South Asian Research Journal of Natural Products

Medicinal Uses of Achyranthes aspera L.: A Critical Narrative Synthesis of Traditional Knowledge, Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Evidence

Angesh Chandra, Archana Chandra — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Achyranthes aspera L. (Amaranthaceae) is a pantropical medicinal herb used in South Asian and African traditional medicine for inflammatory disorders, wounds, gastrointestinal and respiratory complaints, neurological conditions, reproductive regulation, oral disease and other indications. The breadth of these uses has encouraged extensive pharmacological investigation, but the evidentiary landscape remains uneven and is often obscured by treating antioxidant assays, animal models and clinical efficacy as equivalent forms of validation. This critical narrative review integrates traditional-use records with phytochemical, mechanistic, preclinical and human evidence, while emphasising extract identity, plant part, dose, model relevance and reproducibility. Literature published from 1970 to 3 July 2026 was considered, with foundational earlier material retained when necessary. The evidence is strongest for a coherent preclinical anti-inflammatory and wound-healing signal, gastrointestinal smooth-muscle modulation, several neurobehavioural effects, and reproductive activity. Triterpenoid saponins, ecdysteroids, phenolic compounds, flavonoid C-glycosides, betaine and other constituents provide plausible biochemical anchors, although most extract effects cannot yet be assigned to single compounds. Small human periodontal studies provide the clearest direct clinical signal for a local A. aspera preparation, but they do not establish systemic efficacy. Anticancer, antidiabetic, nephroprotective, antiarthritic and antimicrobial findings are promising principally at preclinical level, and substantial heterogeneity in extraction, chemical standardisation, route of administration and outcome selection limits cross-study inference. Reproductive pharmacology also creates a major safety issue: experimental anti-implantation, spermatotoxic and developmental effects make indiscriminate therapeutic extrapolation inappropriate, particularly in pregnancy. Progress requires authenticated and chemically standardised preparations, exposure-informed pharmacokinetics, comparative toxicology, replication across laboratories and adequately powered indication-specific clinical trials. The medicinal significance of A. aspera is therefore best understood as a set of testable, domain-specific pharmacological hypotheses rather than as evidence for a broadly effective multipurpose remedy.

Occurrence, Distribution and Food-Safety Implications of Priority Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Edible Grains Consumed in Enugu State, Nigeria

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent contaminants generated mainly through the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biomass and other carbonaceous materials. Grains may become contaminated during cultivation, transportation, processing, storage and marketing. This study investigated the occurrence, distribution and food-safety implications of sixteen United States Environmental Protection Agency priority PAHs in edible grains consumed in Enugu State, Nigeria. Wheat, oat, Bambara nut, millet and guinea corn were collected from three markets representing Enugu East, Enugu West and Enugu North senatorial zones, with three replicate samples of each grain collected from each market. Samples were extracted by Soxhlet extraction using dichloromethane/n-hexane (1:1, v/v), purified by silica-gel column chromatography and analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Instrument calibration with certified PAH standards and identification based on retention times and mass spectral characteristics supported quality control. All sixteen priority PAHs were detected. Total Σ16 PAHs ranged from 1.523 mg/kg in oat to 3.365 mg/kg in guinea corn, following the order guinea corn > millet > Bambara nut > wheat > oat. HMW PAHs accounted for 79.54–80.24% of total PAHs, while LMW PAHs contributed 19.76–20.46%. LMW/HMW ratios ranged from 0.246 to 0.257, indicating consistent HMW predominance. This profile is consistent with possible combustion-related or pyrogenic influences, although molecular-weight ratios alone cannot establish definitive source attribution. Benzo[k]fluoranthene was the most abundant PAH, while acenaphthene and acenaphthylene were among the least abundant. The observed PAH burden has food-safety implications and highlights the need for routine monitoring, improved post-harvest practices, quantitative dietary exposure assessment and further source-apportionment studies.

Evaluation of the Antioxidant Profile of the Ethanolic Seed Extract of Mucuna pruriens Using Four Complementary in vitro Antioxidant Assays

Nwokoma, Patience Chiamaka, B. C. Ikpa, Chinyere — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Oxidative stress results from an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defence mechanisms and is implicated in the development of several chronic and degenerative conditions. Medicinal plants containing bioactive phytochemicals are increasingly investigated as potential natural sources of antioxidants. Mucuna pruriens seeds contain several phytochemical constituents associated with antioxidant activity; however, their antioxidant profile has not been comprehensively evaluated using multiple complementary in vitro assays.

Aims: To evaluate the antioxidant profile of the ethanolic seed extract of Mucuna pruriens collected from Enyiogugu Mbaise, Imo State, Nigeria, using four complementary in vitro antioxidant assays (DPPH radical scavenging, FRAP, ABTS radical cation decolourisation, and hydrogen peroxide scavenging), with ascorbic acid as the reference standard.

Study Design: Experimental laboratory-based in vitro antioxidant evaluation.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Chemistry, Imo State University, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. Seeds were collected from Enyiogugu Mbaise, Imo State.

Methodology: Fresh mature seeds of Mucuna pruriens were authenticated, air-dried, pulverised and extracted by cold maceration in 95% ethanol. Antioxidant activity of the extract (40–120 mg/mL) was assessed in triplicate using DPPH radical scavenging, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), ABTS radical scavenging and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays. Ascorbic acid served as the positive control.

Results: Both the extract and ascorbic acid showed concentration-dependent antioxidant activity across 40–120 mg/mL. DPPH inhibition by the extract increased from 93.02% to 96.12%, comparable to ascorbic acid (76.95–96.10%). FRAP activity rose from 0.564 to 0.840 for the extract versus 0.769–0.961 for the standard. ABTS inhibition ranged from 53.07% to 72.09% (extract) and 74.21–82.03% (ascorbic acid). H₂O₂ scavenging by the extract was 50.95–58.99%, lower than the standard (74.21–83.09%). The strongest activity was observed in the DPPH assay.

Conclusion: The ethanolic seed extract of Mucuna pruriens from this locality possesses appreciable antioxidant potential through multiple mechanisms (radical scavenging and electron transfer) and may serve as a natural source of antioxidants for food, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.

Anti-ulcerogenic Activities of Ethanol Extract of the Stem of Microdesmis puberula Hook. f. ex. Planch (Pandaceae) in Rats

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Microdesmis puberula Hook. f. ex. Planch (Pandaceae) is used in ethnomedicine for the management of diarrhoea, peptic ulcer, and other stomach disorders. This study evaluated the anti-ulcerogenic activity of a 70% ethanol extract of the stem of M. puberula in experimental rats. The stem material was cleaned, air-dried, pulverised, macerated in 70% ethanol for 72 h, filtered, and concentrated to dryness. Anti-ulcer activity was assessed using ethanol-, indomethacin-, histamine-, and Reserpine-induced gastric ulcer models, while preliminary phytochemical screening was performed using standard methods. The extract was administered orally at 500, 1000, and 1500 mg/kg in the ulcer models. The extract contained flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, terpenoids, tannins, and cardiac glycosides. Across the experimental models, pretreatment with the extract significantly reduced ulcer scores compared with untreated controls (p < 0.05) and increased the percentage of ulcer protection. In the ethanol model, ulcer protection reached 73% at 1500 mg/kg, whereas values of 94%, 89%, and 80% were recorded in the indomethacin, histamine, and reserpine models, respectively, at the most effective tested extract doses. The findings indicate preliminary gastroprotective activity of the ethanol stem extract of M. puberula. This activity may be associated with the phytochemical constituents detected in the extract; however, the active compounds and precise mechanisms were not established in this study.

Phytochemical Screening, Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Activities and in silico Studies of the Root Bark Extract of Terminalia catappa Linn

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Oxidative stress and persistent inflammation are associated with chronic disease, while the root bark of Terminalia catappa remains less investigated than other plant parts.

Aims: This study evaluated the phytochemical composition, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of the methanol root bark extract of Terminalia catappa, a plant used in traditional medicine. Conventional anti-inflammatory drugs have serious side effects, while oxidative stress and inflammation contribute to chronic diseases. The root bark remains underexplored, and this research aimed to address this gap.

Study Design: An experimental approach involving phytochemical screening, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory assays, HPLC analysis, and in silico docking and ADMET prediction was employed.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria, and Docchy Laboratory, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria, between March 2026 and August 2026.

Methodology: Root bark samples were extracted with methanol by cold maceration. Phytochemical screening for alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, glycosides, carbohydrates, terpenoids, and phenolics was conducted. HPLC analysis identified and quantified bioactive compounds. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH, H₂O₂, and FRAP assays. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed through protein denaturation, membrane stabilisation, and proteinase inhibition assays. In silico docking against Keap1-Nrf2 and COX-2 and ADMET prediction using SwissADME, pkCSM, and ProTox-3.0 were performed002E

Results: Alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, glycosides, phenols, and carbohydrates were present. HPLC confirmed phenolic and flavonoid compounds. The extract showed IC₅₀ values of 527.1 µg/mL in the DPPH assay, 184.7 µg/mL in the FRAP assay, and 367.0 µg/mL in the H₂O₂ assay. Anti-inflammatory activity showed IC₅₀ values of 489.8 µg/mL for membrane stabilisation, 258.2 µg/mL for protein denaturation, and 1192.5 µg/mL for proteinase inhibition. Docking revealed favourable binding affinities, and ADMET predictions indicated favourable drug-like properties.

Conclusion: The extract showed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, supported by HPLC and in silico findings. Further in vivo studies are recommended.

Evaluation of the Antidiabetic Effect of Sphenostylis stenocarpa Leaf Extract in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rat

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Aims: To evaluate the antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, hypolipidaemic, haematological, and cardioprotective effects of Sphenostylis stenocarpa leaf extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Study Design: Experimental animal study.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Abia State University, Nigeria, conducted over 28 days.

Methodology: Seventy-eight male albino rats were used, comprising 30 rats for acute toxicity testing and 48 rats for the antidiabetic study. Diabetes was induced with streptozotocin (65 mg/kg body weight), and diabetic rats were treated orally with a low dose (400 mg/kg) or a high dose (800 mg/kg) of S. stenocarpa leaf extract, glibenclamide (3 mg/kg), an oral antidiabetic drug that lowers blood glucose primarily by stimulating pancreatic β-cells to increase insulin secretion, or metformin (100 mg/kg), an oral antidiabetic drug that lowers blood glucose mainly by reducing hepatic glucose production and improving insulin sensitivity, for 28 days. Body weight, blood glucose, liver and renal function, lipid profile, haematological indices, antioxidant parameters, inflammatory cytokines, and cardiac markers were assessed using standard methods.

Results: No mortality was recorded at extract doses up to 5000 mg/kg body weight. The diabetic control showed a significant weight loss of -23.44 ± 6.28 g, whereas extract-treated groups recorded weight gains of 2.85 ± 0.13 and 3.39 ± 1.53 g for the low and high doses, respectively. Blood glucose decreased to 111.00 ± 11.88 and 105.00 ± 16.04 mg/dl in the low- and high-dose groups, respectively, compared with 212.50 ± 64.96 mg/dl in diabetic controls. The extract improved liver and renal function, lipid profile, haematological indices, and antioxidant status, reducing malondialdehyde from 7.96 ± 0.20 mg/dl to 5.25–5.93 mg/dl. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha decreased from 68.40 ± 2.15 to 39.13–43.40 pg/ml, while lactate dehydrogenase decreased from 361.33 ± 22.90 to 225.00–245.65 U/L.

Conclusion: S. stenocarpa leaf extract demonstrated significant antidiabetic and protective effects against diabetes-associated metabolic, oxidative, inflammatory, hepatic, renal, haematological, and cardiac alterations.

Recommendation: Further studies are recommended to identify the bioactive constituents and establish their mechanisms of action and therapeutic potential.