Antioxidants from Callus Technology

Antioxidants are very important compounds that are very vital in human health and they have been proven to reduce the risk of diseases such as cancer in human health. Many researchers have used callus to produce antioxidant and most of them used different techniques to get reasonable amounts of antioxidants. The technique used determines the number of antioxidants that will be produced from any explants. Callus Technology involves the techniques of producing callus and metabolites in the presence of explants using different plant hormonal combination in media, different environmental culture condition (light, relative humidity and tempreture), use of elicitors and under a sterile conditions. Callus technology is very promising due to its ability to produce a larger quantity of metabolites (antioxidants) compare to the raw extract of its explants. The use of callus to produce antioxidants is very important and very useful in discovering new plants as a source of antioxidants. The use of callus technology was reviewed for production of antioxidant from the callus of the following plants: Sericostoma pauciflorum, Helicteres angustifolia L, Lepidium sativum L, Randia echinocarpa, Andrographis paniculata Nees, Citrullus colocynthis, Rauwolfia vomitoria Afzel, Decalepis hamiltonii, Bacopa monnieri (Linn.) and Isodon rugosus (Wall. Ex Benth). Callus technology can be utilized to produce antioxidants and other metabolites in industrial quantity. Most of the metabolites from plants have been found to have medicinal values or useful to mankind and antioxidant is one of them.

Chemical and Medicinal Properties of Rauwolfia vomitoria (AFZEL) Harvested from the South Eastern Nigeria

Aim: This work was carried out to evaluate the chemical constituents of the leaf of Rauwolfia vomitoria and to determine the activities of the extract on some selected human pathogens Study Design: The study was designed to characterize the compounds in the extract and to determine their medicinal applications Place and Duration of Study: The work was done at the Department of Chemistry Federal University of Technology Owerri Methodology: Standard assay technique was used to evaluate the phytochemical content of the sample. GC-MS analysis was carried out on the chloroform extract of the sample. The anti microbial activities were determines using the well agar diffusion method Results: The analysis of the components of the leaf extract of Rauwolfia vomitoria Afzel revealed the presence of 34 compounds with their molecular masses molecular weights and structures, all elucidated. The initial phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids 1.92%, saponins 1.12% , flavonoids 1.15% and cardiac glycosides, the extract showed marked inhibition of the growth of certain human pathogens with inhibition diameters recorded against Klebsiella pnuemonia, 22 mm, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 18 mm,Aspergillis niger 24 mm and Mucor specie 9 mm but was resistant to Streptococcus specie.The extract contain anti cancer,anti-tumuor antioxidant, anti-inflammatory ,cardioprotectives compounds which inludes phytol, Vitamin E, Campestrol, sistosterol, squalene, lupeol and vaccenic acid. Conclusion: Owing to the identified properties of the sample ,Rauwofia vomitoria leaf is excellent ingredient for the treatment of diaeases related to Klebsiella pnuemonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa Aspergillis niger and Mucor specie and also for the treatment cancer, tumuor, inflammation, arthritis,beingn prostate hyperplasia, fibromyalgia, allergies, coronary heart.

Rauwolfia vomitoria Extract Represses Colorectal Cancer Cell Autophagy and Promotes Apoptosis

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequent digestive tract tumors in the world with an increasing incidence. Currently, surgical resection and chemotherapy are the main therapeutic options; however, their effects are limited by various adverse reactions. <i>Rauwolfia vomitoria</i> extract (Rau) has been shown to repress the progression of multiple human cancers; however, whether Rau plays a role in CRC remains undetermined. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Influences of Rau treatment on HCT-116 and LoVo cells were estimated via MTT and colony formation experiments. Flow cytometry analysis was adopted to evaluate the apoptosis rate of HCT-116 and LoVo cells. Apoptosis-related proteins (Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3) and autophagy-related proteins (LC3 and P62) were assessed by Western blotting. Effects of Rau on autophagy of HCT-116 and LoVo cell were evaluated through GFP-LC3 analysis. In vivo xenograft tumor assay was conducted to further examine the role of Rau in CRC tumor growth. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Rau remarkably repressed HCT-116 and LoVo cell viability and promoted HCT-116 and LoVo cell apoptosis in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. Rau increased the expression of caspase-3 and Bax and decreased the expression of Bcl-2 in HCT-116 and LoVo cells. Moreover, Rau was demonstrated to decrease the LC3||/LC3| ratio and increase the level of P62 in HCT-116 and LoVo cells. In addition, we found that Rau repressed xenograft tumor growth and also repressed autophagy in vivo. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our findings revealed that Rau repressed CRC cell viability and autophagy in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that Rau might be a potent therapeutic agent of CRC.

Hepatoprotective and Antioxidant Effects of Aqueous Extract of Rauwolfia vomitoria (Apocynaceae) Stem Bark in Wistar Rats

Rauwolfia vomitoria is used in Cameroon in indigenous medicine to treat liver diseases. The present study was carried out on the hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects of the plant aqueous extract. Liver toxicity was induced by oral route administration of CCl4 two times per week for four weeks. Rats were given concomitantly by oral route, aqueous extract at the doses of 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg or silymarin four days a week for four weeks. By the end, bloods were collected for liver functional parameters analyses. Liver tissues were removed, to assess to oxidative stress parameters and histological analyses. The extract (300 mg/kg) decreased enzyme activity of ALT, AST and the level of TG with the percentage 54.23%, 49.63% and 28.74% respectively while it increased the enzyme activity of SOD, CAT and level of MDA at about 67.16%, 71.42% and 43.80% respectively compared to control animals. These results suggested that aqueous extract has strong hepatoprotective effect on CCl4-induced liver damage and increase antioxidant defense system activity.

Antimicrobial Evaluation of Plant Parts of Rauwolfia Vomitoria

Aims: This study was aimed at evaluating the antimicrobial activities of fractions of Rauwolfia vomitoria against some isolates including; Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Microsporon canis, and Trichophyton rubrum. Methodology: Primary extraction was done on the dried and pulverized plant samples (leaves, barks, and root) using methanol, after which the crude extracts was fractionated using butanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane respectively. The samples were duly labelled according to the plant parts and solvents used. Agar diffusion and dilution methods on Mueller-Hinton agar (MHA) and Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) where used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal and fungicidal concentrations (MBC/MFC) respectively. The percentage inhibition diameter growth (PIDG) of the extracts and fractions were also determined. Results: From the results, eleven (11) samples showed inhibitory activity on one or more of the test isolates. Extended spectrum activity was observed with five (5) of the samples, including; RVL ethyl acetate, RVL n-hexane, RVB crude, RVR crude, and RVR ethyl acetate against S. typhi, E. coli, and M. canis. Antifungal activity was observed only against M. canis. The ethyl acetate fraction of the leaves (RVLE) and crude methanol extract of the bark (RVBC) gave the least MIC both against M. canis at a concentration of 25 mg/ml, while the ethyl acetate fraction of the leaves (RVLE) at 12.5 mg/ml also against M. canis gave the least MBC/MFC. Using the inhibition zone diameters (IZD), the obtained PIDG showed apparently that the ethyl acetate fraction of the leaves (RVL ethyl acetate) was the most active against S. typhi (28.57%) and E. coli (20%). Conclusion: The study lends support to the traditional use of the plant especially in treating gastro intestinal tract and skin infections.

Role of Monoaminergic Neurotransmission on the Antidepressant Effect of Leaf and Root Extracts of Rauwolfia vomitoria on the Locomotion and Immobility of Sprague-Dawley Rats

Rauwolfia vomitoria is one of the medicinal plants which is used traditionally to manage hypertension, diabetes and mental disorder. The scientific evidence to suggest its medicinal use especially in mental health treatment is lacking. This study aimed to investigate the antidepressant-like effect of the leaf and root extracts of R. vomitoria in the rat model using neurobehavioural indices; open field test and forced swimming test. Subsequently, the effect of the extracts on monoamine neurotransmitters system was investigated. The neurobehavioral response of rats by open field test and forced swim test showed that there was a reduction in the explorative tendencies of the rats administered the aqueous and ethanol root extracts (125, 250, 500 mg/kg) compared to the control while forced swim test reduced the immobility time of rats across all treatment groups except 500 mg/kg group. Neurotransmitter levels (serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine) in plasma and brain of rats administered the different concentration of root extracts exhibited significant (p<0.05) increase. Thus, the mode of action may be due in part to the increase in monoamine levels or by suppression of the reuptake of the monoamine neurotransmitters. This study established that R. vomitoria root extract has antidepressant-like effect in rats.