Bark extract of Chaetocarpus castanocarpus (Roxb.) exhibits potent sedative, anxiolytic, and antidepressant effects through an in vivo approach in Swiss albino mice.

OBJECTIVE: Standard phytochemical investigations were performed to identify the secondary metabolites in the methanol extract of Chaetocarpus castanocarpus bark (MECC) and investigate the neuropharmacological potential of MECC in Swiss albino mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Swiss albino mice were used in the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) to evaluate the antidepressant effect of MECC. Also, the hole board test (HBT) and elevated plus maze (EPM) were conducted to examine anxiolytic activities. In contrast, the open field test (OFT) and hole cross test (HCT) were employed to evaluate sleeping disorders. RESULTS: Alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, terpenoids, coumarins, and tannins are only a few secondary metabolites identified in MECC by qualitative and quantitative phytochemical investigations. The oral administration of MECC considerably shortened the immobility duration during FST and TST. Encouraging dose-dependent anxiolytic effects were also observed in all relevant experiments compared to the control. Additionally, during the OFT and HCT assessment, a noteworthy decline in the locomotor activities of the experimental animals was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this investigation suggest that the Chaetocarpus castanocarpus bark is a possible source of therapeutic candidates for treating neurological disorders.

Green synthesis and characterization of titanium dioxide nanoparticles using leaf extract of Pouteria campechiana and larvicidal and pupicidal activity on Aedes aegypti.

The frequent application of synthetic insecticides creates resistance among insects, including mosquitoes, and causes environmental pollution and health issues. The current work aim at assessing the possibilities to produce and characterize the titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) mediated through the aqueous leaf extract of Pouteria campechiana, and their larvicidal and pupicidal activities against Aedes aegypti. The attained results showed that the aqueous leaf extract of P. campechiana had the efficiency to fabricate TiO2 NPs from TiO2. Under the UV-vis spectrum analysis, a sharp peak was recorded at 320 nm, which indicated the production of TiO2 NPs by the plant extract. The SEM analysis revealed that the synthesized TiO2 NPs were spherical, and 5 dissimilar diffractions were detected in the XRD spectrum analysis related to the TiO2 NPs. In FTIR analysis, a prominent peak was found at 1052.41 cm-1, corresponding to alcohol, and confirmed metal reduction. In the EDX analysis, there was a signal of around 58.44%, confirming the decrease in Ti from TiO2 NPs, and the remaining percentages were Ca, Al, and Mg. About 900 µg mL-1 of TiO2 NPs had excellent lethal activity against various larvae and pupa stages of Ae. aegypti. The attained results showed that the P. campechiana aqueous leaf extract could reduce TiO2 into TiO2 NPs and could be considered a mosquito control agent. Furthermore, this is the initial report about the aqueous leaf extract of P. campechiana effectively synthesizing the TiO2 NPs with anti-mosquito activity.

Protection against radiation clastogenecity in mouse bone marrow by Phyllanthus niruri.

The effects of aqueous (PnAq) and alcoholic (PnA1 extract (50-250 mg/kg) of P. niruri on in vivo gamma radiation induced chromosome aberration and in vitro antioxidant activity (50-500 microg/ml) were studied. The antioxidant activity was studied by measuring inhibition of hydroxyl radicals generated by the fenton reaction along with pro-oxidant and iron chelating ability. PnA1 showed highly significant in vitro free radical scavenging ability when compared to DMSO above 250 microg/ml concentration. PnAq showed significant pro-oxidant activity while PnA1 was devoid of it at the tested concentrations. Exposure to gamma radiation (4 Gy) caused 29.10 % increase in the frequency of chromosomal aberrations. Administration of PnA1 (250 mg/kg) showed highly significant decrease in chromosomal aberrations compared to radiation treated group. Radioprotective potential of alcoholic extract was found to be more effective than the aqueous extract. Qualitative phytochemical investigation of PnAq and PnA1 revealed the presence of sugars, flavonoids, alkaloid, lignans, polyphenols, tannins, coumarins and saponins. Higher radioprotective effect of the alcoholic extract may be attributed to rich presence of antioxidant polyphenolic compounds.

Review on medicinal and pharmacological properties of Iresine herbstii, Chrozophora rottleri and Ecbolium linneanum.

India has a rich tradition of plant-based knowledge on healthcare. A large number of plants/plant extracts/decoctions or pastes are equally used by tribals and folklore traditions in India for treatment of cuts, wounds and burns. The resistance of the microorganism has increased due to the indiscriminate use of commercial antimicrobial drugs commonly used for the treatment of infectious diseases. Resistance to antimicrobial agents has resulted in morbidity, mortality, from treatment failures and increased health care costs. There is an urgent need to discover novel, effective plant-based antimicrobial drug to the increasing problem of drug resistance. This situation forced the scientist to search for new antimicrobial substances from various sources including medicinal plants. Iresine herbstii, Ecbolium linneanum , Chrozophora rottleri have been used in folk remedies and is reported to have a broad range of therapeutic effects. Therefore this paper attempts to bridge the lacunae in the existing literature and offers immense scope for researchers engaged in validation of the traditional claims and development of safe and effective therapeutic agent.

A clinical appraisal of adult psoriasis patients in Serdang Hospital

Objectives To determine the socio-demographic profile, clinical characteristics and quality of life of adult psoriasis patients as well as the association between the first two variables with the latter. Methods A cross-sectional study of 30 adult psoriasis patients was conducted in the Dermatology Clinic, Serdang Hospital from 9th to 23rd May 2011. A questionnaire regarding clinical data containing multilingual Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) was used in a face-to-face interview. Results Male-to-female ratio was 1:1.5. Psoriasis was more common in Malays (76.7%) compared to Chinese (10%) and Indians (10%), however this ethnic distribution was proportionate to that of the clinic attendance. The onset of psoriasis was during the second to third decade of life in most patients (53.3%) with a mean of 31 years (range 7 - 62). Nine (30%) patients had positive family history of psoriasis. The main aggravating factors were stress and sunlight. Hyperlipidemia was the commonest associated co-morbidity. Plaque psoriasis was the commonest clinical type (66.7%) and majority (66.7%) had <10% body surface area affected. Nail changes were present in 15 (50%) patients and psoriatic arthropathy occurred in 11 (36.7%), with mono/oligoarticular type being as common as symmetrical polyarthropathy. All patients were treated with topical therapy, six were on systemic medication and only one underwent phototherapy. The mean DLQI score was 10.77 ± 6.22. The duration of disease and the age group were negatively correlated with the DLQI scores (r= -0.45 and -0.42 respectively, p < 0.05). Conclusion The clinical findings are similar to previous local studies and are valuable to improve patient care.

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of Ocimum basilicum Linn. and Trigonella foenum-graecum Linn. against H2O2 and CCL4 induced hepatotoxicity in goat liver.

Significant hepatoprotective effects were obtained by ethanolic extract of leaves of O. basilicum and T. foenum-graecum against liver damage induced by H2O2 and CCl4 as evidenced by decreased levels of antioxidant enzymes (enzymatic and non enzymatic). The extract also showed significant anti lipid peroxidation effects in vitro, besides exhibiting significant activity in superoxide radical and nitric oxide radical scavenging, indicating their potent antioxidant effects.

Radioprotective effect of sulfasalazine on mouse bone marrow chromosomes.

Sulfasalazine (SAZ), a prescribed drug for inflammatory bowel disease, is a potent scavenger of reactive oxygen species. The present study was undertaken to ascertain its ability to protect against gamma radiation-induced damage. Acute toxicity of the drug was studied taking 24-h, 72-h and 30-day mortality after a single intraperitoneal injection of 400-1200 mg/kg body weight (b.wt.) of the drug. The drug LD(50) for 24- and 72-h/30-day survival were found to be 933 and 676 mg/kg b.wt., respectively. The optimum time of drug administration and drug dose-dependent effect on in vivo radiation protection of bone marrow chromosomes was studied in mice. Injection of 30-180 mg/kg SAZ 30 min before gamma irradiation (RT) with 4 Gy produced a significant dose-dependent reduction in the RT-induced percent aberrant metaphases and in the frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes at 24 h after exposure, with a corresponding decrease in the different types of aberrations. The optimum dose for protection without drug toxicity was 120 mg/kg b.wt. At this dose, SAZ produced >60% reduction in the RT-induced percent aberrant metaphases and micronucleated erythrocytes. SAZ also produced a significant increase in the ratio of polychromatic erythrocytes to normochromatic erythrocytes from that of irradiated control. Injection of 120 mg/kg of the drug 60 or 30 min before or within 15 min after 4 Gy whole-body RT resulted in a significant decrease in the percent of aberrant metaphases and in the frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes at 24 h post-irradiation; the maximum effect was seen when the drug was administered 30 min before irradiation. These results show that SAZ protect mice against RT-induced chromosomal damage and cell cycle progression delay. SAZ also protected plasmid DNA (pGEM-7Zf) against Fenton's reactant-induced breaks, suggesting free radical scavenging as one of the possible mechanism for radiation protection.

Evaluation of mosquitocidal activity of essential oil and sesquiterpenes from leaves of Chloroxylon swietenia DC.

Growing awareness in using ecofriendly and biologically compatible phytoconstituents as natural insecticides and repellents for the safety of life and ecological balance led to conscientious efforts by scientists all over the world to search for alternative sources of plant derivatives for effective use as mosquitocides. Encouraged by this, the essential oil and the sesquiterpenes isolated from the leaves of Chloroxylon swietenia DC. were screened for mosquitocidal activity by fumigant toxicity against three mosquito species, Anopheles gambiae, Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes aegypti. The essential oil had pronounced mosquitocidal activity with LD50 of 1.0, 1.2 and 1.7 x 10(-3) mg/cm(-3), respectively, for the three vector species. Furthermore, the major sesquiterpenes were tested at different doses, which again showed varying levels of toxicity. However, germacrene D performed better and proved to be the potential candidate with LD50 values of 1.8-2.8 x 10(-3) mg/cm(-3) followed by pregeijerene and geijerene. Nevertheless, the oil and the isolated compounds were particularly active against A. gambiae. The essential oil from the leaves was obtained by hydrodistillation, and the chemical composition was determined by GC and GC-MS. The main compounds identified were limonene, germacrene D, geijerene, pregeijerene, trans-beta-ocimene and methyl eugenol. The present study indicates that the oil and the isolated compounds of C. swietenia displayed remarkable mosquitocidal activity suggesting that the method could be extended for future field trials in various mosquito control programmes, and the results are compared with synthetic insecticides.

Antibacterial efficacy and phytochemical observation of some Indian medicinal plants.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Pistacia integerrima, Cedrus deodara and Gymnema sylvestre against seven different microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas, Bacillus subtillis and Staphylococcus aureus by using disc diffusion method. Preliminary studies with ethanol extract and water extract of plants indicated that the growth of test organism was markedly inhibited by ethanol extract of Pistacia integerrima and Gymnema sylvestre. But in case of Cedrus deodara, water extract was more effective. Efficacy of plant extract which showed variable inhibitory activity against each bacteria was compared to standard antibiotic (tetracyclin). The two extracts were subjected to qualitative analysis to find out phytoconstituents present . Results showed that Pistacia integerrima contained all the phytochemicals, so exhibited higher antibacterial activity.

Insecticidal, antifeedant and oviposition deterrent effects of the essential oil and individual compounds from leaves of Chloroxylon swietenia DC.

Essential oil from the leaves of Chloroxylon swietenia DC. was obtained by hydrodistillation and cold extraction, and the chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major identified components were limonene, geijerene, pregeijerene, germacrene D and trans-beta-ocimene. Laboratory bioassays of the essential oil and four constituents of essential oil isolates were evaluated for insecticidal, antifeedant and oviposition deterrent effects on tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura (F.). Toxicity was determined by topical application of the isolates at varying concentrations. Pure oil, geijerene and pregeijerene were found to be more toxic, with LD50 values of 28.6, 35.4 and 40.7 microg per larva respectively. Maximum feeding deterrence was noted for geijerene and pregeijerene, with DC(50) values of 82.5 and 95.1 microg cm(-2) respectively. Furthermore, pure oil, geijerene and pregeijerene displayed oviposition deterrence, even at low concentrations. These results indicate that these natural products may lead to useful, biodegradable, environmentally safe insect control agents.

Centella asiatica treatment during postnatal period enhances learning and memory in mice.

Present investigation was planned to evaluate the nootropic effect of Centella asiatica. Three months old male Swiss albino mice were injected orally with graded doses (200, 500, 700, 1000 mg/kg body weight) of C. asiatica aqueous extract for 15 days to select an effective dose for nootropic studies. Animals were tested in radial arm maze to assess the learning and memory performance. Based on these results, mice were treated orally with 200 mg/kg of C. asiatica for 15 days from day 15 to day 30 post partum (p.p.) and the nootropic effect was evaluated on the 31st day and 6 months p.p. The behavioral (open field, dark/bright arena, hole board and radial arm maze tests), biochemical (acetylcholine esterase activity) and histological studies (dendritic arborization) were carried out. Performance of juvenile and young adult mice was significantly improved in radial arm maze and hole board tests, but locomotor activity did not show any change compared to control. Treatment resulted in increased acetylcholine esterase activity in the hippocampus. Dendritic arborization of hippocampal CA3 neurons was also increased in terms of intersections and branching points, both at one month and 6 months. Results of the present investigation show that treatment during postnatal developmental stage with C. asiatica extract can influence the neuronal morphology and promote the higher brain function of juvenile and young adult mice.

Response of S 180 murine tumor to bleomycin in combination with radiation and hyperthermia using micronucleus assay: a multimodality approach for therapeutic augmentation.

Response of a transplantable tumor, S180, grown intradermally in inbred Balb/c mice, was assessed by using micronucleus assay after treating the solid tumors with bleomycin (BLM), radiation (RT) and hyperthermia (HT) vis-a-vis multimodality approach. The frequency of micronuclei (MN) though did not vary greatly during the one week of observation in untreated tumors, it significantly increased in the drug and RT groups at 24 hr post-treatment. However, MN frequency was non-significant in the HT group from the control. A drug dose dependent linear increase in the frequency of MN induction was evident in 10, 15 and 20 mg/kg body weight BLM alone treated groups. Combination of radiation with BLM or HT further increased the MN counts in the bimodality groups. But, MN induction at 24 hr post-treatment in the trimodality group (BLM + RT + HT) was non-significant from that of the bimodality treatments. However, the tumors treated with trimodality treatment presented severe tumor necrosis, indicating increased cell loss, and resulting in immediate tumor regression. In all the bi-modality groups MN counts though declined 3 or 5 days post-treatment, the values remained significantly higher than the control, on day 7 post-treatment. Micronucleus assay could be used as a predictive parameter for the assessment of post-irradiation tumor regression response. However, the tumor response assessment with MN assay alone may not be sufficient and the role of other parameters, such as apoptosis and necrosis, in immediate tumor regression, especially radiosensitive/thermosensitive tumors can not be ignored while taking multimodality approach into consideration for cancer therapy.

Effect of Dianex, a herbal formulation on experimentally induced diabetes mellitus.

Dianex, a polyherbal formulation consisting of the aqueous extracts of Gymnema sylvestre, Eugenia jambolana, Momordica charantia Azadirachta indica, Cassia auriculata, Aegle marmelose, Withania somnifera and Curcuma longa was screened for hypoglycemic activity in normal and streptozotocin induced diabetic mice. Dianex was administered in different doses of 100-500 mg/kg/day orally in acute (6 h) and long-term (6 weeks) studies. Blood glucose levels were checked 2-6 h after treatment in acute studies and every 2 weeks in long-term studies. Body weight was recorded on the first and final day of the treatment in the long-term studies with diabetic mice. After 6 weeks, high-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, total cholesterol, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspertate transaminase (AST), urea and creatinine were estimated in serum of the diabetic mice. Glycogen and total protein levels were estimated in the liver. Also, the liver and pancreas was subjected to histological examination. Oral glucose tolerance and in vitro free radical scavenging activity was also studied. Dianex produced significant (p<0.05) hypoglycemic activity at 250-500 mg/kg doses in both normal and diabetic mice in acute and long-term studies. The body weight of diabetic mice significantly (p<0.05) increased with all tested doses of Dianex. The elevated triglycerides, cholesterol, ALT, AST, urea and creatinine levels in diabetic mice were significantly (p<0.05) reduced at the doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg. The liver glycogen and protein levels were both significantly (p<0.05) increased in diabetic mice at 250 and 500 mg/kg doses. Dianex increased the glucose tolerance significantly (p<0.05) in both normal and diabetic mice at all the doses tested. Histopathological examination showed that the formulation decreased streptozotocin induced injury to the tissues at all the doses tested. It produced significant (p<0.05) free radical scavenging activity against ABTS+, DPPH and hydroxyl free radicals at the concentrations ranging between 10-1000 microg/ml.Thus, in the present study, Dianex produced significant hypoglycemic activity in both normal and diabetic animals. It also reversed other diabetic complications in diabetic mice at 250 and 500 mg/kg doses. In our earlier study, Dianex was well tolerated in laboratory animals at higher doses (upto 10 g/kg in mice, acute toxicity; up to 2.5 g/kg in rats, subacute toxicity studies for 30 days) without exhibiting any toxic manifestation. Hence, Dianex may be useful in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Preliminary studies on acute and subacute toxicity of an antidiabetic herbal preparation, Dianex.

Dianex, a polyherbal formulation intended to use for diabetic patients, has been screened for toxic effects. For acute toxicity studies, Dianex was administered orally in graded doses of 0.75-10 g/kg to the mice. For subacute toxicity studies, different doses of Dianex (1.0, 1.5 and 2.5 g/kg) were administered orally to the rats once daily for 30 days. Animals were observed for physiological and behavioural responses, mortality, food and water intake and body weight changes. Hematological evaluation was performed weekly. All the animals were sacrificed on 31st day and changes in organ weights and histology were examined. Biochemical studies were done in liver and serum. No mortality was observed up to 10 g/kg of Dianex in acute toxicity study. Daily administration of as high as 2.5 g/kg dose of Dianex did not result in any mortality or changes in gross behaviour, body weight, weight and histology of different organs or serum and liver biochemistry. However, significant increase in RBC count and hemoglobin level was observed in the treated animals at all doses. Other peripheral blood constituents were in the normal range. The dose of Dianex to produce significant antidiabetic activity in mouse, 0.25-0.5 g/kg, is much lower than the doses used in the present study. Therefore such doses may be safe for daily administration without causing any serious side effects.

Influence of clamping-induced ischemia and reperfusion on the response of a mouse melanoma to radiation and hyperthermia.

PURPOSE: To study the response of a mouse melanoma to radiation and hyperthermia under acute hypoxia and reperfusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: B16F1 melanoma of 100+/-10 mm3, in C57BL mouse, were locally exposed to 10Gy gamma radiation (RT), 43 degrees C for 30 min (HT) in a water bath, or RT followed immediately by HT, under clamping (acute hypoxia) or 1 h after reperfusion. Tumour regression, volume doubling time (VDT), growth delay (GD), apoptosis and microvascular density (MVD) were studied. RESULTS: Under clamping, HT increased the VDT and GD to > 20 days above control and resulted in > 50% regression (PR) in all the tumours, whilst RT + HT synergistically enhanced VDT and GD. Under reperfusion, HT produced 25% PR against 16% by RT, with no increase in VDT and GD compared to RT. RT + HT significantly enhanced VDT and GD above that of RT or HT, but did not further increase PR of reperfused tumours. HT under clamping caused > 50% increase in apoptic cells over control and decreased MVD to 1/3rd of control. RT + HT further enhanced apoptotic cells to > 70% and reduced MVD to 1/6th of control. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that combination of radiotherapy with hyperthermia could benefit treatment of tumours with ischemia-induced acute hypoxia.

In vivo radioprotective effect of Moringa oleifera leaves.

Radioprotective property of Moringa oleifera leaves was investigated in healthy adult Swiss albino mice. Animals were injected (ip) with 150 mg/kg body weight of 50% methanolic extract (ME) of M. oleifera leaves, as a single dose, or in 5 daily fractions of 30 mg/kg each, and exposed to whole body gamma irradiation (RT, 4 Gy) 1 hr later. Five animals from each group were sacrificed at 1, 2 and 7 days after treatment. Bone marrow protection was studied by scoring aberrations in metaphase chromosomes and micronucleus induction in polychromatic erythrocytes and normochromatic erythrocytes. Pretreatment with a single dose of 150 mg/kg ME significantly reduced the percent aberrant cells to 2/3rd that of RT alone group on day 1 and brought the values to normal range by day 7 post-irradiation. A similar effect was also seen for the micronucleated cells. Fractionated administration of ME (30 mg/kg x 5) gave a higher protection than that given by the same dose administered as a single treatment. ME also inhibited the Fenton reaction-generated free radical activity in vitro in a concentration dependent manner. These results demonstrate that pretreatment with the methanolic leaf extract of M. oleifera confers significant radiation protection to the bone marrow chromosomes in mice and this may lead to the higher 30 day survival after lethal whole body irradiation.

Radiation protection by the ocimum flavonoids orientin and vicenin: mechanisms of action.

In previous studies, flavonoids, orientin and vicenin, that were isolated from the leaf extract of Ocimum sanctum, were found to protect mice against radiation injury. Several flavonoids are known to be good antioxidants. Therefore, the effect of orientin and vicenin on radiation-induced lipid peroxidation in vivo and their antioxidant activity in vitro were studied. Adult mice were injected intraperitoneally with 50 microgram/kg of orientin or vicenin and exposed whole-body to 3 Gy of gamma radiation. Lipid peroxidation was measured in the liver 15 min to 8 h postirradiation. The antioxidant activity of orientin/vicenin (10-500 microM) was studied by measuring inhibition of hydroxyl radicals generated by the Fenton reaction (Fe(3+)-EDTA-ascorbic acid-H(2)O(2)) in vitro. The compounds were also tested for possible pro-oxidant and iron chelation activities at the above concentrations in the in vitro system. Orientin and vicenin provided almost equal protection against radiation-induced lipid peroxidation in mouse liver. Both compounds showed a significantly greater free radical-inhibiting activity in vitro than DMSO. Neither orientin nor vicenin showed any pro-oxidant activity at the concentrations tested. Both compounds inhibited free radical formation in the absence of EDTA. Free radical scavenging appears to be a likely mechanism of radiation protection by these flavonoids.

In vivo radioprotection by ocimum flavonoids: survival of mice.

Two flavonoids, orientin and vicenin, isolated from the leaves of the Indian plant Ocimum sanctum were tested for their radioprotective effect in mice. Both compounds provided protection against death from gastrointestinal syndrome as well as bone marrow syndrome when injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) before whole-body exposure to 11 Gy gamma radiation. The optimum drug dose for protection was 50 microg/kg body weight: An increase in the drug dose did not increase protection. No acute toxicity was observed at doses as high as 100 mg/kg body weight of either compound. Maximum protection was obtained when either compound was injected i.p. 30 min before irradiation. Changing the route of administration or the interval between drug injection (i.p.) and irradiation reduced protection. Drug treatment after irradiation was not very effective. Vicenin was slightly better than orientin in increasing survival at 30 days; protection by vicenin also lasted longer. Dose modification factors (DMFs) for the LD50 were 1.37 for vicenin and 1.30 for orientin. Radical scavenging activity has been demonstrated for both orientin and vicenin, and this appears to be one of the mechanisms of protection by these flavonoids.