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Portulaca oleracea Linn.
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Although the use of medicinal plants is becoming popular globally, some of these plants which are purported to be safe are not without side effects or toxicity. Portulaca oleracea, Linn. is among the medicinal plants used globally in the treatment of diseases and management of health challenges. The dearth of information on the toxicity of Portulac...
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... oleracea Linn. (Figure 1) commonly called purslane, a member of family Portulacaceae, a warm climate green herb, with obovate leaves, small yellow flowers, and branched succulent stems which are decumbent near the base [3], is one of the medicinal plants with several therapeutic benefits. It has different names in various ethnic groups in Nigeria. ...
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... and 2 g/kg.b.wt. (Chinenye et al., 2019;Vaidya et al., 2020). ...
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a wan prognosis and is highly resistant to cancer therapy, pushing the search for safe drugs as an essential issue. Plant-based bioproducts may reduce the negative side effects of cancer treatment. By the present study, we evaluated the ability of a defatted methanol and hexane extracts from Portulaca oleracea to regulate HCC in an animal model. The anticancer activity of Portulaca oleraceae L. (PO) extract was evaluated against HepG2 cell line where IC50 was 241.79 µg/ml for PO MeOH extract and 122.19 µg/ml for PO Hex extract. Overall, treatment with DEN+ PO Hex 200 mg/kg shows 100% survival rate. Furthermore, it improved the preservation of hepatocyte architecture in animals with small hepatocyte alterations but interspersed with foci of hepatocyte apoptosis as well as liver enzymes ALP (11.77±4.02 IU/L), AST (114.15±11.79 IU/L), ALT (22.11±2.66 IU/L) and TBILR (0.4±0.20 IU/L). The relative expression of serum TNF-α was significantly up-regulated in DEN induced HCC mice to reach (322.44±11.2) compared to normal mice (0.07±0.02). Besides the TNF-α in DEN/ PO groups were significantly down-regulated to be (73.98±2.7), so the relative expression level of tumor markers BCl-2 and AFP. In addition, apoptotic markers BAX and Cas-8 were significantly increased in DEN/ P. oleracea treated mice. Chemical profiling of methanol and hexan extracts using GC–MS and HPLC analysis revealed that 9,12,15 octadecatrienoic acid, (2-phenyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl) methyl ester, mesitylene, 2-Hydroxy-3-[(9E)-9-octadec-enoylox] propyl(9E) octadecenoate, and 2-(phenymethylene) octanal are the major compounds that were identified by GC_MS analysis of PO Hex extract. While, HPLC clarified the presence of pyrogallol, Syringenic acid, Caffeic acid, P-coumaric acid and Cinnamic acid as major phenolic compounds besides Catechin, Luteolin, and rutin as major flavonoid compounds in PO MeOH extract. Taken together, these results provide the first visualization of the action effects of several compounds in PO and represent potential anti HCC therapy.
... There is, however, no evidence in literature that substantiates the safety of P. oleracea Linn. uses in pregnancy both as vegetable and medicinal herb although the safety of lipophilic and hydrophilic extracts of P. oleracea has been demonstrated in male albino rats, exposed for 60 days from our previous studies where the extracts were found to be non-toxic to blood parameters [15,16] and also had no adverse effects on hepatic and renal biochemical profile. [17] This study was, therefore, designed to investigate the effect of lipophilic (chloroform) and hydrophilic (80% aqueous methanol) leaf extracts of P. oleracea on gestation. ...
... The preliminary phytochemical screening of the extracts which has been reported in our previous studies shows that the lipophilic extract, which could not dissolve in water due to its highly lipophilic nature and thus allowed for very few tests, indicated only the presence of triterpenoid/steroids, [24] while the hydrophilic extract showed the presence of saponins, cardiac glycosides, phlobatannins, alkaloids, carbohydrates, and steroids. [16] Studies have shown that a wide range of indigenous plants used as herbal remedies may be harmful to developing conceptuses, leading to abortion, teratogenesis, and/or fetal death. [22,25,26] In the present study, lipophilic and hydrophilic leaf extracts of P. oleracea did not cause any obvious abortion in the pregnant rats; rather, a dose-dependent increase in the FCRL was recorded in only the hydrophilic extract treated groups. ...
Background: Portulaca oleracea Linn. is one of the indigenous plants currently gaining ground and recognition globally as both vegetable and medicinal herb. The scarcity of literature on the safety of P. oleracea uses in pregnancy prompted this research. Objective: This study investigated the effect of the lipophilic and hydrophilic leaf extracts of P. oleracea on gestation/fetal indices. Methods: The extracts were obtained using two extracting solvents-chloroform and 80% aqueous methanol in succession. Thirty-five successfully mated female rats were divided into seven groups. Group 1 (control) received 0.5 ml 20% Tween 80 (vehicle), Groups 2, 3, and 4 received 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg of the lipophilic extract, respectively, and 5, 6, and 7 received 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg of the hydrophilic extract, respectively, orally from gestational day (GD) 6 to 19. On GD 20, laparotomy was performed to assess the gestation/fetal indices. Results: Both extracts did not cause abortion in the pregnant rats or teratogenesis of the fetuses. The extracts had no significant (P > 0.05) effect on the indices; however, only hydrophilic extract caused a dose-dependent significant (P < 0.05) increase in fetal crown-rump length in comparison with control. Conclusion: Leaf extracts of P. oleracea as used in this study are safe to fetus and gestating dam, thus gestation friendly.
... 16 The hydrophilic extract, on the other hand, showed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, saponins, triterpenoids/steroids, anthraquinone, and cardiac glycosides. 17 The decline in the concentration of gonadotropins as recorded in this study may not be unconnected with the presence of triterpenoids/ steroids in the extracts, which result is similar to our earlier finding where the hydrophilic leaf extract of P.oleracea decreased the testosterone level in male albino rats. 16 According to Qasimi et al., 18 phytosteroids (plant steroids) have been shown to be associated with endocrine-disruption in laboratory animals. ...
Background and aim: Decoctions and infusions from the aerial parts of Portulaca oleracea Linn., especially
the leaves and stems, are used by traditional medicine practitioners in Nigeria to enhance fertility in
humans. The scarcity of literature on the use of this plant for the said purpose as well as its efficacy
prompted this research. Study investigated effect of lipophilic and hydrophilic leaf extracts of Portulaca
oleracea on oestrous cycle, female sex hormones at various phases of oestrous cycle and ovarian and
uterine histomorphology in albino rats.
Experimental procedure: Experimental animals were randomly divided into 7 groups of 5 rats each.
Group A (control) received 0.5 ml 20% Tween 80 (vehicle), groups B, C & D received 125, 250 & 500 mg/kg
of the lipophilic extract respectively and E, F & G received 125, 250 & 500 mg/kg of the hydrophilic
extract respectively for 21 days. Oestrous cycle was assessed daily. At the end, blood samples (for hormones)
and ovarian &uterine sections (histoarchitecture) were collected.
Results and conclusion: Both extracts had no significant (p > 0.05) effect on oestrous cycle, ovarian &
uterine histoarchitecture and female sex hormones except at proestrus phase where significant (p < 0.05)
decrease in LH and FSH was recorded. P.oleracea as used in this study may have deleterious effect on
female reproductive system as shown by the disruption of the hormones at proestrus phase. This can
form a basis to refute the use of P.oleracea leaf extracts in enhancing fertility as it has been shown to
affect the gonadotropins involved in folliculogenesis.
... The preliminary phytochemical screening of the hydrophilic extract of P. oleracea, which has been reported in our work [20], tested for alkaloid, tannin (phenols), flavonoid, saponins, phlobatannin, carbohydrates, anthraquinones, triterpenoids/steroids, and cardiac glycosides. ...
... summarizes the result of the phytochemical screening for both the hydrophilic and lipophilic leaf extracts of P. oleracea. The result of the phytochemical screening for the hydrophilic extract of P.oleracea as reported in our other work shows the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, saponins, steroids, phlobatannins, and cardiac glycosides[20]. The lipophilic extract of P. oleracea could not dissolve in water and as such allowed for very few tests, out of which only the test for triterpenoid/steroids was positive. The lipophilic extract examinedTable 1. Percentage yield of Portulaca oleracea Linn. ...
Objectives: To supply scientific information/literature on the use of Portulaca oleracea in enhancing fertility in males; either to validate or to refute this folkloric use. This study investigated the effect of the lipophilic and hydrophilic leaf extracts of P. oleracea on male reproductive parameters. Methods: The extracts were obtained using two extracting solvents-chloroform and 80% aqueous methanol in succession. Experimental animals were randomly divided into seven groups of 16 rats each. Group A (control) received 0.5 ml 20% Tween 80 (vehicle), groups B, C, and D received 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg of the lipophilic extract, respectively, and groups E, F, and G received 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg of the hydrophilic extract, respectively, for 60 days. On days 14, 28, 42, and 60, four rats from each group were weighed and anesthetized for sample collection. Blood (for testosterone), testes (weight and histomorphology), and sperm cells from caudal epididymis (for semen analysis) were collected. Results: Both extracts had no significant (p > 0.05) effect on testicular weight and histo-morphology, and sperm cell characteristics but caused a significant (p < 0.05) increase in sperm count. Only the hydrophilic extract produced a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the testosterone level. Conclusion: Leaf extracts of P. oleracea as used in this study improved spermatogenesis irrespective of the decline in testosterone level. This may justify the use of P. oleracea leaf extracts in enhancing fertility in males, although further studies are required to elucidate the mechanism and compounds associated with these properties.
Portulaca oleracea Linn. has a history of extensive use as a medicinal plant and is a component of the Nigerian ethnomedical pharmacopoeia. Although several studies have been carried out exclusively on the leaves to ascertain the physiological effect, there seems to be dearth of literature on the physiological effect of the stem. This study which was designed to fill this gap investigated the sub-chronic effect of oral administration of chloroform stem extract of P.oleracea (CSEPO) on haematological parameters and plasma activities of some enzymes (Alanine Aminotransferase - ALT, Alkaline Phosphatase - ALP & Aspartate Aminotransferase - AST) and levels of other biochemical parameters such as total protein, albumin, bilirubin, urea and creatinine in male wistar rats. Twenty animals were randomly divided into 4 groups of 5 rats each. Group A(Control) received 0.5 ml of olive oil(vehicle) while Groups B, C & D received 125, 250 & 500 mg/kg body weight of CSEPO respectively for 21 days by oral gavage. At the end, the animals were anaesthetized and blood samples were collected for haematology and plasma biochemical assay. No significant (P > .05) variation occurred in the mean values of ALT, ALP, AST, total protein, albumin, bilirubin, urea, creatinine, Packed Cell Volume (PCV), haemoglobin concentration, RBC, WBC and differential leucocyte counts relative to the control. There was a highly significant (P < .01) increase in the total platelet count only at the dose of 500mg/kg in comparison with control. Oral administration of CSEPO as used in this study had no adverse effect on haematological and biochemical parameters. Secondly, CSEPO may be a useful remedy in thrombocytopenia, due to its potential to increase platelet count. However, further study is recommended in that regards.
