Current Issue : July - September Volume : 2011 Issue Number : 3 Articles : 9 Articles
Hyperlipidemia is defined as an elevation of one or more of the plasma lipids, including cholesterol, cholesterol esters, triglycerides and phospholipids. Hyperlipidemia is the greatest risk factor of coronary heart disease. Currently available hypolipidemic drugs have been associated with number of side effects. Herbal treatment for hyperlipidemia has no side effects and is relatively cheap and locally available. Benzoic acid derivative like Protocatechuic acid (PCA), which is predominantly present in the Hibiscus species of plant, possess hypolipidemic, antihyperlipidemic and free radical scavenging activity. In the present study different doses of Protocatechuic acid were evaluated against triton x-100 induced hyperlipidemia in rats. In which various lipid parameters such as, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels in serum were measured and then atherogenic index (AI) was calculated. Protocatechuic acid showed significant decrease (p< 0.01) in the levels of serum TC, TG, LDL, AI levels and significant increase (p< 0.01) in the levels of serum HDL at the dose of PCA (50 mg/kg) against triton induced hyperlipidemia in rats....
Piperine, an alkaloid from Pepper species is used as bioenhancer. The present study investigated the influence of co-administration of piperine on pharmacokinetic profile of Gatifloxacin in Broiler birds. Gatifloxacin (GFX) is a fourth generation, 8-methoxy fluoroquinolone. The pharmacokinetic profile of gatifloxacin (10 mg/kg body weight) along with piperine coadministration (15 mg/kg) via single dose oral administration in broiler birds shown half life (t 1/2 β), Maximum drug concentration (Cmax) and AUC of 4.1 ± 0.092 hour, 2.14 ± 0.02 µg/ml and 17.58 ± 0.17 µg.h/ml respectively, which is found significantly higher than half life (t 1/2 β), Maximum drug concentration (Cmax) and AUC of 3.81 ± 0.07 hour, 1.74 ± 0.024 µg/ml and 15.24 ± 0.23 µg.h/ml respectively obtain after single oral administration of gatifloxacin (10 mg/kg body weight) alone. This study reveals that piperine has significant effect on the pharmacokinetics of the Gatifloxacin. There is significant enhancement of bioavailability (F) in piperine treated group (81.95 ± 1.56 %) compared to gatifloxacin alone treated group (72.96 ± 1.10 %). The results obtained are the combined effect of piperine on the absorption kinetics and the inhibition of the metabolism of Gatifloxacin....
Five dosages of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) were administered orally in five experiments to five sets of 5 test and 4 control rats. Each group of the test rats was given one of the five dosage regimens of dihydroartemisinin while the control rats received distilled water. The dosages of dihydroartemisinin tested on the Wister albino rats were 1mg/kg , a repeated dose of 1mg/kg,2mg/kg, 60mg/kg and 80mg/kg rat weight. The study found that dihydroartemisinin stimulated the growth and proliferation of the smooth muscles of both the intestinal epithelia and those of the intestinal mucosal glands. These effects of DHA increased with repetition of a dose and with increase in dosage of DHA to a maximal dose of 2mg/kg DHA.These results suggest that orally administered dihydroartemisinin enhanced the physiological functioning of rat intestinal smooth muscles and glands through a direct growth hormone-like stimulation of these tissues....
The present research article is directed towards the study the effect of ethanolic extract of Vitex negundo Leaves on neutrophil phagocytic function. The different concentrations (10,100,250,500,1000 g/ml) of ethanol extract of Vitex negundo leaves was subjected to study its effect on different, in vitro methods of phagocytosis such as neutrophil locomotion and chemotaxis test, in vitro Immunostimultant activity by phagocytosis of killed Candida albicans and qualitative nitroblue tetrazolium test using human neutrophils The ethanolic extract of Vitex negundo leaves has stimulated chemo tactic, phagocytic and intercellular killing potency of human neutrophils at the concentration range of 10-1000g/ml. The ethanolic extract of Vitex negundo stimulated cell mediated immune system by increasing neutrophil phagocytic function....
In this study we investigated preliminary phytochemical, total phenolic, alkaloid content and In-vitro antioxidant activity of hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanol (70%v/v) and methanol extracs of root bark of Rauvolfia tetraphylla from Araku, Andhra Pradesh, India. Rauvolfia tetraphylla root bark revealed the presence of steroids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, glycosides, carbohydrates and saponins but do not give the positive results for tannins, oils, quinines and amino acids. The ethanol (70%v/v) extract has more phenolic content than other extracts and the methanol extract has more alkaloidal content than other extracts. The selected plant extracts were produced concentration dependent percentage inhibition of superoxide radical and produced maximum activity at a concentration of 320 µg and there after the percentage inhibition were raised gradually to its maximum level with higher concentrations. Among the four types of R.tetraphylla extracts, the methanolic extract showed better activity than remaining extracts at 320 µg concentrations....
Background\r\nProanthocyanidin is a polyphenolic bioflavonoid with known antioxidant activity. Some flavonoids have a modulatory effect on [Ca2]i. Although proanthocyanidin extract from blueberries reportedly affects Ca2 buffering capacity, there are no reports on the effects of proanthocyanidin on glutamate-induced [Ca2]i or cell death. In the present study, the effects of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) on glutamate-induced excitotoxicity was investigated through calcium signals and nitric oxide (NO) in cultured rat hippocampal neurons.\r\nResults\r\nPretreatment with GSPE (0.3-10 �µg/ml) for 5 min inhibited the [Ca2]i increase normally induced by treatment with glutamate (100 �µM) for 1 min, in a concentration-dependent manner. Pretreatment with GSPE (6 �µg/ml) for 5 min significantly decreased the [Ca2]i increase normally induced by two ionotropic glutamate receptor agonists, N-methyl-D-aspartate and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA). GSPE further decreased AMPA-induced response in the presence of 1 �µM nimodipine. However, GSPE did not affect the 50 mM K+induced increase in [Ca2]i. GSPE significantly decreased the metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist (RS)-3,5-Dihydroxyphenylglycine-induced increase in [Ca2]i, but it did not affect caffeine-induced response. GSPE (0.3-6 �µg/ml) significantly inhibited synaptically induced [Ca2]i spikes by 0.1 mM [Mg2]o. In addition, pretreatment with GSPE (6 �µg/ml) for 5 min inhibited 0.1 mM [Mg2]o- and glutamate-induced formation of NO. Treatment with GSPE (6 �µg/ml) significantly inhibited 0.1 mM [Mg2]o- and oxygen glucose deprivation-induced neuronal cell death.\r\nConclusions\r\nAll these data suggest that GSPE inhibits 0.1 mM [Mg2]o- and oxygen glucose deprivation-induced neurotoxicity through inhibition of calcium signals and NO formation in cultured rat hippocampal neurons....
This review aims to sensitize researchers, regulators and other stakeholders to the centrality of clinical research to drug development from herbs used in Traditional Medicine (TM). The review uncovered and dwelt on the fact that: while clinical trials of chemical medicines (pharmaceuticals) tend to come late in the drug development chain, the reverse is often the case with herbal medicines (phytomedicines). Once the decision is made to develop a single phytochemical entity (phytopharmaceutical, example: artemisinin) from a plant, the need for such sensitization is particularly desirable, given their huge socioeconomic implications. The review emphasized that drug development from a traditional herb can: i) take the route of standardization of the herb or its extract for immediate use without further chemical manipulations; or ii) proceed along the line of isolation and other manipulations aimed at optimising bioactivity. By the first route, development proceeds directly from confirming that the pharmacological property of the herb tallies with its traditional indication, leading instantly to value addition to traditional knowledge accumulated over years. This is because herbal medicines based on time tested traditions need not undergo phased trials as would a novel pharmaceutical (or an old herb for a new indication), since their long histories often offer evidence of their safety and efficacy. In the second route, clinical studies usually come later in the chain. This is because, unlike the traditional therapeutic, the new phytopharmaceutical, taken out of its natural microenvironment and subjected to various chemical manipulations, including purification, is no longer the equivalent of the ancient remedy with predicable effects. Moreover, in this later case, interest in the new entity (an artificially concentrate isolate) may shift completely from the traditional indication of the herb, hence the need for phased trials of phytopharmaceuticals (or an old herb for a new indication), despite their natural origin....
Year by year, the characterization of the biological activity of natural products is becoming more competitive and complex, with the involvement in this research area of experts belonging to different scientific fields, including chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology and bioinformatics. These fields are becoming of great interest for several high-impact scientific journals, including eCAM. The available literature in general, and a survey of reviews and original articles recently published, establishes that natural products, including extracts from medicinal plants and essential oils, retain interesting therapeutic activities, including antitumor, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic and differentiating properties. In this commentary, we focus attention on interest in networks based on complementary activation and comparative evaluation of different experimental strategies applied to the discovery and characterization of bioactive natural products. A representative flow chart is shown in the paper....
V. amygdalina leaf powder healed a fresh 4-inch nail wound in two days and a fresh motor cycle gear handle wound in one week without leaving any scar. Alternated V. amygdalina leaf extract and leaf powder healed a fresh cut through the nail of the right little finger and its adjoining flesh in one week without the nail being disfigured. The V. amygdalina treatment also broke down and “scavenged” the blood clot /occult blood associated with each of these three wounds. The V. amygdalina treatment also eliminated the pain and inflammation associated with these three wounds. None of the three wounds became septic from the beginning to the end of treatment. The results of this wound healing experience show that V. amygdalina leaf extract or leaf powder have antimicrobial; immune defence; analgesic; anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties....
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