High-throughput screening program for botanical extracts

The chemistry and activity of botanical extracts used in Ayurveda are well studied, however opportunities exist to develop high-throughput screening programs to better understand the botanical fractions in commercial extracts responsible for observed anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities. Botanical extracts using various processing methods, including those from Eugenia jambolana, Withania somnifera, Punica granatum, Curcuma longa, Momordica charantia and Cinnamomum zeylanicum were used to develop the model. Inhibition of nitric oxide in activated RAW 264.7 macrophages, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrahydrazyl (DPPH) antioxidant, and alpha-glucosidase inhibition assays were used as primary activity screening methods alongside chemical screening and chromatographic methods to determine correlation, if any, between concentration of various botanical extracts and their in vitro activity. This screening program showed a positive relationship between concentration and activity, and can be used to select ideal candidates for further preclinical and clinical studies on botanical-based therapeutic interventions.