Indigenous populations use plants as an important healthcare resource or remedy for different diseases. Here, isolated extracts from Justicia (family Acanthanceae) plant leaves used in Africa as remedy for anemia are characterized by different methods to assess composition and potential nutritional or therapeutic value. Extracts from Justicia leaves were obtained by aqueous extraction, with further isolation by centrifuging and high-performance liquid chromatography. Extracts and isolated compounds were characterized by ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Hemoglobin activity was assessed using different hemoglobin assays (Cayman Chemical, and Sigma–Aldrich), as well as ELISA. In addition, the safety of the isolated samples was assessed in vitro and in vivo in mice. ICP-MS study results revealed many essential metabolites found in blood plasma. The UV-Vis spectroscopy results highlighted the presence of hemoglobin, with assays showing levels over 4 times higher than that of similar mass of lyophilized human hemoglobin. Meanwhile, in vivo studies showed faster recovery from anemia in mice administered with the isolated extracts compared to untreated mice. Moreover, in vitro and in vivo studies highlighted safety of the extracts. This study reveals the presence of high levels of elements essential for blood health in the isolated extracts from Justicia plant leaves. The findings inspire further research with the potential applications in food fortification, and as remedy for blood disorders like anemia, which disproportionally affects cancer patients, pregnant women, and populations in low- and middle-income countries.

中文翻译：

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用于治疗贫血的 Justicia 植物叶子分离提取物的表征


土著居民将植物用作重要的医疗资源或治疗不同疾病的药物。在这里，从非洲用于治疗贫血的 Justicia（棘皮科）植物叶子中分离的提取物通过不同的方法进行表征，以评估成分和潜在的营养或治疗价值。通过水提取获得Justicia叶提取物，并通过离心和高效液相色谱进一步分离。提取物和分离的化合物通过紫外可见 (UV-Vis) 光谱和电感耦合等离子体质谱 (ICP-MS) 进行表征。使用不同的血红蛋白测定（Cayman Chemical 和 Sigma-Aldrich）以及 ELISA 评估血红蛋白活性。此外，还对小鼠体外和体内分离样品的安全性进行了评估。 ICP-MS 研究结果揭示了血浆中发现的许多必需代谢物。紫外-可见光谱结果强调了血红蛋白的存在，检测显示其水平比类似质量的冻干人血红蛋白高 4 倍以上。同时，体内研究表明，与未治疗的小鼠相比，给予分离提取物的小鼠贫血恢复更快。此外，体外和体内研究强调了提取物的安全性。这项研究揭示了从 Justicia 植物叶子中分离的提取物中存在高含量的血液健康必需元素。这些发现激发了进一步研究食品强化的潜在应用，以及作为贫血等血液疾病的治疗方法，贫血对癌症患者、孕妇和低收入和中等收入国家的人口影响尤为严重。