Vitamin C supplementation ameliorates liver function profile and antiviral treatment response in Hepatitis C patients.

An imbalance between oxidative stress and antioxidative defence mediates a variety of diseases pathogenesis. The present study aims to assess the possible outcome of supplementation of oral vitamin-C (VC), an antioxidant, in Viral Hepatitis C (HCV) treatment as an adjuvant therapy. 200 HCV-patients were selected, 100 were given Vitamin-C (1000 mg/day) along with anti HCV treatment (sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir) while the other 100 took only anti-HCV treatment for 4weeks. The serum ascorbic acid (Vitamin-C) levels and functions of the liver were tested before and after the VC supplementation. HCV patients with relatively low serum ascorbic acid showed significant improvement after the intake of vitamin C. After 4 weeks of treatment, AST, ALP, albumin, and total, direct and indirect bilirubin were improved significantly in the VC group; whereas only ALT and indirect bilirubin were improved in both groups when associated with the control subjects. Comparing the two treatment groups at 4weeks; more effective and significant improvement was observed in ALT (p<0.01), AST (p<0.001), direct (p<0.01) and indirect bilirubin (p<0.001), total proteins (p<0.001) and albumin (p<0.05) in patients with VC supplementation on anti-viral treatment compared to only anti-viral treatment group. Thus, VC supplementation improves the antiviral therapy outcome by bestowing a beneficial effect in minimizing liver damage in HCV cases.

Phytochemical profiling and anticancer potential of gardenia latifolia extracts against arsenic trioxide induced liver fibrosis in rat model.

Introduction: Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) is an environmental contaminant that may cause hepatic injuries. As2O3-induced liver injuries are detected as an underlying cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) around the globe. The present study aimed to investigate the potential of Gardenia latifolia (GL) extracts against oxidative stress and apoptotic activity in HCC-induced rats and to explore in silico molecular docking analysis of phytocompounds of G. latifolia. Methods: The present study was designed to investigate the hepato-protective effect of ethanol and n-hexane extract of G. latifolia. Phytochemical analysis was performed using gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the identified metabolites were used for computational docking analysis. The binding potential and inhibitory effect of the identified metabolites against inflammatory markers were assessed. Fifty male albino rats were selected for the in vivo study and were randomly divided into five groups, with 10 rats in each group. Group I is the control group. Hepatotoxicity was induced in groups II, III, IV, and V with 350 mg/kg/day of As2O3. Group II was taken as positive control, Group III and IV were treated with ethanol and n-hexane extract of G. latifolia, respectively, and Group V was treated with cisplatin 3.0 mg/kg/day. At the end of treatment, different stress and liver biomarkers were also analyzed. Results and Discussion: The quantitative phytochemical profiling revealed a high content of total flavonoid and tannins found at 5.731 ± 0.1856 mg quercetin equivalent (QE)/g and 86.31 ± 14.20 mg tannic acid equivalent (TAE)/g in G. latifolia n-hexane extract, while a significant concentration of TFC was 276.821 ± 2.19 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g, in ethanolic extract. GC-MS analysis resulted in the identification of 26 metabolites in ethanol extract while 32 metabolites in n-hexane extract, respectively. Both the extracts restored the abnormal levels of stress markers (p < 0.05) in Groups III and IV, and were comparable to the comparative control group V, which was given cisplatin as the standard drug. The histopathological examination revealed the regeneration of hepatocytes, dilated sinusoidal cells, necrosis, and distorted hepatic architecture observed in arsenic trioxide hepatotoxic liver. Among the top most identified metabolites from GC-MS analysis, stigmasterol exhibited -8.3 and -7.1 kcal/mol in silico binding affinities against cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and interleukin (IL-6), respectively, while Dasycarpidan-1-methanol exhibited the best binding affinities of -6.8 and -7.2 kcal/mole against matrixmetalloprotinease (MMP)-3 and heat shock protein-90 (HSP-90), respectively. 6-AH-cAMP showed the best docking score of -7.5 kcal/mol for the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) macromolecule. Metabolite Dasycarpidan-1-methanol, acetate represented drug like properties so it was further analyzed by MD simulation and stable dynamic nature of protein ligand complex was evaluated. Conclusion: In conclusion, the effective therapeutic potential of G. latifolia extracts targeted oxidative stress, increasing antioxidant activities and inhibiting inflammation and liver complications at early stages. Further research on the molecular level may further explore the anticancer potential of this plant against various types of cancers.

Synthesis, characterization and anti-breast cancer potential of an incensole acetate nanoemulsion from Catharanthus roseus essential oil; in silico, in vitro, and in vivo study.

The characteristics of phytocompounds and essential oils have undergone extensive research in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors due to their extensive usage. In spite of the fact that these molecules are widely used, terpenes, terpenoids, and their derivatives have not yet been well characterized. This study intends to evaluate the prospective activity of incensole acetate (IA), a compound identified and isolated from Catharanthus roseus essential oil by GC/MS analysis and column chromatography, and to analyze the anticancer effect of an IA biosynthesized nanoemulsion against breast cancer. The in silico activity of IA against breast cancer targets was observed by molecular docking, ADMET assessment and molecular dynamics simulations. The IA-mediated nanoformulation exhibited cytotoxicity against breast cancer cell lines at an effective concentration when analyzed by MTT and crystal violet assay. The increased interleukin serum indicators were significantly improved as a result of nanoemulsion treatment in a DMBA-induced rat model. In addition, the anticancer properties of IA biosynthesized nanoemulsion are supported due to their potential effects on biochemical parameters, oxidative stress markers, proinflammatory cytokines, and upon tumor growth profiling in cancer-induced rats.