Sesamol as a potent anticancer compound: from chemistry to cellular interactions.

Sesamol (SM), a well-known component isolated from sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum), used in traditional medicines in treating numerous ailments. However, numerous molecular investigations revealed the various mechanisms behind its activity, emphasizing its antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and apoptosis-inducing properties, preventing cancer cell spread to distant organs. In several cells derived from various malignant tissues, SM-regulated signal transduction pathways and cellular targets have been identified. This review paper comprehensively describes the anticancer properties of SM and SM-viable anticancer drugs. Additionally, the interactions of this natural substance with standard anticancer drugs are examined, and the benefits of using nanotechnology in SM applications are explored. This makes SM a prime example of how ethnopharmacological knowledge can be applied to the development of contemporary drugs.

Dietary intervention with Tinospora cordifolia improved aging-related decline in locomotor coordination and cerebellar cell survival and plasticity in female rats.

Reduced bone mineral density, and muscle strength are the hallmark of aging-related motor coordination deficits and related neuropathologies. Since cerebellum regulates motor movements and balance perception of our body, therefore it may be an important target to control the age-related progression of motor dysfunctions. Dry stem powder of Tinospora cordifolia (TCP) was tested as a food supplement to elucidate its activity to attenuate age-associated locomotor dysfunctions. Intact acyclic middle-aged female rats were used in this study as the model system of the transition phase from premenopause to menopause in women along with cycling young adult rats. Normal chow or 30% High Fat Diet (HFD), supplemented with or without TCP was fed to animals for 12 weeks and then tested for locomotor performance on rotarod followed by post-sacrifice protein expression studies. In comparison to young adults, middle-aged animals showed an increase in number of falls and lesser time spent in rotarod performance test, whereas, animals given TCP supplemented feed showed improvement in performance with more pronounced effects observed in normal chow than HFD fed middle-aged rats. Further, due to its multicomponent nature TCP was found to target the expression of various markers of neuroinflammation, apoptosis, cell survival, and synaptic plasticity in the cerebellum region. The current findings suggest that TCP supplementation in the diet may prove to be a potential interventional strategy for the management of frailty and fall-associated morbidities caused by aging-related deterioration of bone mineral density, and muscle strength.

Acute Sleep Deprivation-Induced Anxiety and Disruption of Hypothalamic Cell Survival and Plasticity: A Mechanistic Study of Protection by Butanol Extract of Tinospora cordifolia.

Since sleep is a key homeostatic phenomenon of the body, therefore understanding the complex etiology of the neurological outcome of sleep deprivation (SD) such as anxiety, depression, cognitive dysfunctions, and their management is of utmost importance. The findings of the current study encompass the neurobehavioral as well as hormonal, and neuroinflammatory changes in serum and hypothalamus region of the brain as an outcome of acute SD and their amelioration by pre-treatment with butanol extract of Tinospora cordifolia. SD group animals showed anxiety-like behavior as evident from Elevated Plus Maze data and higher serum cortisol levels, whereas, pre-treatment with B-TCE showed anxiolytic activity and also reduced cortisol levels which was corroborated by an increase in leptin and insulin levels. Further, SD induced elevation of serum pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and MCP-1 and subsequent activation of astroglial cells in the hypothalamus was suppressed in B-TCE pre-treated animals. The current findings suggest that besides the cortical structures, hypothalamus region's synaptic plasticity and cell survival are adversely impacted by acute SD. Further active ingredients present in B-TCE may be useful for the management of SD-induced anxiety, systemic inflammation, and neuroinflammation by targeting hypothalamic BDNF-TrkB/PI3K-Akt pathways.

Butanol Extract of Tinospora cordifolia Alleviates Acute Sleep Deprivation-Induced Impairments in Cognitive Functions and Neuromuscular Coordination in Middle-Aged Female Rats.

Sleep deprivation due to present-day lifestyle and late-hours work commitments are associated with a broad spectrum of neurobehavioral complications. Moreover, women, as they age, become prone to the cumulative effects of menopause such as sleep disturbances, adiposity, and inflammation which are attributed to a compromised immuno-neuro-endocrine axis. So far, no effective therapeutic remedy is available to mitigate the adverse effects of SD. The current study was aimed to elucidate the neuroprotective potential of n-Butanol fraction obtained from hydroalcoholic extract of Tinospora cordifolia stem (B-TCE). Four groups of female rats are (1) Vehicle-undisturbed sleep, (2) Vehicle-sleep deprived (between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.), (3) B-TCE oral feeding for 2 weeks and sleep deprivation, and (4) B-TCE alone undisturbed sleep group. Novel Object Recognition test was used to study cognitive impairments and Rotarod for motor coordination. Rats were then sacrificed to study the expression of various marker proteins in the hippocampus and piriform cortex regions of the brain by western blotting. SD was observed to impair the exploratory behavior and neuromuscular coordination, whereas, B-TCE pre-treatment was observed to ameliorate these behavioral functions'- impairments and further suppressed the changes in the expression of markers for synaptic plasticity, inflammation, cell survival, and apoptosis pathways. The current data suggest that B-TCE may be effective in the management of acute SD-associated impairments in learning and memory functions and neuromuscular coordination.

Tinospora cordifolia ameliorates brain functions impairments associated with high fat diet induced obesity.

Obesity is a rapidly growing health problem worldwide and its prevalence has increased markedly in both the developing and developed nations. It is associated with a range of co-morbidities such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cognitive dysfunctions. Therefore, the need for a safe and effective treatment has led to the exploration of natural products for the management of obesity. In the present study, we tested the anxiolytic, anti-apoptotic, and anti-neuroinflammatory potential of Tinospora cordifolia in a high fat diet-induced obesity rat model system. Young female Wistar albino rats were divided into three groups: (1) Low fat diet (LFD), fed on normal chow feed; (2) High fat diet (HFD), fed on diet containing 30% fat by weight; and (3) High fat diet containing extract (HFDE), fed on high fat diet supplemented with the stem powder of T. cordifolia (TCP). The rats from each group were kept on their respective feeding regimen for 12 weeks. The body weight and calorie intake were recorded weekly. The elevated plus maze test and rotarod performance test were performed to evaluate the anxiety-like behavior and locomotor coordination, respectively. The levels of serum cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) were estimated and various markers for inflammation, synaptic plasticity, apoptosis, and energy homeostasis were studied by western blotting. The HFDE rats showed reduced anxiety-like behavior and improved locomotor behavior as compared to HFD-induced obese rats. The TCP supplementation in high fat diet suppressed the expression of inflammatory molecules, including serum cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α), and modulated apoptosis and synaptic plasticity. TCP was found to be effective in managing body weight in HFD-fed rats by maintaining energy metabolism and cellular homeostasis. T. cordifolia may be recommended as a potential therapeutic agent to prevent the adverse effects of obesity and obesity-associated brain dysfunctions.

From ayurvedic folk medicine to preclinical neurotherapeutic role of a miraculous herb, Tinospora cordifolia.

In Ayurveda, the age-old Indian traditional system of medicine, health is considered to be achieved as equilibrium of physical and mental wellbeing and brain related ailments are recognized as 'Vatavyadi'. Rasayana herbs were mainly used for pharmacological treatment of neurological diseases and Tinospora cordifolia is one of the popular Rasayana herbs of Ayurveda. The traditional claims of therapeutic activity of this herb for treatment of fever, diabetes, anxiety, immunodeficiency, memory deficit and psychological problems have been explored by different research groups using reverse pharmacology and advance technological approaches. The aim of current review is to compile and discuss the neurotherapeutic potential of T. cordifolia in the light of various preclinical and clinical studies from literature. This review summarizes the information about different extracts of this herb and decoctions used for various neuro-related problems such as neurodegenerative diseases, neuroinflammation, sleep disorders, neural cancers, memory and cognition deficits and psychological problems besides other potential activities. The review also provides the knowledge of underlying therapeutic mechanism of T. cordifolia and its active phytoconstituents.

Butanol Extract of Tinospora cordifolia Ameliorates Cognitive Deficits Associated with Glutamate-Induced Excitotoxicity: A Mechanistic Study Using Hippocampal Neurons.

Overstimulation of glutamate receptors leads to development of excitotoxicity, which is implicated as final destructive pathway in neurodegenerative diseases. Development of alternative therapeutic strategies effective against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity is much in demand. Herbal drug development is emerging as a major research area for the treatment of various debilitating diseases due to multimodal action and least side effects of herbal products. The current study was aimed to investigate neuroprotective potential of butanol extract of Tinospora cordifolia (B-TCE) against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity using primary hippocampal neurons as in vitro and Wistar strain albino rats as in vivo model systems. Molecular and behavioral parameters were studied to elucidate the underlying mechanism of beneficial effects of B-TCE. B-TCE treatment was also effective in prevention of anxiety, cognition, and motor-coordination deficits induced by glutamate. B-TCE pre-treatment protected the hippocampal neurons from glutamate-induced neurodegeneration and impaired plasticity. At molecular level, B-TCE was observed to attenuate overactivation of glutamate receptors. B-TCE promoted upregulation of ERK and AKT pathways of synaptic plasticity and cell survival in the hippocampus region of brain. This study provides first evidence of neuroprotective potential of B-TCE against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in hippocampus region and suggests that B-TCE may act as a potential candidate for neuroprotective therapeutic approaches. A single compound 'tinosporicide' was further isolated from B-TCE, which was found to be effective at 800× lower concentration against glutamate-induced neurodegeneration under in vitro conditions.