A REVIEW ON KUTAJA: A CLASSICAL POTENT MEDICINAL PLANT

Indian system of medicine or Ayurveda has been recognized throughout the world in the current era due to its wide spectrum therapeutic utility mainly using plant-based medicine in various ailments. Scattered information of Medicinal plant usage is available in various literature of Ayurveda like Samhitas, Nighantus etc. to cure different ailments as well as for the prevention of diseases. According to Raja Nighantu, there are two types of Kutaja namely Sita and Asita Kutaja, which are botanically identified as Holarrhena antidysenterica Wall and Wrightia tinctoria R Br belonging to the family Apocynaceae. Acharya Charaka also opined the two varieties of Kutaja namely Pum and Sthree Kutaja which are botanically identified as Holarrhena antidysenterica Wall and Wrightia tinctoria R Br respectively. The plant Kutaja in general is used in the management of Rakthapitha, Atisara, Kushta, Jwara, Visarpa etc. Hence there is the need of compiling the scattered information present in the various literature in a systematic way to encourage further study on this drug from a different perspective and better utilization of this drug.

The Peripheral Cannabinoid Receptor Type 1 (CB1) as a Molecular Target for Modulating Body Weight in Man

The cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor regulates appetite and body weight; however, unwanted central side effects of both agonists (in wasting disorders) or antagonists (in obesity and diabetes) have limited their therapeutic utility. At the peripheral level, CB1 receptor activation impacts the energy balance of mammals in a number of different ways: inhibiting satiety and emesis, increasing food intake, altering adipokine and satiety hormone levels, altering taste sensation, decreasing lipolysis (fat break down), and increasing lipogenesis (fat generation). The CB1 receptor also plays an important role in the gut–brain axis control of appetite and satiety. The combined effect of peripheral CB1 activation is to promote appetite, energy storage, and energy preservation (and the opposite is true for CB1 antagonists). Therefore, the next generation of CB1 receptor medicines (agonists and antagonists, and indirect modulators of the endocannabinoid system) have been peripherally restricted to mitigate these issues, and some of these are already in clinical stage development. These compounds also have demonstrated potential in other conditions such as alcoholic steatohepatitis and diabetic nephropathy (peripherally restricted CB1 antagonists) and pain conditions (peripherally restricted CB1 agonists and FAAH inhibitors). This review will discuss the mechanisms by which peripheral CB1 receptors regulate body weight, and the therapeutic utility of peripherally restricted drugs in the management of body weight and beyond.

A Complementary Herbal Product for Controlling Giardiasis

Giardiasis is an intestinal protozoal disease caused by Giardia lamblia. The disease became a global health issue due to development of resistance to commonly used drugs. Since many plant-derived products have been used to treat many parasitic infestations, we aimed to assess the therapeutic utility of Artemisia annua (A. annua) for giardiasis. We showed that NO production was significantly reduced whereas serum levels of IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α were elevated in infected hamsters compared to uninfected ones. Additionally, infection resulted in increased numbers of intraepithelial lymphocytes and reduced villi heights, goblet cell numbers, and muscularis externa thickness. We also showed that inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and caspase-3 were elevated in the intestine of infected animals. However, treatment with A. annua significantly reduced the intestinal trophozoite counts and IEL numbers, serum IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α, while increasing NO and restoring villi heights, GC numbers, and ME thickness. Moreover, A. annua treatment resulted in lower levels of caspase-3, which indicates a protective effect from apoptotic cell death. Interestingly, A. annua therapeutic effects are comparable to metronidazole. In conclusion, our results show that A. annua extract is effective in alleviating infection-induced intestinal inflammation and pathological effects, which implies its potential therapeutic utility in controlling giardiasis.

The Pharmacology and Therapeutic Utility of Sodium Hydroselenide

Metabolically active gasotransmitters (nitric oxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide) are important signalling molecules that show therapeutic utility in oxidative pathologies. The reduced form of selenium, hydrogen selenide (HSe−/H2Se), shares some characteristics with these molecules. The simple selenide salt, sodium hydroselenide (NaHSe) showed significant metabolic activity, dose-dependently decreasing ex vivo O2 consumption (rat soleus muscle, liver) and transiently inhibiting mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase (liver, heart). Pharmacological manipulation of selenoprotein expression in HepG2 human hepatocytes revealed that the oxidation status of selenium impacts on protein expression; reduced selenide (NaHSe) increased, whereas (oxidized) sodium selenite decreased the abundance of two ubiquitous selenoproteins. An inhibitor of endogenous sulfide production (DL-propargylglycine; PAG) also reduced selenoprotein expression; this was reversed by exogenous NaHSe, but not sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS). NaHSe also conferred cytoprotection against an oxidative challenge (H2O2), and this was associated with an increase in mitochondrial membrane potential. Anesthetized Wistar rats receiving intravenous NaHSe exhibited significant bradycardia, metabolic acidosis and hyperlactataemia. In summary, NaHSe modulates metabolism by inhibition of cytochrome C oxidase. Modification of selenoprotein expression revealed the importance of oxidation status of selenium therapies, with implications for current clinical practice. The utility of NaHSe as a research tool and putative therapeutic is discussed.