Therapeutic effects of the Galium verum

Abbas Zabihi ,Sanaz Pashapour

1Department of Biology,Faculty of Basic Sciences,Islamic Azad University,Hamedan Branch,Hamedan 009881,Iran.2Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology,Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences,Tehran Medical Sciences,Islamic Azad University,Tehran 009821,Iran.

Abstract Medicinal plants apply become a popular cure between patients with various diseases world.Aim of this review study of investigating of therapeutic effects of Galium verum.In the current review study,PubMed,Scopus,and Google Scholar were searched to provide information have shown the therapeutic effects of G.verum.This plant,is famous,as yellow Bedstraw. G.verum plant belongs to the Rubiaceae family.Analysis of G.verum plant represents that the plant included,chemical therapeutic compounds.Many compounds have been isolated from the Galium species plant so far. G.verum. Plants have been traditionally applied for the cure of many maladies.The former pharmacological researches represented that the G.verum plant possessed antioxidant effect,effects on the central nervous system,antimicrobial effects,endocrine effect,antihaemolytic activity,cytotoxic effects,etc.

Keywords: Galium verum;medicinal plants;cancers;therapeutic effects

Introduction

In the world,the utilization of traditional medical treatment is extremely vast [1].Plants have long been applied among the native and rural populations as treatment against variant diseases [2,3].Patients with various diseases apply medicinal plants without consulting their traditional medicine practitioners [4].The World Health Organization specified medicinal plants as various health traditions to cure,diagnose or stop diseases and maintain well‑being[5].Herbal medicine in the delivery system also supports to development of solubility,enhanced stability,inhibition from toxicity,enhanced pharmacological effects improved tissue macrophage propagation [6].The main parameter is solubility,to increase the bioavailability of phytoconstituents to obtain more effectiveness.In recent years,in areas where medicinal plants are available,the notice of herbal medicines and their use has been increasing [7].The most common complaints that actuate the application of herbal cures were gastroenterological complaints,flushing,and excessive thirst [8].Newly of medicine plants research has revealed the importance and the contribution of many plant families,i.e.Rubiaceae,Asteraceae,Liliaceae,Apocynaceae,Solanaceae,and Rutaceae.Newly,herbal medicines and natural products are being used to cure diseases.Research that assessed the effects of theG.verumplant often was conducted in the Asian population [9].Galium genusbelongs to the Rubiaceae family;the amount 1,000 types worldwide and is known by 101species in Turkey [10].G.verumplant,is famous,as yellow Bedstraw.G.verumplant belongs to the Rubiaceae family.In several countries,the medication is still applied as a color as the milk industries [11].This plant is a well-known medicinal plant that is applied to cure diseases.Analysis ofG.verumplant extract reported that the plant included oil,iridoid glycosides,phenolics,flavonoids,anthraquinones,carbohydrates,and amino acids [12].

History of use of the Galium verum

Plants have been used for medical purposes and health for thousands of years[13].In past,drug plants were generally used by the population as well tolerated and free of significant harmful effects.The connection between humans and his study of medicinal plants in nature has a lengthy-lasted date.Traditional medicines depend on science and clinical experience [14].Medicine plants have been defined by medieval Muslim medical scholars such as Tabari(870 CE),Rhazes (925 CE),Haly Abbas (982 CE),Avicenna (1037 CE),and Jurjani (1137 CE) [15].In the past traditional drugs as an alternative form to study the antimicrobial effects of medicinal herbs [16].It was applied Ointment applied for feeble tumors,skin injury,and cancer of the breast.Internally it was applied in decoction sweetened with honey,for urinary problems,vitamin C deficiency,skin problems,pyelitis or cystitis,bladder,and kidney irritation,kidney stones,bleeding of the nose,cardiovascular diseases,arteriosclerosis,gout and rheumatic diseases,stomach troubles,diarrhea,swelling,liver disorders and acts as choleretics and cholagogue,hysterics,epilepsy,rheumatism scrofulous,and dropsical problems [17].

Therapeutic effects of the Galium verum

Antioxidant effect

The role of antioxidants in stopping and cure of cancers has been reported by many articles [18].Flavonoids are a prevalent and widely scattered group of plant phenolic compounds,happening in approximately all plants.Flavonoids have an additive effect on the endogenous scavenging compounds and can stop hurt caused by free radicals in different ways.One way is the main scavenging of free radicals [9].The antioxidant effects of methanol extracts ofG.verumplant in Serbia were assesmented.The antioxidant effects of aerial sections ofG.verumplant were studied appling,different,in vitro test systems.The extract showed many strong antioxidant effects in all tested samples [19].The biochemical parameters byG.verumextract were markedly better after the cure in acute restraint conditions.The hepatoprotective effects ofG.verumwere tested for carbon tetrachloride-induced acute hepatitis in rats[20].

Effects on the central nervous system

The aerial sectors of theGalium verumplant were applied as a sedative,diaphoretic and depurative,anticonvulsive effects,nervousness,and phobias[21].

Antimicrobial effects

A lot of research studies of the researchers corroborate the antimicrobial properties ofG.verum.The antimicrobial effects of water,alcohol,and chloroform extracts were studied versusStaphylococcus aureus15923,Escherichia coli 25922,Pseudomonas aeruginosa2789,Bacillus subtilis6633,Proteus vulgaris4636,andCandida albicans885-563.Extracts ofG.verumplant indicated an antibacterial effect on pathogenic plants bacteria [22].Low toxicity and a broad spectrum of antimicrobial effects show that lipophilic extracts derived fromG.verumplant can be applied to extend novel medicine with revealed antimicrobial and antifungal effects.Bonjour et al.reported thatG.verumplant extracts stopped the proliferation of bacteria and fungal proliferation [23,24].

Endocrine effect

The protective effect of theG.verumhydro-alcoholic extract,on the thyroid and ovarian was tested in rats under a kinetic conditions.A kinetic stress induced by immobilization and darkness affected a stope of the thyroid and ovarian functions showed in the histological aspects.G.verumextract stimulated of the secretory activity of the thyroid and ovary,and a rise in adrenal and glucocorticoid hormone synthesis [25].

Antihaemolytic activity

The efficient antagonizing of ROS-caused hemolysis was tested for 30 extracts accumulated from ten plants known for their antioxidant activityG.verumextracts were more strong,with an IC50of 1.32 [26].

Cytotoxic effects

Among cancers,carcinoma is the most common group of malignancies worldwide,which colorectal,liver,cervical,breast,and laryngeal cancers being the most important [27-31].Despite significant advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment,the disease remains a major health issue in the world[29].Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells or prevent them from dividing and is one of the most effective treatments for metastatic tumors.One of the main problems in treating cancer patients is the drug side effects and drug resistance,so these patients become resistant to different drugs with different structures and mechanisms of action.In line with modern strategies,attempts have been made to use compounds that affect the natural process of apoptotic cell death to have fewer side effects.Recently,there has been a change in lifestyle in accepting herbal medicines to treat cancer [32].So far,3,000 plant species have been introduced that have anti-cancer effects.Vinblastine,irinotecan,topotecan,vincristine,and taxanes are anti-cancer drugs derived from herbs [33].Medicinal plants are used to treat 87% of cancers.Numerous studies have shown thatG.verumcontains chemical compounds such as flavonoids and terpenes with high cytotoxic applications that may be used pharmacologically.Due to the favorable anti-cancer effect ofG.verum,this review study examines its cytotoxic effects for the first time [29].In a study,Pashapour et al.investigated the cytotoxic effects ofG.verumvera on colon and normal cancer cells and showed that metabolic extract of shoots and wholeG.verumcan with amazing ability at a concentration of 400 µg/mL cancer cells.Colon HT29 significantly decreased by stopping cell distribution,increasing the production of endogenous radicals and causing apoptosis.Also in this study,increasedBAXgene expression and decreasedBcL2gene expression were shown [29,34].In another study,Pashapour et al.examined the effects of this plant on HepG2 liver cancer cells and reported that fractional petroleum ether extract at a concentration of 3.125 µg/mL could kill liver cancer cells[35].In one study,the cytotoxic effects of methanolic extract of wholeG.verumplant at the concentration of 400µg/mL on normal AGO cells were demonstrated [36].In a study,the cytotoxic effects ofG.verumaqueous extract on the liver,larynx,and cervical cancer cells were investigated and the results showed that aqueous extract can have an inhibitory effect by increasing the recession of tumor suppressor genes and decreasing the expression of oncogenes and drug resistance genes[30,31].In one study,it was reported that diosmetin and flavanone were extracted.G.verumcould kill cervical cancer cells(Table 1)[37].

Table 1 Cytotoxic effects of G.verum(New studies)

Conclusion

Although many studies have shown thatG.verumhas been used to treat diseases in the past,the study of the therapeutic aspects of this plant is still one of the most challenging research topics.G.verumcontains chemical compounds such as flavonoids and terpenes with therapeutic applications.The former pharmacological researches represented that theG.verumplant possessed antioxidant,cytotoxic effects,gastrointestinal effects,Antihaemolytic activity,anticancer effects,antimicrobial,protective,effects on the central nervous system,skin effects,anticonvulsant effects,anti-tumor effects,anti-gout effects,anti-inflammatory effects,Cardiovascular effects,endocrine effects and etc.This study provides available evidence on the therapeutic effects ofG.verumand works with those who intend to do more research on these topics.The therapeutic effects ofG.verumand works with those who intend to do more research on these topics.