ABSTRACT
Due to their numerous health benefits, green leafy vegetables have attracted attention from all over the world. In instance, vegetables might be the most affordable and easily accessible source of vital vitamins, minerals, fibers, and necessary amino acids. In many
underdeveloped nations where starchy staple foods predominate in daily diets, vegetables can serve as one of the most affordable and easily accessible sources of vital vitamins, minerals,fiber, and critical amino acids. Numerous native and wild vegetables are underutilized all over the world due to a lack of scientific data regarding their nutritional potential. The potential medical benefits of wild vegetables in diets have sparked a renewed interest in them. Beyond its obvious nutritional advantages, C. album is a vegetable with significant functional potential that is underutilized. The plant is added to food to improve its sensory and functional qualities in addition to providing vitamins, minerals, fiber, and important fatty acids. Traditionally, the plant has been utilized as an anthelmentic against round and hookworms, as well as a bloodpurifier, diuretic, sedative, hepatoprotective, and antiscorbutic laxative. The herb has been shown to have anthelmentic, sperm-immobilizing, and contraceptive qualities through pharmacological research. Additionally, it is said to have antinociceptive and antipruritic properties. Thus, there is a lot of promise for a thorough biological assessment of C. album. Regarding processing parameters, not much investigation has ever been done on this potentially beneficial plant. This review has covered the importance of C. album as well as its potential impact on public and dietary understanding regarding its nutritional status.
INTRODUCTION
The idea that plants can be used medicinally has been around for thousands of years.
However, it may still be said that plant sources still exist because of humankind to heal their
atypical medical ailments. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that trips that were
welcomed by the cultural features of indigenous cultures yielded significant knowledge regarding the use of plants for medicinal purposes. The foundation for the formation of the modern medical system was laid by these traditional people's utilization of plants as medicinal materials. There are a ton of businesses, even in established regions of the world that concentrated on creating formulations using traditional medical systems. Today, herbal medicines are leading the way globally in terms of popularity. It's fascinating to note that over 26% of all prescriptions filled in public pharmacies in the USA contained plant extracts, and that approximately 65% of the world's population still receives their medical care through conventional methods. Plants use auxiliary metabolites, such as flavonoids, terpenoids,
tannins, and alkaloids, to respond to abiotic stresses. These metabolites can include valuable medicinal compounds. Further more, these plants serve as a source of food, feed, solution, biofuels, and edible oil in the area. They are also exported to other areas of the world. Despite their qualities, these plants have been under investigation for potential misuse.
Countries are among the world's top consumers of herbal medicines. Chenopodium aopical and tropical regions. It belongs to the Chenopodiaceae family. This plant is commonly found in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Karnataka, Sikkim, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, and West Bengal. The leaves can be consumed as a combination or decoction for purgative and anthelmintic properties. It has been proposed for treating hepatic issues and spleen enlargement. The finely powdered leaves are used as anthelmintics. It is also used to treat stomach issues, eye illnesses, throat discomforts, blood, heart, and spleen ailments, as well as nausea and vomiting.
PLANT PROFILE
Scientific classification :-
Kingdom : Plantae
Clade : Angiosperm
Clade : Eudicots
Order : Caryophyllales
Genus : Chenopodium
Family : Amaranthaceae
Species : C. album
Common names :-
Hindi : ―Bathua‖
Sanskrit : Vastukah;
Oriya : Bathua;
Kannada : Kaduoma;Konkani: Chakvit;
Bengali : Chandanbethu;
Tamil : Paruppukkirai;
Malayalam : Vastuccira;
Telugu : Pappukura;
Arabic : Thanb Alkalb, Rejil Alwaz, Atrah
Chinese : Li
Unani : Bathuaa, Baathu.
Spanish : Ceniglo blanco;
English : Common goose foot,
Lambsquarters, Lamb's-quarters,
Fat Hen, Marvel mothi; Pigweed;
Fijian: Marvel lahan,
French : All-good, Muck-weed; Lamb’s
quarter, Pigweed, Fat hen,
Chenopode sauvage (French)
Italian : Farinaccio;
Japanese : Akaza, Iwa-akaza, Shiroza,
Greek name : In greek Chenopodium meaning
(goose) & (foot) referring to the
shape of leaves of some species.
Latin : In Latin, name album means white
& alludes to the waxy covering over the plant
HISTORY
Bathua is an ancient plant native to Europe and Western Asia. According to the book "Food in China," it has served as a source of food for some old municipal institutions. It most likely originated in Neolithic Europe (7,000-1700 BC) and was later discovered in China about the fifth century AD. Botanists agree that the origins of bathhua may be traced back to Europe. Evidence suggests that seeker-gatherers consumed it during the Bronze and Iron ages. Bathua's fascinating past is told through multiple narratives. Neolithic draftsmen discovered bathua seeds in early Britain's earthen jars. Tollund Man, an embalmed man from the fourth century BCE, was found to have sheep squarters seeds in his stomach at his execution site in Danish lowlands. Napoleon Bonaparte used bathua seeds to sustain his troops during difficult
times. Archaeological evidence suggests that North American Blackfoot Indian clans used the herb in the mid-1600s. However, it is currently one of the most widely dispersed weeds globally, particularly in temperate zones.
MORPHOLOGY
FLOWER :- Blossoms form irregular spikes in bunches, which eventually grow into
thyrsoids. Sepals are 1.5-2mm long, oval, lanceolated, and keeled, covering a scanty utricle membrane.
LEAVES :- The leaf structures of mature plants can be up to 15cm long, oval, rhombic,
deltoid or lanceolated, toothed or sporadically lobulated, with long and thin petioles.
SEEDS :- The specimen is 1.5 mm wide, is orbicular, squeezed has an intense edge, is
smooth and brilliant, and is forming an annular life. A immature plant below 20cm is
categorized as a potherb. Chenopodium album, additionally referred to as Bathua or Goosefoot, is a herbaceous plant that blooms 0.3-3.5m wide and may lie straight or climbing. It displays a mealy or reddishgreen color and no odor.Stems generally look slim, calculated, usually striped in green, red, or purple.
USES
Traditional uses :-
The herb was also utilized historically as an antiscorbutic, an anthelmintic against round and hookworms, and as a cure for digestive issues, eye disease, throat discomfort, and
cardiovascular problems. A tiny shoot that bubbles is used in clogging. Finely ground
Chenopodium album Linn. powder. The leaves were trimmed to prevent partner agitation,
and the juice from the leaves was applied to treat victims. A mixture of alcohol and aircraft
debris was poured onto the area of the body affected by joint inflammation and illness.
Medicinal uses :-
The herb has been employed as a narcotic, purgative, along with diuretic in India, while it is
also infused to relieve stiffness. It additionally had applications as a blood purifier,
antiscorbutic, anti-diarrheal, anti-phlogistic, antirheumatic, preventative, cardiotonic,
odontalgic, stomach-related, carminative, and love potion. Those applications covered the
treatment of dyspepsia, farting, strangury, original shortcoming, pharyngopathy, splenopathy, hemorrhoids, ophthalamopathy, cardiovascular disturbance, hepatic problem, spleen broadening, biliousness, intestinal ulcers, and general debility.
BIOCHEMICAL AND NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :-
India is home to the nutrient-dense and edible wild plant C. album (Brand et al. 1993; Devasagayam et al. 2004). The approximate chemical makeup of C. album leaves is provided in Table 1. Due to their high protein content and balanced amino acid spectrum, which includes high lysine (5.1–6.4%) and methionine (0.4–1.0%) contents, Chenopodium spp.have been cultivated as both a leafy vegetable (C. album) and an important secondary grain crop (Chenopodium quinoa and C. album) for human and animal food (Prakash and Pal 1998; Bhargava et al. 2003a, b). Because C. album is adaptable and can grow in harsh environments such as limited rainfall, high altitude, thin cold air, intense sun, and subfreezing, interest in it
as a valuable food source has recently increased in Asia. Its leaves have been eaten raw in salads or cooked by many American cultures due to its nutritious worth, and people in Mexico and other emerging nations continue to eat them. According to González et al. (2003), C. album leaves have a high protein content (4.2%), including important levels of
calcium, vitamins A (11,000 IU/100 g) and C (80 mg/100 g), and key amino acids like lysine,
leucine, and isoleucine. The leaves of C. album have a significant concentration of carotenoids (12.5 mg/100 g) and vitamin C (155 mg/100 g), according to Guerrero and Isasa (1997). In addition, C. album has remarkably higher fiber levels (4–6 g/100 g) and a higher iron content (Yadav and Sehgal 2002) than widely consumed spinach and cabbage but lower than amaranth.
PROTIENS :-
The amounts of essential amino acids, which humans are unable to manufacture and must
thus obtain from diet, define the nutritional quality of protein. In the event that only one of
these amino acids is restricted, the remaining amino acids will be broken down and
eliminated, which will impair human and cattle growth and cause a loss of nitrogen in the
diet. Ten amino acids—lysine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, threonine,
tryptophan, valine, histidine, and methionine—are absolutely necessary. C. album contains
all ten of these amino acids (Table 2). Moreover, the valuable high-protein product that is C.album's green matter (Jacobsen 2003) supports the cultivation of this species. The amount of total protein in vegetative matter is around 203 g per kilogram.
The lower arginine content (about 44%) in the green matter is the reason for the lower
amount of exogenous amino acids. With the exception of lysine and leucine, this amino acid's
concentration in seeds is extremely high and more than twice that of other exogenous amino
acids. In addition, the green matter protein of both species contains higher levels of alanine,
glycine, aspartic acid, and tyrosine from endogenous amino acids than seeds do. The green matter protein of C. album has a high biological value, which suggests that there may be another option for producing this component in addition to seeds. It is supported not only by the green matter's higher protein level than seeds', but also by its higher amino acid content.
MINERAL CONTENT :-
The body's Na/K ratio is a major factor in high blood pressure prevention. It is advised to
have a Na/K ratio of less than one (Food and Nutrition Board, 2005). Because of this, eating
C. album would likely lower the risk of high blood pressure disorders because its Na/K ratio is smaller than one. (2011) Adedapo et al. High concentrations of macro/micro elements were found in C. album's mineral composition (Table 3). Minerals were estimated on a fresh
weight basis using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS), a flame photometer, and a spectrophotometer. AAS was used to determine concentrations, and colorimetry at 420 nm was used to calculate dry weight. According to Akubugwo et al., iron is a necessary trace element for the synthesis of hemoglobin, the healthy operation of the central nervous system, and the oxidation of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. included extremely high concentrations of manganese, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. As the plant grew older, its nutrient content decreased. High mineral levels were reported by Guerrero and Isasa (1997) in comparison to other green leafy vegetables. The levels of fiber were also noteworthy (4-6 g/100 g). In C. album, the ω3 class of essential fatty acids accounted for 45.33 percent. Compared to other wild plants, such as Plantago minor L, Polygonum bistorta L, Astrodaucus orientalis L, Camelina rumelica Boehm., Lathyrus tuberosus L, and Galium rotundifolium L, C. album had the highest concentrations of magnesium and sodium .
BIOLOGICAL AND MEDICINAL VALUE :-
Degenerative human diseases like cancer, heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease are
caused by free radicals like superoxide anions, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl nitric oxide
radicals through a variety of pathways (Wang et al. 1996). By preventing the start or spread
of oxidizing chain reactions, antioxidant components slow down or prevent lipid oxidation. They also help to scavenge free radicals. Research in this field has recently concentrated on finding antioxidants in food, as there is evidence that these compounds may be significant in delaying the aging process and preventing a number of ailments (Katalinic et al. 2004). According to research by Jabbar et al. (2007), C. album has anthelmentic activity both in vivo and in vitro, supporting its usage in conventional medicine. Yadav et al. (2007) detailed a number of actions unique to several Chenopodium spp. plant parts. Antipruritic, antinociceptive, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, induces tumor, vermifuge, immunomodulatory, antiviral, haemagglitination, cytogenetic cytotoxic, hypotensive, and spasmolytic are among the activities.The scavenging impact of free radicals and in vitro antioxidants were assessed by Kumar and Kumar (2009). Significant reducing power and free radical scavenging impact on DPPH, hydroxyl, superoxide, and hydrogen peroxide radicals are demonstrated by the aqueous leaf extract of C. album. Additionally, they claimed that the plant and its parts may be used to treat piles, anorexia, cough, dysentery, diarrhea, and small worm deaths. These valuable compounds may be responsible for some of the pharmacological effects of C. album and
other important components.
PHARMACOLOGICAL POTENTIAL
ANTICANCER EFFECT
SPASMOLYTIC EFFECT
GASTROPROTECTIVE EFFECT
CONTRAINDICATION AND ADVERSE EFFECT
ANTIOXIDENT EFFECT
ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECT
HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECT
EFFECT ON MALE REPRODUCTION
BENEFITS OF C.ALUM
USED AS FOOD :-
India uses C. album, often known as bathua, a prominent green leafy vegetable, as a food
throughout the winter months. It is highly nutritious and has therapeutic qualities. This plant's leaves are used in many different recipes, including soups, curries, and paratha. C. album is used to treat a variety of symptoms related to dietary deficits. Their seeds are consumed by several birds and animals, such as squirrels, chipmunks, and sparrows, and the plants themselves are utilized as food.
HEALTH BENEFIT :-
Fresh chenopodium leaves have a variety of advantageous medical uses. Numerous illnesses, including kidney stones, edema, anemia, heart disease, jaundice, and many more, are treated with it. Intestinal parasites are treated traditionally with C. album or Bathua leaf juice. It is also beneficial to the heart and raises hemoglobin levels. It is regarded as a heart tonic, and the leaves are beneficial to the gallbladder, spleen, and liver. C. album is used to relieve pain and spasms in the muscles.
ADVANCING TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR CANCER
Novel strategies for cancer treatment :-
The quest for new approaches to cancer treatment and prevention has been sparked by the shortcomings of radiation and chemotherapy. Global research teams have been exploring numerous novel methods with Diamond's state-of-the-art facilities; a few of these are outlined below.
Cancer cells have evolved defenses against the body's immune system to prevent them from being eliminated. Diverse approaches to surmounting these intricate systems are being
investigated by researchers worldwide. An international group of scientists has been studying how immunological receptor Tim-3 and the protein galectin-9 it is associated to protect against breast cancer cells. They discovered that compared to healthy tissue, breast tumors express far greater levels of galectin-9 and Tim-3. The group employed circular dichroism spectroscopy in synchrotron radiation in collaboration with Diamond scientists.
The use of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to alter the immune response and enhance the
body's capacity to eradicate cancer cells is another exciting new development in cancer
therapy. However, because of unacceptable side effects, the usage of anti-4-1BB mAbs,
including urelumab, has been limited thus far. A global team reengineered the 4-1BB molecule to create a trimerbody, a recombinant antibody with strong stimulatory activity and no accompanying toxicity. As part of their investigation, they employed High Throughput Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) on beamline B21. With less adverse effects, immunotherapeutic antibodies may be able to treat cancer thanks to this innovative method.P-glycoprotein (ABCB1) is an ATP-binding cassette transporter that is linked to multi-drug resistance in cancer and is crucial for the clearance of medications and xenobiotics. Despite the fact that a number of P-glycoprotein structures have been determined, they are either low resolution or show the protein in mutant or quiescent forms. Utilizing the Titan Krios-I electron microscope at the Electron Bioimaging Centre (eBIC) at Diamond, a University of Manchester study identified novel high resolution characteristics of ABCB1 at 8 Angstrom, which offered important insights into the mechanism of drug stimulation of P-glycoprotein activity. This will therefore help in the development of a reversible and efficient Pglycoprotein inhibitor in the future, which will address the issue of multi-drug resistance in cancer therapy.
Myeloid cell leukemia 1, or Mcl-1, is a protein that has gained attention as a potential target
for cancer treatment since it is linked to tumors with high tumor grades, poor survival rates, and resistance to chemotherapy. Numerous solid tumors and haematological malignancies have been linked to overexpression of Mcl-1; hence, study in this field may have relevance for a broad spectrum of cancer types. Using nuclear magnetic resonance and structural information generated from X-rays, a research team from an international pharmaceutical business screened a huge number of potential compounds to identify selective small molecule inhibitors of Mcl-1.
At Diamond, crystallography was carried out on beamlines I03 and I04. A lead compound
found by these preliminary studies is presently being examined in more detail. An other
recent investigation on Mcl-1 identified and described an in vitro-produced antibody
fragment that may find application in the treatment of cancer in the future. The antibody
fragment was crystallized using macromolecular crystallography on beamlines I02, I03, I04, and I04-1, allowing for ligand-independent crystallization. The development of AZD5991, a novel chemical being tested in clinical trials for the treatment of multiple myeloma and relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia, was made possible in large part by the early research that was conducted.
The search for an all-purpose cancer vaccine :-
A much-anticipated treatment for cancer is therapeutic vaccination against tumour-associated antigens (TAA), which boosts a patient's immune system by utilizing CD8 cytotoxic Tlymphocytes' anti-cancer capability. However, the outcomes of universal cancer vaccinations have been mainly unsatisfactory thus far. In addition to identifying and optimizing super agonist altered peptide ligands (APLs) from the blood of healthy donors, a team from the Universities of Copenhagen and Cardiff was also successful in stimulating T-cells from the blood of melanoma patients. The group created the peptide structures, among other techniques, using macromolecular crystallography on beamline I24. These APLs demonstrated increased efficacy in activating T-cells, indicating that this could be a viable strategy in the search for a universal cancer vaccine.
Combating breast cancer that is triple negative : -
There are presently no effective treatments for pancreatic cancer, making it a very challenging malignancy to treat. The cancer known as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a tough one to cure because of its immunological tolerance and resistance to immunotherapies, such as T-cell checkpoint-based immunotherapy, which is increasingly the recommended course of treatment for many cancers. A group of US researchers found that tumor-associated macrophages in PDA had upregulated the protein kinase RIP1, indicating that this protein may be a suitable target in PDA. They created a small-molecule RIP1inhibitor that is selective, and they demonstrated that RIP1 inhibition protects against PDA in vivo using macromolecular crystallography on beamline I02 A different multinational study looked into the anti-pancreatic cancer potential of several novel substances. The group concentrated on tyrosine kinase family members known asdiscoidin domain receptors (DDRs). Dysregulation of DDR1 is frequently seen in cancer and is implicated in a number of biological processes, such as cell adhesion and differentiation.The scientists used beamline I04 to identify the crystallographic structure of DDR1, and then created and employed a DDR1 inhibitor to effectively delay the growth of pancreatic cancer and increase sensitivity to standard-of-care pancreatic cancer therapy. These days, DDR1 is being explored as a potential new target for pancreatic cancer therapy development. Creating non-invasive methods for prostate cancer diagnostics Zinc content is a known prostate cancer biomarker that is significantly lower in malignant prostate cancer but stays high in benign circumstances. Zinc content could only be determined through a tissue biopsy until recently, but a University of Texas study team has en investigating non-invasive imaging techniques employing synchotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (µSR-XRF) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They confirmed that zinc concentration was connected to the existence of malignant tissue by using a zinc responsive contrast agent to detect zinc release in the prostate in a mouse model. Throughout the investigation, the team focused on beamline I18 and demonstrated the benefit of employing MRI to characterize the distribution and trafficking of zinc in both cancerous and healthy prostate tissue.
Recognizing the Epstein Barr virus website :-
One of the most common viruses affecting humans is the Epstein-Barr virus, which is a
member of the herpesvirus family and the primary cause of infectious mononucleosis
(sometimes called glandular fever). Furthermore, it is the cause of multiple autoimmune illnesses, stomach and nasopharyngeal cancers, and both Hodgkin's and Burkitt lymphomas. As of right now, there is no cure for diseases brought on by this virus. An multinational group of researchers examined the structure of a vital protein in the virus called a portal, which serves as the viral genome's entry and departure points. Using the Titan Krios I electron microscope in the eBIC at Diamond, the team was able to solve the portal's structure at a resolution of 3.5 Angstroms.
A new approach to non-small cell lung cancer :-
Approximately 30% of human malignancies have dysregulated RAS/MAPK pathway, which is a significant driver of oncogenesis and is primarily caused by mutations in the BRAF or RAS genes. Key players in this pathway are the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1 and ERK2). To find the right ERK1/ERK2 inhibitors, an industry research team employed a structure-based design strategy that includes beamline I04 macromolecular crystallography. As a result of the study, AZD0364—a strong and specific ERK1/2 inhibitor—was discovered. It blocks both ERK1/2 activity and the activation of downstream targets. In pre-clinical models of non-small cell lung cancer, the molecule has shown encouraging anti-tumour action and good physico-chemical and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties. It also demonstrates high cellular .
IMPORTANT ACTUALLY IS DONE BY THE USE OF C.ALBUM :-
Chenopodium album, a plant with potential anti-cancer properties, has been found to affect the expression of the BSF6 (Breast Cancer-Associated Gene 6) gene in breast cancer cells.
BSF6 is a gene that is overexpressed in breast cancer and is associated with poor prognosis. It plays a role in promoting cell growth, proliferation, and survival.
Studies have shown that Chenopodium album's bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids and alkaloids, can:
1. Downregulate BSF6 expression: Reducing the levels of BSF6 mRNA and protein in breast cancer cells.
2. Inhibit cell growth and proliferation: Suppressing the growth of breast cancer cells and inducing cell cycle arrest.
3. Induce apoptosis: Promoting programmed cell death in breast cancer cells.
4. Suppress angiogenesis: Inhibiting the formation of new blood vessels that feed the growing tumor.
According to the results of this study, Chenopodium album is the most promising plant with unique medicinal qualities and a wide range of pharmacological potentials. Because of its safety and usefulness, it can be used for a number of therapeutic applications.
Chenopodium album has healing qualities and is a wonderful source of useful nutrients. It can be added to a variety of eliminated food products to make them more palatable, beneficial, and also more arranged for consumers. Expanding its leaves to release objects can improve the wholesome and synthetic qualities of released items and make them more useful as food. The plants may have tremendous therapeutic value because they also have high natural exercise. It is still very far from reality for Chenopodium album to be abused for business purposes in many parts of the world. The active ingredients can be excluded and further evaluated in order to develop beneficial drugs. Their antibacterial properties and ability to prevent cancer further contribute to this plant's natural value.
Written by
DEEP N PAREKH
