Plant Adaptogens: Natural Medicaments for 21^stCentury?

Abstract

This review is devoted to adaptogens, plant products capable of producing nonspecific responses in the human body, resulting in increasing the resistance against multiple stressors (physical, chemical or biological) and capable of having a normalizing effect to the human body. Adaptogens must be non-toxic, harmless, capable of not influencing normal body functions more than required, and capable of treating depression, a common neuropsychiatric illness, the importance of which is increasing by number of new patients every year. Number of plants are able to produce natural compounds, which meet the criteria of becoming adaptogens. The most known of them are used in traditional medicine for centuries.

An insight into the inhibitory mechanism of phytochemicals and FDA-approved drugs on the ACE2–Spike complex of SARS-CoV-2 using computational methods

“…The Sitoindoside IX has the plant source Withania somnifera, and it shows anti-neoplastic immunomodulatory and anti‐stress activity (Alam et al 2012 ; Özdemir et al 2018 ). It was the best-docked molecule obtained for the cluster 2.…”

Synthesis and Pharmacological Effects of Diosgenin–Betulinic Acid Conjugates

“…Diosgenin is a widely used precursor in the synthesis of sexual hormones, peroral contraceptives and other steroids in the pharmaceutical industry [ 2 ]. It is an adaptogen, displaying non-steroidogenic activity along with other beneficial effects [ 3 ]. Diosgenin ( 1 ) is unable to bind metal ions, and therefore, the change made from more traditional cholesterol/cholesterylamine system to diosgenin could influence the overall conformation of the bivalent structures, modifying the metal ions chelating properties.…”

“…displaying non-steroidogenic activity along with other beneficial effects [3]. Diosgenin (1) is unable to bind metal ions, and therefore, the change made from more traditional cholesterol/cholesterylamine system to diosgenin could influence the overall conformation of the bivalent structures, modifying the metal ions chelating properties.…”

A preliminary review of studies on adaptogens: comparison of their bioactivity in TCM with that of ginseng-like herbs used worldwide

“…[ 86 ] Eleutherococcus senticosus Siberian ginseng Araliaceae Used for regulating body disorders, improving the circulatory system, to treat fatigue, for promoting blood circulation for removing blood stasis, invigorating the stomach and for diuresis and so on [ 13 , 87 ] Eleutheroside, acanthopanax senticosus polysaccharide, etc. [ 13 , 87 ] Withania somnifera Indian ginseng Solanaceae Used for strengthening; nourishing;its anti-ageing, anti-stress, antioxidation, anti-tumor, anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, anti-depression properties; immune regulation; improving cognitive function and so on [ 19 ] Withanolides and other steroid esters and withanine and other alkaloids [ 88 ] Pfaffia paniculata Brazilian ginseng Amaranthaceae Often used as a tonic, to relieve fatigue effectively, improve sexual function, and lower blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipid levels [ 89 ] Pfaffic acid and its glycoside, for example, pfaffosides A–F, and nortiperpene and its glycoside, etc. [ 86 ] Eurycoma longifolia Malaysian ginseng Simaroubaceae Used for its anticancer, anti-malaria properties, improving male sexual dysfunction, sterilizing, lowering blood pressure and treating diabetes [ 54 ] Diterpenes with quassinoid skeletons and alkaloids such as canthin-6-one, mainly, biphenyl lignin and squalene derivatives [ 54 ] Lepidium meyerii Peruvian ginseng Brassicaceae Used as s natural nutrient, for enhancing fertility effectively and for its anti-fatigue properties [ 90 ] Marca amide, marca alkaloids, etc.…”