Standardization of Euphorbia tithymaloides (L.) Poit. (Root) by Conventional and DNA Barcoding Methods.

Adulteration and substitution of medicinal plants have become a matter of great concern in recent years. Euphorbia tithymaloides is one such medicinal plant that has gained importance but is often confused with other plants of the same species. In order to address this issue, this study aimed to conduct a conventional and molecular pharmacognostic study for the identification of the root of E. tithymaloides. The root of the plant was studied for the macroscopic observations, and then, the root was ground into coarse powder for microscopic studies and to determine the physiochemical properties. The powder was subjected to extraction with solvents such as ethanol, ethanol/water (1:1), hexane, and ethyl acetate. The extracts were then used for qualitative and quantitative (phenol, alkaloids, and flavonoids) phytochemical analysis. The molecular study was performed with the DNA barcoding technique. The DNA was extracted from the root of the plant, and its purity was examined by gel electrophoresis (1% w/v). The DNA was then amplified using an Applied Biosystems 2720 thermal cycler for the rbcL, matK, and ITS primers. The amplified primers were sequenced with a 3130 Genetic Analyzer, and the generated sequences were searched for similarity in the GenBank Database using the nucleotide BLAST analysis. The micro- and macroscopic studies revealed the morphological and organoleptic characters as well as the presence of medullary rays, fiber, cork, sclereids, parenchymal cells, and scalariform vessels. The physiochemical properties were found within the limit. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, and alkaloids. In addition, the alkaloidal content was high in the ethanol extract (63.04 ± 3.08 mg At E/g), while the phenol content was high in the hexane extract (10.26667 ± 1.77 mg At E/g), and the flavonoid content was high in the ethyl acetate extract (41.458 ± 1.33 mg At E/g). After the BLAST analysis from the GenBank database, the rbcL, ITS, and matK primers showed a similarity percentage of 99.83, 99.84, and 100. The phylogenetic tree for the species closest to each primer was generated using the MEGA 6 software. The matK loci had the highest percentage similar to the rbcL and ITS loci, indicating that the matK loci can be used to identify the root of E. tithymaloides as a standalone. The results from this study can be used to establish a quality standard for E. tithymaloides that will ensure its quality and purity.

In-silico, in-vitro and ex-vivo evidence of combining silymarin phytopharmaceutical with piperine, and fulvic acid for enhancing its solubility and permeability.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Even if with such a high mortality there is no definite treatment approved. Thus, there is a need to develop a formulation which can have multiple pharmacological activities. Herbal drugs are among the most promising compounds that act by different pharmacological actions. For increasing the bio-activity of Silymarin we had isolated five active biomarker molecules from silymarin extract (as a Phytopharmaceutical) in our previous work. It possesses lower bioavailability due to poor solubility, lesser permeability and first pass metabolism effect. Therefore, from the literature we had screened two bioavailability enhancers i.e. piperine and fulvic acid for overcoming the drawbacks associated with silymarin. Hence, in this study we had first explored the ADME-T parameters and then evaluated their in-silico activity for different enzymes involved in inflammation and fibrosis. Interestingly, it was found that besides the bioavailability enhancing property, piperine and fulvic acid also shown anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic action, particularly more activity was demonstrated by fulvic acid than piperine. Furthermore, the concentration of the bioavailability enhancers i.e. 20% FA and 10% PIP were optimized by QbD assisted solubility studies. Moreover, the percentage release and apparent permeability coefficient of the optimized formulation was found to be 95% and 90%, respectively as compared to 6.54*106 and 1.63*106 respectively by SM suspension alone. Furthermore, it was found that plain rhodamine solution penetrated only up to 10 um whereas, formulation penetrated up to 30 um. Thus, combining these three, can not only increase the bioavailability of silymarin, but might also, increase the physiological action synergistically.

Evaluation of Sida cordifolia and Sida rhombifolia extracts in a rat model of streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Sida cordifolia and Sida rhombifolia are regarded as useful herbs as they have been shown to be effective, inexpensive and harmless in the prevention of diabetes, and are recognized as valuable therapeutic substances. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of S. cordifolia and S. rhombifolia in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy using a rat model. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Extracts of S. cordifolia and S. rhombifolia were obtained using the Soxhlet method. The hydroalcoholic extract solvent was used in the following proportions: 70:30, 50:50 and 80:20. The 80:20 hydroalcoholic extract was observed to be the most potent. The inhibitory effects of the extract were determined using the α-amylase assay. The most potent extract also underwent total flavonoid, phenolic and free radical scavenging tests, and was incorporated into an animal study. Diabetes was induced in rats by administering nicotinamide (NAD; 230 mg/kg) and streptozotocin (STZ; 65 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. In addition to a standard control of pioglitazone, the rats received extract dosages of 100 mg/kg/day or 200 mg/kg/day. Body weight, blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum albumin, serum creatinine, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and oral glucose tolerance were assessed at various time points. The animals also underwent histopathological examination to observe alterations induced by the treatment. RESULTS: Sida cordifolia was the most successful in lowering blood glucose and HbA1c levels. Renal function indices and antioxidant enzyme levels were regained in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, S. cordifolia (200 mg/kg/day) extract, similar to pioglitazone, inhibited the production of advanced glycation byproducts by the kidney. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of various S. cordifolia and S. rhombifolia extracts on rats with diabetic nephropathy were observed. Sida cordifolia may be further explored for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy and, due to its diverse nature, may be utilized for the treatment of a wide range of diseases, as it provided more significant findings.

Quality by design-based optimization of Soxhlet extraction and identification of ephedrine by a HPTLC method for Sida rhombifolia and Sida Cordifolia.

The study objective was to analyse the phytochemical constituents in aerial extracts of these plants using an HPTLC method and optimization by quality by design. Qualitative analysis of ephedrine in hydro-alcoholic extract was done via HPTLC, using a mobile phase of toluene-ethyl acetate-chloroform-formic acid in the ratio of 1:0.5:0.5:01 and the peaks were monitored at 366 nm. In the hydro-alcoholic aerial part extract, ephedrine was identified using the HPTLC method and the retardation factor (Rf) value was found to be 0.69 ± 0.01 and 0.69 ± 0.01, as compared with the standard sample. The extraction of plant materials was done using different concentration of water and alcohol solvents and quality by design was applied to optimize the extraction process and to find out the best extraction in an 80:20 ratio of hydro-alcoholic extract. In the hydro-alcoholic extract, the ephedrine was characterized using the HPTLC method and compared with the standard solution, and this method was used in herbal as well as academic research for the identification of ephedrine in poly herbal formulations as well as the ephedrine present in different plant extracts. Response surface methodology software was utilized to predict the path or choose the best extraction method. Sida rhombifolia and Sida cordifolia can be used as substitutes for Ephedra gerardiana based on the HPTLC profile.

Biomarker Analysis Based Chemoprofiling of Polyherbal Ayurvedic Formulation Containing Vitis vinifera L. by Validated UPLC-MS/MS Method.

BACKGROUND: Drakshasava is one of the commercial Ayurvedic medicines from India, prepared from grapes and spices. It is believed to address health imbalances and claimed to be beneficial for weakness, bleeding disorders, and various inflammatory diseases. It has been reported to possess pharmacological activities such as diuretic, cardioprotective, and antimicrobial. Being a polyherbal mixture, it faces challenges in its standardization and quality control. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study is to develop a validated UPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantification of 10 polyphenolic biomarkers in Drakshasava. It explores the effect of Vitis vinifera L. and additional herbs on fermentation with respect to bioactive compounds through the successive addition method. METHODS: The MS methods were optimized in multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with ESI while chromatographic separation was achieved on an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column using both isocratic and gradient elution in water and acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid. RESULTS: The developed method was validated as per ICH-Q2B guidelines and found to be within the assay variability limits. Gallic acid was found to be the most abundant marker in all the samples followed by resveratrol. The content of all the markers has been found to be increased significantly post-fermentation, compared to decoction except kaempferol. The successive addition of prashpeka drvya (minor herbs) in the formulation showed variability at different stages with respect to the selected markers and did not exhibit major changes in the chemical profiling of the final product. CONCLUSION: The developed method was found to be rapid, accurate, reliable, and highly sensitive for the simultaneous quantification of selected biomarkers in Drakshasava. The research is the first chemometric report on the standardization of Drakshasava by validated UPLC-MS/MS method. It may prove to be a useful tool for the development of new phytopharmaceutical drugs and further quality control of other polyherbal formulations.

Biotransformation of lignan glycoside to its aglycone by Woodfordia fruticosa flowers: quantification of compounds using a validated HPTLC method.

CONTEXT: Saraca asoca Linn. (Caesalpiniaceae) is an important traditional remedy for gynaecological disorders and it contains lyoniside, an aryl tetralin lignan glycoside. The aglycone of lyoniside, lyoniresinol possesses structural similarity to enterolignan precursors which are established phytoestrogens. OBJECTIVES: This work illustrates biotransformation of lyoniside to lyoniresinol using Woodfordia fruticosa Kurz. (Lythraceae) flowers and simultaneous quantification of lyoniside and lyoniresinol using a validated HPTLC method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aqueous extract prepared from S. asoca bark was fermented using W. fruticosa flowers. The substrate and fermented product both were simultaneously analyzed using solvent system:toluene:ethyl acetate:formic acid (4:3:0.4) at 254 nm. The method was validated for specificity, accuracy, precision, linearity, sensitivity and robustness as per ICH guidelines. RESULTS: The substrate showed the presence of lyoniside, however, it decreased as the fermentation proceeded. On 3rd day, lyoniresinol starts appearing in the medium. In 8 days duration most of the lyoniside converted to lyoniresinol. The developed method was specific for lyoniside and lyoniresinol. Lyoniside and lyoniresinol showed linearity in the range of 250-3000 and 500-2500 ng. The method was accurate as resulted in 99.84% and 99.83% recovery, respectively, for lyoniside and lyoniresinol. CONCLUSION: Aryl tetralin lignan glycoside, lyoniside was successfully transformed into lyoniresinol using W. fruticosa flowers and their contents were simultaneously analyzed using developed validated HPTLC method.

Optimization of Betulinic Acid Extraction from Tecomella undulata Bark Using a Box-Behnken Design and Its Densitometric Validation.

Betulinic acid (BA) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid acid obtained from the stem bark of Tecomella undulata Seem. (Bignoniaceae). Development of an efficient extraction method for the isolation of BA is important as it has a wide range of pharmacological activity. A Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used to investigate the effect of extraction variables such as temperature (30-60 °C), time (4-8 h) and solvent to drug ratio (300-500 mL/100 g) on the maximization of BA yield and its quantification using validated densitometric high performance thin layer chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection (HPTLC-VIS). A quadratic polynomial model was found to best fit the model with R² = 0.99. The optimized Soxhlet extraction yielded 2.449% w/w of BA at a temperature 53.86 °C, time 6.38 h and solvent to drug ratio 371 mL/100 g. BA in Tecomella undulata bark was detected at Rf value of 0.65 at 510 nm using the solvent system toluene-ethyl acetate-glacial acetic acid (8.5:1.5:0.02 v/v/v). The analytical method was validated and the linear regression analysis reflects good linear relationship (R² = 0.9902). Lower %RSD and SEM suggested that the developed HPTLC-VIS method was precise, accurate and robust. Therefore, these economical techniques are very efficient and promising for the extraction and quantification of pharmaceutically important BA.

A Review on Hepatoprotective and Immunomodulatory Herbal Plants.

The liver is the most important organ that plays an important role in maintaining various physiological processes in the body. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver and is characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. There are five main viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D, and E. These five types are of the greatest concern because of the burden of illness and death. Liver injury or liver dysfunction is a major health problem that challenges not only health care professionals but also the drug regulatory agencies and the pharmaceutical industry. Herbal medicines have been used in the treatment of liver disease for a long time. The immune system is the part of body that diagnoses the pathogen by using a specific receptor to reveal immediate response by the activation of immune components cells, chemokines, and cytokines, and also the release of the inflammatory mediator. They potentiate and modulate the immune system. The plant-derived phytoconstituents (polysaccharides, proteins and flavanoids, lignans, rotenoids, etc.) stimulate the immune system and maintained hepatic diseases. There are a number of hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory herbs that have been reported. The present review is aimed at compiling data on promising phytochemicals from hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory herbs.

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction conditions for preparing lignan-rich extract from Saraca asoca bark using Box-Behnken design.

CONTEXT: Lyoniside is the major constituent of Saraca asoca Linn. (Caesalpiniaceae) bark. There is an immediate need to develop an efficient method to isolate its chemical constituents, since it is a therapeutically important plant. OBJECTIVE: A rapid extraction method for lyoniside based on microwave-assisted extraction of S. asoca bark was developed and optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Lyoniside was analyzed and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). The extraction solvent ratio (%), material solvent ratio (g/ml) and extraction time (min) were optimized using Box-Behnken design (BBD) to obtain the highest extraction efficiency. The optimal conditions were the use of 1:30 material solvent ratio with 70:30 mixture of methanol:water for 10 min duration. RESULTS: The optimized microwave-assisted extraction yielded 9.4 mg/g of lyoniside content in comparison to reflux extraction under identical conditions which yielded 4.2 mg/g of lyoniside content. Under optimum conditions, the experimental values agreed closely with the predicted values. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated a high goodness-of-fit model and the success of the RSM method for optimizing lyoniside extraction from the bark of S. asoca. DISCUSSION: All the three variables significantly affected the lyoniside content. Increased polarity of solvent medium enhances the lyoniside yield. CONCLUSION: The present study shows the applicability of microwave-assisted extraction in extraction of lyoniside from S. asoca bark.

Inhibition of α-glucosidase by new prenylated flavonoids from euphorbia hirta L. herb.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Euphorbia hirta L. (Euphorbiaceae) is a pantropical medicinal rhizomatous herb, traditionally used in the treatment of diabetes, respiratory and gastro-intestinal disorders. AIM OF THE STUDY: To isolate and characterize the constituents of Euphorbia hirta and evaluate their in-vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The study is also aimed at describing structural activity relationship, type of α-glucosidase inhibition and in-vivo potential to regulate post prandial hyperglycemia in Wistar rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Methanolic extract of whole plant was suspended in water, and sequentially fractionated with n-hexane and ethyl acetate. Further ethyl acetate fraction was subjected to medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC) to isolate the active molecules under the following experimental conditions, pressure (up to 5 kg/cm(2)) and flow rate (2 in./min). The structural elucidation of isolated compounds was done on the basis of detailed spectral analysis. The α-glucosidase inhibitory potential of isolated compounds was evaluated and compared with standard drug acarbose. In addition, type of inhibition was dwelled by Lineweaver-Burk plot analysis. Further, sucrose tolerance test was performed in Wistar rats pre-treated with the isolated compounds and acarbose (0.015 mM) followed by a sucrose load (2g/kg, p.o.) and blood glucose level was measured up to 120 min by the glucose oxidase method. RESULTS: The ethyl acetate fraction afforded quercetrin (1), dimethoxy quercetrin (2), along with two new prenylated flavonosides designated as hirtacoumaroflavonoside (3) and hirtaflavonoside-B (4) characterized as 7-O-(p-coumaroyl)-5,7,4'-trihydroxy-6-(3,3-dimethyl allyl)-flavonol-3-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-(2" → 1"')-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside and 5, 7, 3', 4'-trihydroxy-6-(3, 3-dimethyl allyl)-8-(iso-butenyl)-flavonol-3-C-ß-d-glucopyranoside, respectively. All the isolated compounds showed dose dependent inhibition of α-glucosidase which was found to be comparable to acarbose. Maximum α-glucosidase inhibition was achieved with compound 3 (IC50 0.022 mM) followed by 4 (IC50 0.071 mM) in comparison to acarbose (IC50 0.092 mM). The results revealed that 5,7,4'- trihydroxyflavone structure is imperative for the inhibitory activity. The prenylation in the flavonoids increase the potency and p-coumaroyl substitution at C-7 further enriched the α-glucosidase inhibition. Compound 3 exhibited non-competitive inhibition while compounds 1, 2 and 4 showed mixed non-competitive inhibitory pattern. The results of sucrose tolerance test corresponded well with the in vitro studies. CONCLUSION: α-Glucosidase inhibitory activity and sucrose tolerance test demonstrated by the prenylated flavonoids present in E. hirta provide credence to the ethnomedicinal use of the plant in the management of diabetes in folk medicine.

Comparative evaluation of standardized alcoholic, hydroalcoholic, and aqueous extracts of Phyllanthus maderaspatensis Linn. against galactosamine-induced hepatopathy in albino rats.

BACKGROUND: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis species (Euphorbiaceae) has been used in folk medicine of many countries as a remedy against several pathological conditions including jaundice and hepatitis. This study is an attempt to evaluate hepatoprotective activity of P. maderaspatensis against galactosamine-induced toxicity and also investigation of polyphenols in each extract. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The extraction of P. maderaspatensis as per Ayurveda was simultaneously standardized and quantified for biochemical markers viz., polyphenols: Kaempferol, quercetin, catechin, rutin, and ellagic acid by high-performance thin layer chromatography. Hepatotoxicity was induced albino adult rats by intraperitoneal injection of galactosamine (400 mg/kg). The quantified aqueous, hydroalcoholic and alcoholic extract of P. maderaspatensis (200 and 400 mg/kg body weight/day) were compared for evaluation of hepatoprotective potential, which were assessed in terms of reduction in histological damage, change in serum enzymes such as aspartate amino transaminase, alanine amino transaminase and alkaline phosphatase and increase thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The hydroalcoholic extract was found to contain comparatively high amount of kaempferol, quercetin, catechin, rutin, and ellagic acid which are responsible for hepatoprotection. Antioxidant parameters such as glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activity in liver tissues were restored toward the normalization more significantly by the hydroalcoholic extract when compared with other extracts. The biochemical observations were supplemented with histopathological examination. CONCLUSION: The hydroalcoholic extract standardized with respect to known biomarkers may be considered as a potent extract against hepatotoxicity.

Inhibitory effect of Careya arborea on inflammatory biomarkers in carrageenan-induced inflammation.

CONTEXT: Careya arborea Roxb. (Lecythidaceae) has multiple applications in traditional medicine; it exhibits analgesic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, and protective effects. However, the effect of C. arborea on biochemical and immmunological inflammatory mediators has not been explored. OBJECTIVE: The present study investigates the anti-inflammatory potential of the methanol extract of C. arborea stem bark and further assesses its possible mechanism on the modulation of inflammatory biomarkers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anti-inflammatory activity of C. arborea methanol extract (CAME) was evaluated (100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o) using indomethacin (10 mg/kg, p.o) as the standard drug in Wistar albino rats. Inflammation was induced by injecting 0.1 ml carrageenan (1% w/v) into the left hind paw. The anti-inflammatory mechanism was studied by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA), C-reactive protein (CRP), nitric oxide (NO), myeloperoxidase (MPO), TNF-α, and IL-1ß levels in both control and treated groups. A protocol has also been established to quantify quercetin and betulinic acid content in CAME using HPTLC fingerprint. RESULTS: Careya arborea significantly (p < 0.001) decreased carrageenan-induced paw edema, showed a reduction of 48.87 and 65.53% at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Moreover, CAME significantly decreased the MDA, CRP, NO, and MPO levels, elevated by carrageenan induced inflammation. CAME also markedly down-regulated serum TNF-α and IL-1ß levels. These findings were further supported by the histological study. The content of quercetin and betulinic acid in CAME was found to be 0.177 and 3.14%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Several mechanisms, including the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines, enzymes and mediators release, appear to account for the anti-inflammatory potential of C. arborea.

Phytochemical, therapeutic, and ethnopharmacological overview for a traditionally important herb: Boerhavia diffusa Linn.

UNLABELLED: Boerhavia diffusa (BD) is a plant of rasayana category as per ayurvedic claims. It is reported to possess antiaging, disease prevention, and life strengthening activities which hold enormous influence in disease burden and affordability/availability of healthcare in the world. Objective. This paper has been compiled to comment on the studies reported for BD to highlight its chemical and therapeutic potential along with its ethnopharmacological considerations. METHODS: In the present paper, a detailed account of chemical constituents and pharmacological activities has been presented. All the findings were correlated with modern pharmacological activities to appraise the value of BD. RESULTS: Chemical analysis of BD gives a wide variety of chemical constituents, namely, rotenoids, flavonoids, xanthones, purine nucleoside, lignans, and steroids. Various ethnopharmacological reports emphasize its role in disorders of reproductive system, gastrointestinal system, respiratory system, urinary system, hepatic system/jaundice, cardiovascular system, and cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The studies on the therapeutic activities of BD range from studies on crude extracts to isolated compounds; however some of the studies require sophistication and validated results. BD is a plant of enormous importance in the purview of its chemical and therapeutic properties.

Formulation and evaluation of guggul lipid nanovesicles for transdermal delivery of aceclofenac.

CONTEXT: Most new drugs have low water solubility and liposome is an important formulation to administer such drugs; however, it is quite unstable and has negligible systemic absorption. OBJECTIVE: Aceclofenac nanovesicles were made using guggul lipid for formulating stable transdermal formulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Guggul lipid was formulated into vesicles along with cholesterol and dicetyl phosphate using film hydration method. The formulations were analyzed for physicochemical properties and stability. Then its skin permeation and anti-inflammatory activity were determined. RESULTS: Both categories of vesicles (PC and GL) showed optimum physicochemical properties; however, accelerated stability study showed considerable differences. GL-1 was appreciably stable for over 6 months at 4 °C. Corresponding gels (PCG-1 and GLG-1) showed C max values at 4.98 and 7.32 µg/mL along with the Tmax values at 4 and 8 hours, respectively. GLG-1 inhibited edema production by 90.81% in 6 hours. Discussion. PC liposomes are unstable at higher temperature and upon longer storage. The formulation with higher lipid content (GL-1) showed good drug retention after 24 hours and appreciable stability both at higher temperature and for longer duration. Guggul lipid being a planar molecule might be stacked in vesicle wall with cholesterol. CONCLUSION: The composition of the nanovesicle played an important role in stability and drug permeation. Guggul lipid is suitable for producing stable vesicles.

Phytochemical and pharmacological potential of Acanthus ilicifolius.

Acanthus ilicifolius (Acanthaceae) has received considerable attention due to its wide range of secondary metabolites and its traditional usage in Indian and Chinese system of medicine. This plant is reported to be a mangrove. Mangrove survives in the most hostile environment with fluctuating tidal and saline regime. Hence, these plants are considered to be rich sources of steroids, triterpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and tannins. Present review article is an attempt to cover recent developments in phytochemical and pharmacological potential of drug. Traditionally, the plant has been used for dyspepsia, paralysis, asthsma, headache, rheumatism, and skin diseases. The plant is known as 'Krishnasaireyaka' or 'Karimkurunji', is one of the 9 plants equated to the drug 'Sahachara,' which is used in Ayurvedic medicine for rheumatic complaints. The plant has not been explored to its full potential. The review will be a good reference tool for investigators who wish to work on natural compounds with free radical scavenging activity to combat diseases associated with stress.

Antidiabetic effect of Punica granatum flowers: effect on hyperlipidemia, pancreatic cells lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in experimental diabetes.

The present study investigated the effects of Punica granatum aqueous extract (PgAq) on streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats by measuring fasting blood glucose, lipid profiles (atherogenic index), lipid peroxidation (LPO) and activities of both non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants. Diabetes was induced by single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (60 mg/kg) to albino Wistar rats. The increase in blood glucose level, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), LPO level with decrease in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), reduced glutathione (GSH) content and antioxidant enzymes namely, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were the salient features observed in diabetic rats. On the other hand, oral administration of PgAq at doses of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg for 21 days resulted in a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose, TC, TG, LDL-C, VLDL-C and tissue LPO levels coupled with elevation of HDL-C, GSH content and antioxidant enzymes in comparison with diabetic control group. The results suggest that PG could be used, as a dietary supplement, in the treatment of chronic diseases characterized by atherogenous lipoprotein profile, aggravated antioxidant status and impaired glucose metabolism and also in their prevention.