Ethnomedicinal importance of Patuletin in Medicine: Pharmacological Activities and Analytical Aspects.

BACKGROUND: Plant-derived bioactive molecules have been a major source of therapeutics for human and veterinarian purposes. Different traditional medicine system across the globe had relied on natural resources to meet their demand of healthcare. Still in modern world pharmaceutical industries look for phytochemicals to develop new drugs. The current review explores patuletin, a flavonoid for its diverse reported pharmacological activities along with its analytical techniques. METHODS: Scientific data published on patuletin was collected from Scopus, Science Direct, Pubmed, Google, and Google Scholar. The collected data were analyzed and arranged as per specific pharmacological activities performed using in-vitro or in-vivo methods. Analytical methods of patuletin have been presented next to pharmacological activities, Results: Available scientific literature indicates patuletin has anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, genotoxic, hepatoprotective, antiproliferative, antiplatelet, antinociceptive, and antioxidant activity. In addition to these activities, its biological potential on breast cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, aldose reductase, and different types of microorganisms has been also presented in this work. Analytical data on patuletin signified the importance of patuletin for the standardization of herbal products and derived medicine. CONCLUSION: It may be concluded that patuletin with its diverse biological activities and readily available analytical methods, holds the potential to be translated into a new drug entity.

Nephroprotective effect of Apium graveolens L. against Cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin is extensively used in treating cancers, and its primary side-effect is nephrotoxicity. It accumulates in proximal convoluted tubules where it promotes cellular damage by oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation, etc. In Unani medicine, Tukhm-e-Karafs(Apium graveolens L.) (TK) is mentioned in the literature to manage various kidney ailments due to its diuretic and deobstruent activities. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the nephroprotective effects of powder of TK in Cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in an animal model and to validate the Unani claim of its nephroprotective action. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In curative protocol, cisplatin (5 mg/kg body weight i.p) was administered on day one and powder of TK (500 and 1000 mg/kg p.o.) from the sixth day onwards for ten days. TK (500 and 1000 mg/kg p.o.) was given for ten days and Cisplatin (5 mg/kg body weight i.p) on day 11 in the protective model. At the end of the study, all the animals were sacrificed, and renal biochemical parameters were determined. KIM-1 level was also investigated in the kidney homogenate in conjunction with histopathological inspection of kidney tissues. RESULTS: Significant increase in serum creatinine and BUN, presence of mononuclear cell infiltration, tubular dilation and vacuolation in renal histopathology, and increased KIM-1 level confirmed the nephrotoxicity due to Cisplatin. TK's administration protects the kidney as suggested by the changes in biochemical renal function, decreased level of KIM-1, and improvement in histopathological changes. CONCLUSION: The result advocated that TK prevented renal injury and maintained normal renal function in both models. It may be due to improved clearance of Cisplatin from kidney tubules and reduction in reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the inflammatory response.

Oxidative stress in Vitiligo patients and administration of Munzij and Mushil therapy, a poly herbal Unani formulation - hospital-based study.

Background Vitiligo, a skin disorder is viewed as a multifactorial process with major role of reactive oxygen species in concert to destroy or incapacitate melanocytes. In Unani system of medicine the treatment of Bars (Vitiligo) starts with removal of harmful materials from the body with Munzij and Mushil (MM), a poly herbal Unani formulation. Methods Herein, oxidative stress related parameters as MDA, SOD, GPx and CAT have been estimated in the 21 clinically diagnosed Vitiligo in-patients and subsequently these parameters were evaluated during and after administration of MM therapy and compared with 21 healthy subjects. Results There was significant difference in the parameters viz., SOD (p<0.001) and CAT (p<0.005) activity at the baseline with no statistical significant difference in MDA and GPx activity among Vitiligo subjects and controls. After MM therapy there was no statistical significant difference among the values of these parameters in Vitiligo subjects. Conclusions The results suggest that there is imbalance in the oxidant-antioxidant status of Vitiligo subjects and the MM therapy is not found to significantly change the levels of oxidative stress related parameters.

Beneficial effect of Hypericum perforatum on depression and anxiety in a type 2 diabetic rat model.

Recent studies have revealed diverse therapeutically interesting pharmacological properties of a standardized Hypericum perforatum extract (HpE) potentially useful for treatments of patients with metabolic and psychiatric disorders. Consequently, the presented experiments were designed to test usefulness of the extract for the treatment of comorbid conditions of mood disturbances and anxiety in diabetic rats. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was induced in overnight fasted rats by a single i.p. injection of streptozotocin (STZ; 65 mg/kg), 15 min after an i.p. injection of nicotinamide (120 mg/kg). HpE was administered orally (100 and 200 mg/kg b.w..) to diabetic animals for 14 days. Anxiolytic activity was evaluated using open-field exploration test (OFT) and elevated plus maze (EPM) test. Antidepressant activity was assessed using Porsolt's forced swim test (FST). Fasting blood glucose levels in different groups were analyzed on the 14th day. Diabetic rats showed significant increase in anxiety in OFT and EPM compared to non diabetic normal control rats. Diabetic rats treated with HpE have shown significant anxiolytic activity in OFT and EPM test. In FST, immobility period of vehicle treated diabetic rats was significantly increased (p < 0.05) compared to normal control rats. Treatment with HpE significantly decreased (p < 0.001) immobility period compared to vehicle treated diabetic control rats. HpE treatment significantly reduced elevated blood glucose levels in diabetic rats. The presented observations strongly suggest that HpE could be suitable alternative therapeutic option for prevention, as well as treatment, of comorbidities caused by, or associated with, depression, anxiety and diabetes.

Antidiabetic activity of standardized extract of Quassia amara in nicotinamide-streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of a standardized methanol extract of Quassia amara L. (Family: Simaroubaceae) in nicotinamide-streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus was induced by streptozotocin in rats pre-treated with nicotinamide. Diabetic rats were treated with oral doses of Quassia amara extract (QaE; 100 and 200 mg/kg) or glibenclamide (10 mg/kg; as standard). QaE and glibenclamide were administered as a suspension in 0.3% carboxy methyl cellulose for 14 days. Control animals received an equal volume of vehicle. Blood samples were collected by retro-orbital puncture on day 14, 1 h after last treatment. Plasma glucose, insulin and lipid parameters (total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C and triglycerides) were measured using commercially available biochemical kits. The oral glucose tolerance test was performed to evaluate the effect of the extract on peripheral glucose utilization in normal rats. Both doses of QaE significantly (p < 0.01) reduced elevated fasting blood glucose levels in diabetic rats. In the oral glucose tolerance test, QaE treatment significantly increased (p < 0.05) the glucose tolerance compared with the vehicle. QaE and glibenclamide, effectively normalized dyslipidemia associated with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. The findings of the present study indicate that Quassia amara extract may be potentially valuable in the treatment of diabetes and associated dyslipidemia.