Ushara Revan - Rheum Emodi - Indian Rhubarb Extract

Antibacterial and antifungal action

Since many bacterial and fungal strains are found to be resistant against a wide variety of antibiotics, medicinal plants have been studied for their potential to possess antimicrobial properties. Aloe-emodin, rhein and emodin obtained from commercial rhubarb possess significant antibacterial activity against four strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and also a strain of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Aloe-emodin possesses antibacterial effects on the strains of MRSA and MSSA, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2 μg/mL. Rhein possess antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli K12 with an MIC value of 128 μg/mL. Chrysophanol, rhein, physcion and aloe-emodin exhibit antifungal activity against Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Aspergillus fumigatus (MIC 25250 μg/ml) using ketoconazole as control. Revandchinone-1 and 3 have shown only moderate antibacterial activity. Revandchinone-4 has been found to possess good antibacterial properties against some Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus sphaericus and Staphylococcus aureus) using penicillin G as control, and Gram-negative bacteria (Klebsiella aerogenes, Chromobacterium violaceum and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) using streptomycin as control. Revandchinone-1, 3 and 4 also exhibit a moderate degree of antifungal activity against Rhizopus oryzae and Aspergillus niger using clotrimazole as control. The ethanolic extract has been found to possess promising activity against various strains of H. pylori, the strains being isolated from gastric biopsy specimens (15 from duodenal ulcer, eight from gastric ulcer, four from non-ulcer dyspepsia, and three from gastric carcinoma) both in vitro and in vivo.

Antioxidant and anticancer potential

Since oxidative stress is one of the causes for the development and progression of certain life-threatening diseases and disorders like cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, neuronal degeneration and hepatotoxicity, antioxidants from plant sources may be useful in their prevention and treatment. Instead of commonly used antioxidants like butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), which have been restricted, due to their toxicity and DNA damage induction potential, floral resources have received considerable attention as sources of antioxidants because of their safety in biological systems. Methanolic and aqueous extracts of the roots of R. emodi are reported to possess antioxidant and anticancer potential. In Chinese folkloric medicine, R. emodi is used in the treatment of cancer and liver ailments. The compounds like marsupsin and maesopsin obtained from the rhizome/root extracts of R. emodi are found to possess antioxidant activity . In a study, the anthraquinone derivatives, such as aloe-emodin, emodin, rhein, chrysophanol and physcion are reported to possess anti-angiogenic activity, by preventing blood vessel formation in zebra-fish embryos. The anticancer effect of aloe-emodin has been established in two human cancer cell lines, Hep G2 and Hep 3B. Aloe-emodin inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in both examined cell lines by different antiproliferative mechanisms

Hepatoprotective and antidiabetic action

According to chronic and excessive ethanol consumption is associated with cellular proliferation, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and cancer of the liver. An important characteristic of alcohol-induced liver injury is an impaired vitamin A nutritional status. Studies in human Hep G2 cells have shown that ethanol is cytotoxic to Hep G2 cells, which are transduced to express P-450 2E1 (CYP 2E1) and this toxicity is apoptotic in nature , predominantly in the liver. The main pathways for hepatic oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde involve alcohol dehydrogenase  and are associated with the reduction of NAD+ to NADH. The magnitude of derangement of liver by disease or hepatotoxins is generally measured by the level of glutamate pyruvate transaminase (ALT), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin, albumin, and whole liver homogenate.