Divine noni's protective impact on Swiss albino mice's short-term memory impairment caused by cyclophosphamide: A behavioral and biochemical approach.

Cyclophosphamide (CYL) is a first-line cancer chemotherapeutic agent widely used for the treatment of cancer that has severe toxic effects. The primary mechanism by which CYL induces toxicity through free radical generation. Morinda citrifolia (Noni) fruit juice is an herbal remedy documented to have antioxidant properties. The aim of the current study was to investigate the protective effect of noni against CYL-induced memory impairment in Swiss albino mice. Treatment schedule: Group 1: Normal: Received vehicle; Group 2: CYL treatment: Received CYL (40.0 mg/kg b.w. i.p.) on day one; Group 3: NJ treatment: Received NJ (360 mg/b.w. p.o.) once daily for 14 days. Group 4: DNG treatment: DNG (360 mg/b.w. p.o.) once daily for 14 days, Group 5: NJ + CYL treatment: Received CYL (40.0 mg/kg b.w. i.p.) on day one and after half an hour of received NJ (360 mg/b.w. p.o.) once daily for 14 days. Group 6: DNG + CYL treatment: Received CYL (40.0 mg/kg b.w. i.p.) on day one and after half an hour received DNG (360 mg/b.w. p.o.) once daily for 14 days. Mice were subjected to the Morris water maze (MWM) challenge for two weeks as part of a behavioral study. Short-term memory impairment was observed in the behavioral activity of CYL-treated mice in the MWM test in the 1st week trial, and this effect was reversed in the 2nd week trial in the combination treatment group. The behavioral analysis proved that noni supplementation reduced the risk of memory impairment caused by CYL. Biochemical analysis revealed that CYL markedly increased the levels of AChE and MDA in brain tissue. Similarly, decreases in the levels of antioxidants, i.e., GSH, CAT, SOD and GST, were detected in the brain tissue of the mice exposed to CYL. Qualitative and quantitative examinations of histopathological examination of the mouse hippocampus supported the above findings. The results demonstrated that noni supplement therapy reversed the changes in the MDA, AChE, and antioxidant enzyme levels while improving the behavioral and histological alterations caused by CYL. Long-term hippocampal growth and memory are unaffected, suggesting that CYL is less harmful. According to our research, supplementing with noni in conjunction with CYL may be a helpful treatment strategy for treating memory impairment caused by CYL.

Noni enhances the anticancer activity of cyclophosphamide and suppresses myelotoxicity and hepatotoxicity in tumor-bearing mice.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Morinda citrifolia fruit juice (noni) is an herbal remedy documented to have antioxidant properties. It has been suggested that prevention of carcinogen-DNA adduct formation and the antioxidant activity of NJ may contribute to the cancer preventive effect. In the present study, the antitumor activity of noni was investigated in the presence of cyclophosphamide (CYL) in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: In vitro breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-468) were used to measure the percentage of inhibition and the IC50. The in vivo antitumor activity of noni was studied by monitoring the mean survival time (MST), percentage increase in life span (%ILS), viable and non-viable cell count, tumor volume, body weight, and hematological and serum biochemical parameters in mice. Treatment with noni and CYL exhibited dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity toward breast cancer cells. RESULTS: Individual treatment of noni and CYL exhibited dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicity on breast cancer cell lines, while in combination therapy of noni and CYL, noni enhances cytotoxic effect of CYL at 48 h than that at 24 h. Similar result was found in in vivo studies, the results of which revealed that alone treatment of CYL and noni suppressed tumor growth. However, combination treatment with CYL and noni presented better tumor inhibition than that of alone treatment of CYL and noni. On the contrary, CYL alone drastically attenuated hematological parameters, i.e., RBC, WBC, and Hb compared to normal and control groups, and this change was reversed and normalized by noni when given as combination therapy with CYL. Moreover, the levels of serum biochemical markers, i.e., AST, ALP, and ALT, were significantly increased in the control and CYL-treated groups than those in the normal group. In the combination treatment of noni and CYL, the above biochemical marker levels significantly decreased compared to CYL alone-treated group. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggested that CYL treatment can cause serious myelotoxicity and hepatic injury in cancer patients. In conclusion, the combined use of noni with CYL potentially enhances the antitumor activity of CYL and suppresses myelotoxicity and hepatotoxicity induced by CYL in tumor-bearing mice.

In-vitro evaluation of Indigofera heterantha extracts for antibacterial, antifungal and anthelmintic activities.

BACKGROUND: Multidrug-resistant bacterial strains cause several serious infections that can be fatal, such as Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacteriaceae (often referred to as ESKAPE pathogens). Since ancient times, several indigenous medical systems in India have utilized diverse medicinal plants (approximately 80,000 species) as conventional treatments for a variety of illnesses. A member of the Fabaceae family, also referred to as "Himalayan indigo," Indigofera heterantha Wall, is well known for its therapeutic properties. METHODS: The present study investigated the antibacterial, antifungal and antihelmintic properties of the roots, bark, leaves, and flowers of I. heterantha from the Kashmir Himalayas. The effectiveness of the extracts against bacteria, fungi, and earthworms. Three of the tested organisms for bacteria were ESKAPE pathogens, as they are responsible for creating fatal bacterial infections. The antifungal potency of I. heterantha aqueous and methanolic extracts was evaluated using the Agar Well Diffusion Assay. The antihelmintic activity was carried out on an adult Pheretima posthuma Indian earth worm, which shares physiological and anatomical similarities with human intestinal roundworm parasites. RESULTS: The methanolic extracts of root and bark have shown prominent activity against all bacterial strains, whereas aqueous extracts of flower, root, and leaves have shown promising activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The aqueous extract demonstrated good activity against S. cerevisiae at a concentration of 200 mg/ml with a zone of inhibition of 16 mm, while the methanolic extract displayed comparable activity against the fungal strains. The remaining two strains, P. crysogenum and A. fumigatus, were only moderately active in response to the extracts. All the extracts have shown anthelmintic activity except aqueous flower. CONCLUSION: These results will pave the way for the bioassay-guided isolation of bioactive constituents that may act as hits for further development as potential antibacterial agents against drug-resistant microbial and helminthic infections.