Protective Effect of Ipomoea biloba on Myocardial Antioxidant Status in Isoproterenol Induced Myocardial Infarction Male Albino Rats

The protective effect of ethanolic leaf extract of Ipomoea biloba in isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiotoxicity and the antioxidant activity involved in this protection were investigated in rats. Myocardial infraction was produced in rats with 20 mg/kg b.wt of ISO administered subcutaneously twice at an interval of 24 h. Effect of EEIB oral treatment for 28 days at two doses (100 mg and 200 mg/kg body weight) was evaluated against ISO – induced cardiac necrosis. Level of enzymatic (SOD, CAT, GPx and GST), non-enzymatic (GSH, Vitamin C and E) and of membrane bound ATPases (Na+K+ATPase, Mg2+ATPase and Ca2+ATPase) were assayed in heart homogenate. Significant myocardial infarction, depletion of endogenous antioxidants enzymatic and non-enzymatic were observed in ISO-treated animals when compared with the normal animals. Rats induced with ISO, showed a significant (P<0.05), decrease in the activities of GSH, Vitamin C and Eon comparison with normal rats. EEIB elicited a significant cardioprotective activity by elevated the levels of GSH, SOD, CAT, GPx and GR. A significant decrease in the activity of Na+/K+ ATPase and a corresponding increase in the activities of Ca2+ ATPase and Mg2+ ATPase were observed in isoproterenol induced rats when compared to normal control rats. Pretreatment with EEIB was able to efficiently prevent the increase in activity of Mg2+ ATPase and maintain the activities of Na+ /K+ ATPase and Ca2+ ATPase at near normality. There is no significant difference between the control and plant alone treated rats. The aim of this investigation is to evaluate the antioxidant effects on the main cardioprotective activity of ethanolic leaf extract Ipomoea biloba.

In vitro pharmacological attributes and metabolite’s fingerprinting of Conocarpus lancifolius

Search for safe antioxidants and novel nutraceuticals urged to evaluate the antioxidant, anti-acetylcholine esterase and anti-lipoxygenase activity of various leaf extracts of Conocarpus lancifolius. Extraction was optimized from freeze dried plant extracts quenched with liquid nitrogen using water, ethanol, methanol, hexane, ethyl acetate and chloroform. Maximum extract yield, total phenolic contents and total flavonoid contents were obtained in case of ethanolic extraction. The highest 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazylradical scavenging in terms of IC50 value of 55.26 µg/mL was observed for ethanolic leaf extract. The acetylcholine esterase and lipoxygenase inhibitory activities (IC50) were also observed for ethanolic extract. These findings for ethanolic extract were statistically significant when compared with other extracts (ρ<0.05). The haemolytic % values indicated that all extracts were associated with very low or negligible toxicity. The epicatechin, isorhamnetin, rutin, scopoleptin, skimmianine, quercetin-3-O-α-rhamnoside, quercetin-3-O-β-glucoside, cornoside, creatinine, choline, pyruvic acid, α-hydroxybutyric acid, phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin were identified as major functional metabolites in ethanolic leaf extract of C. lancifolius by 1H-NMR. The identified metabolites were probably responsible for the pharmacological properties of C. lancifolius. The findings may be utilized as pharmacological leads for drug development and food fortification.

Evaluation of potentials of aqueous ethanolic extract of Psidium guajava on reproductive functions of male Albino rats

The therapeutic utilization of plants for managing several diseases by people of all continents, especially Africa, is as old as tradition. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potentials of aqueous ethanolic leaf extract of Psidium guajava on male reproductive parameters. Twenty-four male Albino rats were randomly assigned into four groups of six rats per group. Rats in the control group were administered Tween 20®. Rats in groups 2, 3, and 4 were administered Psidium guajava aqueous ethanolic leaf extract orally at the doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg body weight, respectively, once daily for 60 days. The body weights of the rats were determined at the beginning and end of the experiment. Sperm parameters and some reproductive organs weight of each rat was also determined, some organs were collected for histopathology. Assay for follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and testosterone was done using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent methods. Some reproductive organs were collected for histopathological analyses. The results showed a dose-dependent increase (p<0.05) in the weight of male reproductive organs, sperm parameters, and hormones. The extract significantly increased (P < 0.05) serum testosterone in the group treated 400 mg/kg body weight when treated groups were compared with control. Furthermore, the results of FSH and LH revealed a significant (p < 0.05) increase when the treated groups were compared with the control. The histopathological analysis did not reveal any form of damage to the architectural integrity of the testis. However, there was degenerating germinal epithelium in the group administered 400 mg/kg of the aqueous ethanolic leaf extract of P. guajava. Conclusion: aqueous ethanolic extract of P. guajava has positive effects on male reproductive parameters.

ANTI-PARKINSONIAN ACTIVITY OF VARIOUS SOLVENT EXTRACTS OF CLEOME GYNANDRA LEAVES AGAINST MPTP AND ISOLATION OF PHYTOCONSTITUENTS

Antiparkinsonian activity of Cleome gynandra (CG) was evaluated and chemical constituents were isolated. The results of the present study showed that spontaneous motor activity, retention time and number of head drippings were decreased, whereas immobility time in Tail suspension (TST) and Forced swimming test (FST) were increased in MPTP treated animals, while they were significantly (P<0.001) increased and (P<0.01) decreased with various extracts of CG. Dopamine, serotonin (P<0.001), epinephrine (P<0.01) and glutathione levels were significantly decreased and lipid peroxidation was increased in MPTP treated groups, while their levels were significantly (P<0.001) increased and decreased with various extracts of CG in a dose dependant manner as compared to MPTP, L-dopamine and control groups. Ethanolic leaf extract of CG leads to isolation of triterpenoid, flavone and anthocyanidin - O- methylated flavonoids, which were characterized by using spectroscopic investigation methods like FTIR, NMR and MS.

Anticancer Activities of Phlogacanthus pulcherrimus T. Anderson Leaves Extract on MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells

Phlogacanthus pulcherrimus T. Anderson (PPT) is an edible plant found in the northern and northeastern regions of Thailand. There is limited information about the anti-breast cancer activity of the ethanolic leaf extract of PPT. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an ethanolic leaf extract of PPT on MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines. The biological effects, including cytotoxicity, cell apoptosis, colony formation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and cell migration, were determined by a means of sulforhodamine B (SRB), acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining, a clonogenic assay, flow cytometry and a scratch wound healing assay, respectively. The results demonstrated that the PPT extract showed cytotoxic on MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent manner with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 119.9 ± 12.1 and 51.3 ± 4.7 μg/mL at 24 h and 48 h incubation, respectively. In addition, the extract exhibited cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner when used at a concentration of 50–100 μg/mL and inhibited colony formation with an IC50 value of 26.0 ± 2.0 μg/mL when compared with the control group. The extract induced ROS formation in a dose-dependent manner when used at a concentration of 50–100 μg/mL. The extract suppressed MCF-7 cell migration, with significant effect at 25 μg/mL. These results indicate that PPT ethanolic leaf extract has an anticancer activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells and may be useful for prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

Neuroprotective effect of ethanolic leaf extract of Commiphora caudata (Wight & Arn) against lipopolysaccharide-induced neurotoxicity in Wistar rats

Introduction: Commiphora caudata contains various essential phytoconstituents and is a potential medicinal plant used traditionally to treat various ailments such as neurodegenerative diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of ethanolic leaf extract of Commiphora caudata against the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induced behavioral changes in rats. Methods: The in-vitro antioxidant potential was evaluated by 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay methods. For in-vivo studies, the animals were pre-treated with ethanolic leaf extract of Commiphora caudata (EECC) at 200 and 400 mg/kg of b.w for 30 days, and neurotoxicity was induced with a single intraperitoneal injection of LPS 1 mg/kg, b.w on day 31. The neurotoxicity was evaluated with a chain of behavioral tests such as the Morris water maze test, radial arm maze, and choice reaction time (CRT) tests. At the end of the study, rats were sacrificed, the brain hippocampal region was removed, and the levels of acetylcholinesterase, nitric oxide, and protein were measured. Results: The IC50 value in the DPPH method was 71.58 ± 15.62 μg, and the total antioxidant activity of EECC was found to be 742.33 ± 14.57 μmol Fe (II)/g extract. In behavioral tests, animals treated with EECC at 200 and 400 mg/kg showed a neuroprotective effect in the Morris water maze test, an 8-arm radial maze test, and in the CRT test. Both doses reduced acetylcholinesterase, nitric oxide, and protein levels (P < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: The present study results showed the promising neuroprotective effects of ethanolic extract of leaves of Commiphora caudata and its action against the LPS-induced cognitive impairment in rats.