Cuticular Hydrocarbon Compounds in Worker Castes and Their Role in Nestmate Recognition in Apis cerana indica.

Differences in cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) among worker castes and colonies were examined in Apis cerana indica. The roles of tetracosanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, pentacosane, and (Z)-9-tricosene in nestmate recognition were studied. The CHC profiles of different castes, i.e., newly emerged bees, nurse bees, and forager bees, were found to differ among colonies. The CHC profiles of nurse bees were similar across different colonies, but forager bees in all colonies had significantly greater amounts of alkanes. In nestmate recognition experiments, guard bees reacted significantly more aggressively to foragers treated with tetracosanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid, and (Z)-9-tricosene. Pentacosane provoked no such effect.

Untargeted metabolomics and phenotype data indicate the therapeutic and prophylactic potential of Lysimachia candida Lindl. towards high-fat high-fructose-induced metabolic syndrome in rats.

The present study evaluated the therapeutic potential of the medicinal plant Lysimachia candida Lindl. against metabolic syndrome in male SD rats fed with a high-fat high-fructose (HFHF) diet. Methanolic extract of Lysimachia candida Lindl. (250 mg kg-1 body weight p.o.) was administrated to the HFHF-fed rats daily for 20 weeks. Blood samples were collected, and blood glucose levels and relevant biochemical parameters were analysed and used for the assessment of metabolic disease phenotypes. In this study, Lysimachia candida decreased HFHF diet-induced phenotypes of metabolic syndrome, i.e., obesity, blood glucose level, hepatic triglycerides, free fatty acids, and insulin resistance. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics was done to study the dynamics of metabolic changes in the serum during disease progression in the presence and absence of the treatment. Furthermore, multivariate data analysis approaches have been employed to identify metabolites responsible for disease progression. Lysimachia candida Lindl. plant extract restored the metabolites that are involved in the biosynthesis and degradation of amino acids, fatty acid metabolism and vitamin metabolism. Interestingly, the results depicted that the treatment with the plant extract restored the levels of acetylated amino acids and their derivatives, which are involved in the regulation of beta cell function, glucose homeostasis, insulin secretion, and metabolic syndrome phenotypes. Furthermore, we observed restoration in the levels of indole derivatives and N-acetylgalactosamine with the treatment, which indicates a cross-talk between the gut microbiome and the metabolic syndrome. Therefore, the present study revealed the potential mechanism of Lysimachia candida Lindl. extract to prevent metabolic syndrome in rats.

Methanolic Extract of Lysimachia Candida Lindl. Prevents High-Fat High-Fructose-Induced Fatty Liver in Rats: Understanding the Molecular Mechanism Through Untargeted Metabolomics Study.

Fatty liver is one of the most common metabolic syndrome affecting the global population. Presently, limited treatment modalities with symptomatic approach are available for alleviating fatty liver. Traditional and herbal treatment modalities have shown evidence to improve the disease pathology. In the present research work, evaluation of a selected medicinal plant Lysimachia candida Lindl. was carried out to investigate its beneficial effects on fatty liver disease in rats. Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were fed with high-fat high-fructose diet to induce fatty liver phenotypes. After induction for 15 weeks, methanolic extract of Lysimachia candida Lindl. (250 mg/kg b. w. p. o.) was administrated to the rats daily for the next 17 weeks. Blood samples were collected at different time points to analyze fasting blood glucose levels and relevant biochemical parameters important for the assessment of metabolic disease phenotypes. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based metabolomics was done to study the dynamics of metabolic changes in the serum during disease progression and how the medicinally important plant extract treatment reversed the metabolic diseases. Multivariate data analysis approaches have been employed to understand the metabolome changes and disease pathology. This study has identified the interplay of some metabolic pathways that alter the disease progression and their reversal after administration of the plant extract. Different group of metabolites mainly bile acids, fatty acids, carnitines, and their derivatives were found to be altered in the diseased rats. However, all the metabolites identified between control and disease groups are mainly related to lipid metabolism. The results depict that the treatment with the above-mentioned plant extract improves the regulation of aberrant lipid metabolism, and reverses the metabolic syndrome phenotype. Therefore, the present study reveals the potential mechanism of the herbal extract to prevent metabolic syndrome in rats.

Evaluation of therapeutic effect of Premna herbacea in diabetic rat and isoverbascoside against insulin resistance in L6 muscle cells through bioenergetics and stimulation of JNK and AKT/mTOR signaling cascade.

BACKGROUND: Premna herbacea Roxb., a perennial herb is well documented for its therapeutic uses among the traditional health care-givers of Assam, India. Scientific validation on the traditional use of the medicinal plant using modern technology may promote further research in health care. PURPOSE: This study evaluates the therapeutic potential of methanolic extract of P. herbacea (MEPH) against type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its phytochemical(s) in ameliorating insulin resistance (IR), thereby endorsing the plant bioactives as effective anti-hyperglycemic agents. METHODS: The anti-diabetic potential of the plant extract was explored both in L6 muscle cells and high fructose high fat diet (HF-HFD) fed male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Bioactivity guided fractionation and isolation procedure yielded Verbascoside and Isoverbascoside (ISOVER) as bioactive and major phytochemicals in P. herbacea. The bioenergetics profile of bioactive ISOVER and its anti-hyperglycemic potential was validated in vitro by XFe24 analyzer, glucose uptake assay and intracellular ROS generation by flourometer, FACS and confocal microscopy. The potential of ISOVER was also checked by screening various protein markers via immunoblotting. RESULTS: MEPH enhanced glucose uptake in FFA-induced insulin resistant (IR) L6 muscle cells and decreased elevated blood glucose levels in HF-HFD fed rats. Isoverbascoside (ISOVER) was identified as most bioactive phytochemical for the first time from the plant in the Premna genus. ISOVER activated the protein kinase B/AMP-activated protein kinase signaling cascades and enhanced glucose uptake in IR-L6 muscle cells. ISOVER decreased the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and increased that of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), thereby attenuating IR. However, molecular docking revealed that ISOVER increases insulin sensitivity by targeting the JNK1 kinase as a competitive inhibitor rather than mTOR. These findings were further supported by the bioenergetics profile of ISOVER. CONCLUSION: This study for the first time depicts the functional properties of ISOVER, derived from Premna herbacea, in ameliorating IR. The phytochemical significantly altered IR with enhanced glucose uptake and inhibition of ROS through JNK-AKT/mTOR signaling which may pave the way for further research in T2DM therapeutics.