Indigenous Uses, Phytochemical Analysis, and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Australian Tropical Medicinal Plants

Abstract

Australian tropical plants have been a rich source of food (bush food) and medicine to the first Australians (Aboriginal people), who are believed to have lived for more than 50,000 years. Plants such as spreading sneezeweed (Centipeda minima), goat’s foot (Ipomoea pes-caprae), and hop bush (Dodonaea viscosa and D. polyandra) are a few popular Aboriginal medicinal plants. Thus far, more than 900 medicinal plants have been recorded in the tropical region alone, and many of them are associated with diverse ethnomedicinal uses that belong to the traditional owners of Aboriginal people. In our effort to find anti-inflammatory lead compounds in collaboration with Aboriginal communities from their medicinal plants, we reviewed 78 medicinal plants used against various inflammation and inflammatory-related conditions by Aboriginal people. Out of those 78 species, we have included only 45 species whose crude extracts or isolated pure compounds showed anti-inflammatory properties. Upon investigating compounds isolated from 40 species (for five species, only crude extracts were studied), 83 compounds were associated with various anti-inflammatory properties. Alphitolic acid, Betulinic acid, Malabaric acid, and Hispidulin reduced proinflammatory cytokines and cyclooxygenase enzymes (COX-1 and 2) with IC50 values ranging from 11.5 to 46.9 uM. Other promising anti-inflammatory compounds are Brevilin A (from Centipeda minima), Eupalestin, and 5′-methoxy nobiletin (from Ageratum conyzoides), Calophyllolide (from Calophyllum inophyllum), and Brusatol (from Brucea javanica). D. polyandra is one example of an Aboriginal medicinal plant from which a novel anti-inflammatory benzoyl ester clerodane diterpenoid compound was obtained (compound name not disclosed), and it is in the development of topical medicines for inflammatory skin diseases. Medicinal plants in the tropics and those associated with indigenous knowledge of Aboriginal people could be a potential alternative source of novel anti-inflammatory therapeutics.

Computational analysis to investigate the anti-rheumatic potential of plant-based small molecule inhibitor targeting tumor necrosis factor α

“…After that, total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) both were calculated for the ethanol extract to obtain the quantitative phytochemical analysis which indicated the antioxidant potential of D. viscosa . Similar results of the phytochemical analysis were observed in a few other studies ( Hossain, 2019 ; Yeshi et al, 2022 ).…”

“…After that, total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) both were calculated for the ethanol extract to obtain the quantitative phytochemical analysis which indicated the antioxidant potential of D. viscosa. Similar results of the phytochemical analysis were observed in a few other studies (Hossain, 2019;Yeshi et al, 2022). The antioxidant potential of D. viscosa leaves (ethanol extract) was evaluated by two methods including 1) 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity and 2) Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay.…”

Preparation, Characterization, Wound Healing, and Cytotoxicity Assay of PEGylated Nanophytosomes Loaded with 6-Gingerol

“…The results of previous reports have elucidated the relationship between medicinal plants and the NFκB pathway. Ginger, Zingiber officinale , is among the studied plants, and was approved as an alternative anti-inflammatory agent against the production of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and nitric oxide (NO) [ 31 , 32 , 33 ].…”

“…According to our obtained data, the crude ginger extract, 6-gingerol, and 6-gingerol formulated into nanocarriers have shown that they can accelerate the wound-healing process. This activity may be due to the strong relationship between reductions in the biosynthesis of pro-inflammatory markers and enhancements in the wound-healing process [ 33 ]. Acute and chronic wounds occur after any disruption in skin integrity, either in the epidermis or dermis layers.…”

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Ligands from Anredera cordifolia (Binahong) to the Main Protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2

“…Tropical countries have abundant medicinal plant resources which have yet to be discovered [10][11][12]. Te binahong (Anredera cordifolia) is a plant native to tropical and subtropical South American countries and later brought to Southeast Asia.…”