Pharmacological Activity of Garcinia indica (Kokum): An Updated Review

Garcinia indica (commonly known as kokum), belonging to the Clusiaceae family (mangosteen family), is a tropical evergreen tree distributed in certain regions of India. It has been used in culinary and industrial applications for a variety of purposes, including acidulant in curries, pickles, health drinks, wine, and butter. In particular, G. indica has been used in traditional medicine to treat inflammation, dermatitis, and diarrhea, and to promote digestion. According to several studies, various phytochemicals such as garcinol, hydroxycitric acid (HCA), cyanidin-3-sambubioside, and cyanidin-3-glucoside were isolated from G. indica, and their pharmacological activities were published. This review highlights recent updates on the various pharmacological activities of G. indica. These studies reported that G. indica has antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antidepressant and anxiolytic effects both in vitro and in vivo. These findings, together with previously published reports of pharmacological activity of various components isolated from G. indica, suggest its potential as a promising therapeutic agent to prevent various diseases.

Cytochrome P450 and P-gp Mediated Herb-Drug Interactions and Molecular Docking Studies of Garcinol

Garcinol is an active constituent of Garcinia indica and Garcinia cambogia. Recent studies have proven that garcinol has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-oxidant activities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effects of garcinol on the activities of the drug metabolizing cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozymes to predict potential herb-drug interactions with co-administered drugs. Garcinol was incubated with a mixture of rat liver microsomes and eight CYP probe substrate cocktail under optimized incubation conditions and the samples were analyzed using a validated method on LC-MS/MS. Garcinol showed strong inhibition with IC50 values of CYP1A2 (7.6 µM), CYP2C9 (8.0 µM), CYP2B6 (2.1 µM), CYP2D6 (9.5 µM), and CYP3A4 (5.1 µM), respectively, and moderate inhibition towards CYP2C19 (16.4 µM) and CYP2E1 (19.0 µM). Molecular docking studies were performed on garcinol against the active sites of CYP2B6 and CYP3A4 proteins. These results further confirmed that the inhibitory activity of garcinol occurred by occupying the active sites of these human CYPs and by making favorable interactions with its key residues. In-vivo CYP inhibition studies were carried out in Sprague-Dawley rats. These results suggest garcinol may cause herb-drug interactions, mediated by inhibition of CYPs involved in drug metabolism in-vivo by altering the pharmacokinetic parameters like AUC and Cmax in a clinically significant manner. Garcinol was found to upregulate the expression and activity of P-gp in western blotting study and P-gp inhibition study in-vivo. These findings give a clear understanding to predict potential herb-drug/drug-drug interactions of garcinol for safe clinical use in future.

Evaluation of Prebiotic and Antimicrobial Properties of Natural Extracts

Prebiotics are compounds in food that induce growth or activity of beneficial microorganisms & are beneficial for host health. The most common example is in the gastrointestinal tract, where prebiotics alter composition of organisms in the gut microbiome. Prebiotics are the non-digestible fibers or carbohydrates that gut bacteria can digest, and prebiotics adds nutritional value & help healthy bacteria grow. Prebiotics are associated with Probiotic, microbes which keep intestine healthy and enhance immune system by fighting with harmful bacteria. This study centers on evaluation of prebiotic properties for natural, aqueous extracts of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis miller), Kokum dried (Garcinia indica), and Wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum) by stimulation of growth, of probiotic organism Lactobacillus casei isolated on Sterile Man Rogosa Sharpe Agar and was measured colorimetrically at 545 nm. Antimicrobial and biopreservative study were also performed of these extracts. Hence to evaluate the variable properties of being used in cancer treatment, cosmetics, food industry, etc. Presence of Vitamin C in these plants by DCPIP method broadens the idea of Prebiotics applications, like better immune health and wound healing. Probiotic organism is also used in horticulture, in this study it resulted in enhancing the process of germination, Lactobacillus casei of 108cfu/ml was incorporated in soil to enhance germination of fenugreek seed and kokum extract as a prebiotic source. Additionally, an online survey with Questionnaire methodology was conducted on Awareness and usage about prebiotic and probiotics by online platform and results were analyzed by graphical and statistical method.

Study of Antidepressant Activity of Garcinia indica(Kokum) Fruit Rind in Wistar Albino Rats

BACKGROUND Depression is a mental disorder which is treatable but detected less often in primary healthcare settings. Therefore, there is a need for an effective treatment strategy for the management of depression. Garcinia indica (Thouars) Choisy is a slender evergreen tree. An invitro animal study has shown that its phytochemical constituent, hydroxy citric acid has the ability to increase serotonin levels in the brain. Hence, the objective of the study was to evaluate the antidepressant activity of ethanolic extract of Garcinia indica fruit rind in animal models of depression and compare it with control and standard drugs, imipramine, and fluoxetine. METHODS The study was conducted on Wistar albino rats of either sex. The animals were grouped into five, containing six animals in each group. Control (0.1 % carboxymethylcellulose, 10ml/kg), ethanolic extract of Garcinia indica (GIEE1) – 250mg/kg, ethanolic extract of Garcinia indica (GIEE2) – 500mg/kg, Standard1 - Imipramine – 10mg/kg ( Forced Swim test only) and Standard2 - Fluoxetine – 20mg/kg (Tail suspension test only). Drugs were administered for 14 days and antidepressant activity was evaluated on the 14th day after one hour of drug administration using two models - Forced swim test and tail suspension test. Results were tabulated as mean ± SEM (standard error of mean). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey Kramer test was used to interpret the statistical significance. RESULTS The period of immobility was obtained as 21.83 ± 1.44 and14.66 ± 2.74 in forced swim test and 36.8 ± 1.01 and 14.3 ± 0.954 in tail suspension test in GIEE1 and GIEE2 treated groups respectively, which was significantly less compared to control. CONCLUSIONS Garcinia indica has significant antidepressant activity compared to the control. KEY WORDS Antidepressant, Garcinia indica, Fruit Rind, Wistar Albino Rats

ATTENUATION OF SALT INDUCED CARDIAC REMODELING BY GARCINIA INDICA FRUIT EXTRACT IN RATS

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of hydroalcoholic extract of Garcinia indica fruit on salt-induced cardiac remodeling in Sprague Dawley rats. Animals were fed with feed consisting of extra salt i.e. 2 %, 4 %, and 6 % w/w for 1,2,3 weeks respectively and 8 % w/w from 4th to 6th week; water was supplemented throughout the study with normal saline of 0.9% w/V. ECG was recorded weekly for assessing modifications in the heart function. Animals were sacrificed to obtain blood samples at the end of the study, which were centrifuged to obtain the serum to estimate various biochemical parameters including antioxidant biomarkers in the heart. G. indica treatment at a dosage of 200, 400, and 800mg/ kg showed significantly reduced dose-dependent in heart rate, QRS complex, RR-interval, and CK-MB. It also showed a significant increase in antioxidant biomarkers viz. compared with untreated group SOD, GSH, and CAT. The experimental result underscored G.indica's antioxidant and cardioprotective effects on cardiac remodeling.