Super-critical fluid extract of Bryonopsis laciniosa (Shivlingi) seeds restores fertility in zebrafish models through revival of cytological and anatomical features.

BACKGROUND: The Ayurvedic system of medicine mentions the use of seeds of Bryonopsis laciniosa (L.) Naud. (also known as Shivlingi due to their unique structure resembling a 'Shivling') for treating sexual dysfunction, impaired fertility, and as a general virility-booster in both males and females. To investigate the scientific basis for such claims, the current study was designed for the chemical characterization of the super critical fluid extracted Shivlingi seed oil (SLSO), and subsequent evaluation of its reproductive fecundity in the zebrafish model of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea induced infertility. RESULTS: Linoleic and linolenic acids were the major fatty acids in the SLSO, with trace amounts of ß-sitosterol and stigmasterol. Both male and female zebrafish, when fed orally with the SLSO infused pallets, showed a dose-dependent increase in fertility and fecundity rates. Microscopic observations revealed recovery in the gross ovarian anatomy and consequential improvement in egg production in infertile female zebrafish. Similarly, cytological studies exhibited increased sperm counts and motility in male zebrafish. SLSO exhibited effects similar to the human equivalent dose of Letrozole. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these observations demonstrated the fertility-boosting potentials of SLSO comparable to the widely used infertility drugs. As a whole, this research work has provided scientific evidence for the rationale behind the use of Shivlingi seeds in Ayurvedic treatment for infertility in humans. Finally, but importantly, this study warrants further scientific investigations into different aspects of SLSO on human reproductive health.

Supercritical Fluid Extract of Putranjiva roxburghii Wall. Seeds Mitigates Fertility Impairment in a Zebrafish Model.

Putrajeevak (Putranjiva roxburghii Wall.; synonym Drypetes roxburghii (Wall.) Hurus) seeds have been used since ancient times in the treatment of infertility in the Ayurvedic system of medicine in India. In this study, the oil component of Putrajeevak seeds (PJSO) was extracted using the supercritical fluid extraction (SCFE) method using liquid CO2 and the constituents were analyzed using gas chromatography-flame ionized detectorand high-performance thin-layer chromatography. PJSO contained trace amounts of ß-sitosterol with oleic and linoleic acids as the major fatty acid constituents. Male and female zebrafish were mutagenized with N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) and fish that produced less than 20 viable embryos were selected for the study. SCFE oil extracts from the P. roxburghii seeds were used in this study to reverse fertility impairment. The mutant fish were fed with PJSO for a period of 14 days and the rates of fertility, conception, and fecundity were determined with wild-type healthy fish as a breeding partner. Treatment with PJSO increased the ovarian follicle count as well as the number of mature eggs, while reducing the number of ovarian cysts. Sperm count as well as sperm motility were greatly enhanced in the ENU-mutagenized male zebrafish when treated with PJSO. The results obtained in this study demonstrate the effectiveness of P. roxburghii seed oil in reversing impaired fertility in both male and female zebrafish models.

Herbal Decoction Divya-Peedantak-Kwath Alleviates Allodynia and Hyperalgesia in Mice Model of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy via Modulation in Cytokine Response.

The widely used cancer treatment, chemotherapy, causes severe long-term neuropathic pain in 30-40% cases, the condition clinically known as chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Approved conventional analgesics are sometimes ineffective, while others like opioids have undesirable side effects like addiction, seizures, and respiratory malfunctioning. Tricyclic antidepressants and anticonvulsants, although exhibit anti-allodynic effects in neuropathy, also have unpleasant side effects. Thus, alternative medicines are being explored for CIPN treatment. Despite scattered reports on different extracts from different plants having potential anti-allodynic effects against CIPN, no established medicine or formulation of herbal origin exists. In this study, efficacy of an herbal decoction, formulated based on ancient medicinal principles and protocols for treating neuropathic pain, Divya-Peedantak-Kwath (DPK), has been evaluated in a paclitaxel (PTX)-induced peripheral neuropathic mouse model. We observed that DPK has prominent anti-allodynic and anti-hyperalgesic effects and acts as a nociceptive modulator for CIPN. With exhibited antioxidative effects, DPK restored the redox potential of the sciatic nerves to the normal. On histopathological evaluation, DPK prevented the PTX-induced lesions in the sciatic nerve, in a dose-dependent manner. It also prevented inflammation by modulating the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines involved in CIPN pathogenesis. Our observations evinced that DPK can alleviate CIPN by attenuating oxidative stress and concomitant neuroinflammation through immune modulation.

Herbal decoction Divya-Swasari-Kwath attenuates airway inflammation and remodeling through Nrf-2 mediated antioxidant lung defence in mouse model of allergic asthma.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease orchestrated by immune and structural cells. Identification of novel therapeutic strategies are needed for asthma due to the limitations of existing therapies. We have validated the anti-inflammatory, anti-asthmatic and immunomodulatory therapeutic properties of herbal decoction, Divya-Swasari-Kwath (DSK) using mouse model of ovalbumin (OVA) induced allergic asthma. METHODS AND RESULTS: HPLC analysis identified the presence of Rutin, Glycyrrchzin, Gallic acid, Cinnamic acid, Chlorogenic acid, Caffeic acid and Piperine as bioactive herbal metabolites in DSK. Therapeutic treatment with herbal decoction DSK significantly alleviated the pathological features of allergic asthma including inflammatory cell accumulation in Broncho-Alveolar Lavage (BAL) fluids, specifically lymphocytes and eosinophils, lung inflammation, oxidative stress, airway remodelling, and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. H&E analysis of lung tissue sections identified attenuated inflammatory cell infiltration and thickening of bronchial epithelium by DSK. PAS staining and MT staining identified decrease in OVA-induced mucus hyper secretion and peri-bronchial collagen deposition respectively, upon DSK treatment. Treatment with DSK increased the mRNA expression of antioxidative defence gene Nrf-2 and its downstream target genes HO-1 and NQO-1. In the same line, biochemical analysis for the markers of oxidative/antioxidant system confirmed the restoration of activity of Catalase, GPx, SOD and EPO and the levels of GSH, GSSG, MDA and Nitrite in whole lungs. In line with PAS staining, DSK treatment decreased the OVA-induced expression of Muc5AC and Muc5B genes. DSK treatment reduced the steady state mRNA expression levels of IL-6, IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-4, -5, -33, IFN-γ in whole lung; and IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1ß protein levels in BALF. CONCLUSION: Collectively, our results suggest that herbal decoction DSK is effective in protecting against allergic airway inflammation and remodelling by regulating anti-oxidant mechanisms. We postulate that DSK could be the potential therapeutic option for allergic asthma management.

Super Critical Fluid Extracted Fatty Acids from Withania somnifera Seeds Repair Psoriasis-Like Skin Lesions and Attenuate Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) Release.

(1) Background: Withania somnifera Dunal (Ashwagandha) is a widely used medicinal herb in traditional medicinal systems with extensive research on various plant parts. Surprisingly, seeds of W. somnifera have never been investigated for their therapeutic potential. (2) Methods: W. somnifera seeds were extracted for fatty acids (WSSO) using super critical fluid extraction, and was analyzed by gas chromatography. Its therapeutic potential in psoriasis-like skin etiologies was investigated using a 12-O tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced psoriatic mouse model. Psoriatic inflammation along with psoriatic lesions and histopathological scores were recorded. WSSO was also tested on murine macrophage (RAW264.7), human epidermoid (A431), and monocytic (THP-1) cells, stimulated with TPA or lipo poly-saccharide (LPS) to induce pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6 and TNF-α) release. NFκB promoter activity was also measured by luciferase reporter assay. (3) Results: Topical application of WSSO with concurrent oral doses significantly reduced inflammation-induced edema, and repaired psoriatic lesions and associated histopathological scores. Inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines release was observed in WSSO-treated A431 and THP-1 cells, along with reduced NFκB expression. WSSO also inhibited reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. (4) Conclusion: Here we show that the fatty acids from W. somnifera seeds have strong anti-inflammatory properties, along with remarkable therapeutic potential on psoriasis-like skin etiologies.

Anti-Acetylcholinesterase Activities of Mono-Herbal Extracts and Exhibited Synergistic Effects of the Phytoconstituents: A Biochemical and Computational Study.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disease, is the most common form of dementia. Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a common strategy for the treatment of AD. In this study, aqueous, hydro-methanolic, and methanolic extracts of five potent herbal extracts were tested for their in vitro anti-AChE activity. Among all, the Tinospora cordifolia (Giloy) methanolic fraction performed better with an IC50 of 202.64 µg/mL. Of the HPLC analyzed components of T. cordifolia (methanolic extract), palmatine and berberine performed better (IC50 0.66 and 0.94 µg/mL, respectively) as compared to gallic acid and the tool compound "galantamine hydrobromide" (IC50 7.89 and 1.45 µg/mL, respectively). Mode of inhibition of palmatine and berberine was non-competitive, while the mode was competitive for the tool compound. Combinations of individual alkaloids palmatine and berberine resulted in a synergistic effect for AChE inhibition. Therefore, the AChE inhibition by the methanolic extract of T. cordifolia was probably due to the synergism of the isoquinoline alkaloids. Upon molecular docking, it was observed that palmatine and berberine preferred the peripheral anionic site (PAS) of AChE, with π-interactions to PAS residue Trp286, indicating that it may hinder the substrate binding by partially blocking the entrance of the gorge of the active site or the product release.