second group, omeprazole (10 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally for 5 days before vinpocetine administration (regimen OV). For analysis of vinpocetine pharmacokinetics, blood samples were obtained before and 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12 h after vinpocetine administration. Vinpocetine concentrations were measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The mean values of AUC(0-t), AUC(0-inf) and C(max) in regimen V were very similar to respective values in regimen OV. The mean T(max) in both regimens was estimated for 1.5 h. There were no statistically significant differences between both regimens. In conclusion, omeprazole did not affect the pharmacokinetic profile of vinpocetine.

The antimicrobial properties of herbs from Papaveraceae have been used in medicine for centuries. Nevertheless, mutual relationships between the individual bioactive substances contained in these plants remain poorly elucidated. In this work, phytochemical composition of extracts from the aerial and underground parts of five Papaveraceae species (Chelidonium majus L., Corydalis cava (L.) Schweigg. and Körte, C. cheilanthifolia Hemsl., C. pumila (Host) Rchb., and Fumaria vaillantii Loisel.) were examined using LC-ESI-MS/MS with a triple quadrupole analyzer. Large differences in the quality and quantity of all analyzed compounds were observed between species of different genera and also within one genus. Two groups of metabolites predominated in the phytochemical profiles. These were isoquinoline alkaloids and, in smaller amounts, non-phenolic carboxylic acids and phenolic compounds. In aerial and underground parts, 22 and 20 compounds were detected, respectively. These included: seven isoquinoline alkaloids: protopine, allocryptopine, coptisine, berberine, chelidonine, sanguinarine, and chelerythrine; five of their derivatives as well as non-alkaloids: malic acid, trans-aconitic acid, quinic acid, salicylic acid, trans-caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, and kaempferol; and vanillin. The aerial parts were much richer in phenolic compounds regardless of the plant species. Characterized extracts were studied for their antimicrobial potential against planktonic and biofilm-producing cells of S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and C. albicans. The impact of the extracts on cellular metabolic activity and biofilm biomass production was evaluated. Moreover, the antimicrobial activity of the extracts introduced to the polymeric carrier made of bacterial cellulose was assessed. Extracts of C. cheilanthifolia were found to be the most effective against all tested human pathogens. Multiple regression tests indicated a high antimicrobial impact of quercetin in extracts of aerial parts against planktonic cells of S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and C. albicans, and no direct correlation between the composition of other bioactive substances and the results of antimicrobial activity were found. Conclusively, further investigations are required to identify the relations between recognized and unrecognized compounds within extracts and their biological properties.

Inflammatory diseases are a common therapeutic problem and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are not deprived of side effects, of which ulcerogenic activity is one of the most frequent. The aim of the study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of the sanguinarine-chelerythrine (SC) fraction of Coptis chinensis and its influence on the integrity of gastric mucosa. The study was conducted on sixty male rats randomly divided into six experimental groups: two control groups (a negative control group CON and a positive control group CAR); three groups receiving an investigational fraction of C. chinensis (1, 5, 10 mg/kg i.g.) named SC1, SC5, and SC10, respectively; and a group receiving indomethacin (IND) (10 mg/kg i.g.) as a reference drug. In all animals, the carrageenan-induced paw oedema was measured; PGE2 release, TNFα production, and MMP-9 concentration in inflamed tissue were determined. Additionally, the macroscopic and microscopic damage of gastric mucosa was evaluated. Administration of SC dose-dependently inhibited the second phase of carrageenan rat paw oedema and PGE2 release, decreased the production of TNFα, and reduced the concentration of MMP-9, and the efficacy of the highest dose was comparable to the effect of IND. Contrary to IND, no gastrotoxic activity of SC was detected. The investigated sanguinarine-chelerythrine fraction of C. chinensis seems to be a promising candidate for further research on new anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs characterized with a safer gastric profile compared to existing NSAIDs.

Abolition of diazepam anxiolytic effect during concomitant use of simvastatin is probably caused by diminished bioavailability of diazepam, although pharmacodynamic interaction between these drugs cannot be excluded.

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