Evaluation of Antidiabetic Activity of Oxadiazole Derivative in Rats.

The oxadiazole ring has long been used for the treatment of several diseases. This study aimed to analyze the antihyperglycemic and antioxidant roles of the 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivative with its toxicity. Diabetes was induced through intraperitoneal administration of alloxan monohydrate at 150 mg/kg in rats. Glimepiride and acarbose were used as standards. Rats were divided into groups of normal control, disease control, standard, and diabetic rats (treated with 5, 10, and 15 mg/kg of 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivative). After 14 days of oral administration of 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives (5, 10, and 15 mg/kg) to the diabetic group, the blood glucose level, body weight, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin level, antioxidant effect, and histopathology of the pancreas were performed. The toxicity was measured by estimating liver enzyme, renal function, lipid profile, antioxidative effect, and liver and kidney histopathological study. The blood glucose and body weight were measured before and after treatment. Alloxan significantly increased blood glucose levels, HbA1c, alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, urea, cholesterol, triglycerides, and creatinine. In contrast, body weight, insulin level, and antioxidant factors were reduced compared to the normal control group. Treatment with oxadiazole derivatives showed a significant reduction in blood glucose levels, HbA1c, alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, urea, cholesterol, triglycerides, and creatinine as compared to the disease control group. The 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivative significantly improved body weight, insulin level, and antioxidant factors compared to the disease control group. In conclusion, the oxadiazole derivative showed potential antidiabetic activity and indicated its potential as a therapeutic.

Potential biomedical applications of Araucaria araucana as an antispasmodic, bronchodilator, vasodilator, and antiemetic: Involvement of calcium channels.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Since pre-Columbian era, the resin of Araucaria araucana tree has been used traditionally for the treatment of ulcers and wounds. Araucaria species have also been used to treat inflammation, respiratory problems, viral infections, ulcers, and rheumatoid, cardiovascular, and neurological disorders. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: Due to its popular use, the authors aimed to scrutinize the potential of this plant as an antispasmodic and an antiemetic agent. Furthermore broncho- and vasodilatory effects of this plant was explored to rationalize its folkloric uses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Araucaria araucana crude extract (Aa.Cr) was evaluated in isolated preparations of rabbit jejunum, trachea, aorta, and atria to investigate the antispasmodic, bronchodilator, and vasodilator effects. The potential mechanistic approaches were compared with the standard drug 'verapamil'. The antiemetic activity was determined and compared with the standard drug 'domperidone' via chick emesis model. RESULTS: Aa.Cr dose-dependently relaxed both spontaneous and K+-induced contractions in the isolated jejunum preparations of rabbits. In concentration-response curves of calcium (Ca++), Aa.Cr also triggered the rightward shift like verapamil. Applying carbachol and phenylephrine (1 µM) and K+ (80 mM) to the isolated tracheal and aortic tissue preparation, respectively, resulted in broncho- and vasodilatory activities, respectively which may be due to the inhibition of Ca++ channels. Aa.Cr inhibited atrial force and spontaneous contractions in the rabbit's right atria. Aa.Cr exhibited significant antiemetic activity (P < 0.001 vs. saline) in dose-dependent (50-150 mg/kg) manner like domperidone. In silico molecular docking was performed to investigate the biological targets of purified components of Aa.Cr which revealed that cadinol dominantly targets ß2 receptors to cause bronchodilation, however, eudesmin binds non-specifically to all the selected targets, while secoisolariciresinol mediated high hydrogen bonding with muscarinic receptors (M1 and M3) and Ca++ channels, thus shows the suggested mechanistic pathways of targeted activities. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicates that Aa.Cr may exhibit antispasmodic activity, bronchodilation, and vasodilation by inhibiting voltage-dependent Ca++ channels and release of subcellular calcium. This explains its folkloric use in hypertension, bronchospasms, gastrointestinal spasms, and emesis.

Physicochemical properties, nutrient profile, microbial stability, and sensory evaluation of cupcakes enriched with pomegranate seed oil.

Excessive use of refined flour, solid fats, and sugar in preparing baked products are considered to be unhealthy and is intricately linked with the development of lifestyle diseases. Replacing refined flour with whole wheat flour and solid fats with cold-pressed oil serves as an alternate option. The study was aimed at evaluating the physicochemical properties, nutrient composition, sensory attributes, and shelf life of cupcakes enriched using pomegranate seed oil (PSO). Vanilla and chocolate cupcake variants were prepared using 25 and 50% of PSO. A sensory panel consisting of 30 semi-trained participants was selected for evaluating the formulated products using a five-point hedonic scale. Nutrient content was estimated using standard techniques. The stability of the formulated product was determined by evaluating the physicochemical traits and microbial growth on the 0th, 4th, and 7th day. Mean scores of the sensorial analysis showed that the incorporation of PSO in cupcakes was highly accepted by the panel members. Chocolate cupcake containing 50% of PSO was found to be the most preferred product (3.53±0.94), followed by vanilla cupcake containing 25% of PSO (3.4±0.62). The moisture, protein, and fat content of chocolate cupcakes containing 25% of PSO were high. Cupcakes prepared with PSO can be stored for four days at room temperature. GC-MS analysis showed the presence of punicic acid, oleic acid, tocopherols, campesterol, sitosterols, stigmasterol, and α-tocopheryl acetate as pre-dominant fatty acid in unheated and heated PSO. In conclusion, cupcakes prepared using PSO showed acceptable physicochemical qualities and sensory properties which indicated its successful consumption by people affected with metabolic disorders.

Diclofenac biotransformation and toxicity assessment of laccase from Pleurotus floridanus.

Laccase producing fungus Pleurotus floridanus was isolated from Siruvani forest, Tamil Nadu, India. The potential of P. floridanus to produce laccase by using various lignocellulosic substrates was screened under submerged fermentation. Laccase production in the presence of lignocellulosic substrates such as rice, wheat and maize bran as a sole source of carbon as well as an additional supplement was examined. Laccase activity of P. floridanus using varied substrates was observed in the order of rice bran > wheat bran > maize bran. The isolate showed maximum laccase activity of 13.29±0.01 U/mL using rice bran as a carbon source within 11 days. This was 18 fold higher than the control media that lacks lignocellulosic substrates. The diclofenac tolerance was assessed in solid media at various concentrations and the results showed that the mycelia growth is not significantly affected by the drug. Finally, the laccase mediated degradation of diclofenac at a concentration of 10 mg/L showed 98% degradation in 2 h. The phytotoxicity of the crude laccase treated diclofenac was lower than the untreated diclofenac. In conclusion, findings suggested direct application of crude laccase produced from P. floridanus using agro-residues as ideal substrate for environmental applications.

Folecitin Isolated from Hypericum oblongifolium Exerts Neuroprotection against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuronal Synapse and Memory Dysfunction via p-AKT/Nrf-2/HO-1 Signalling Pathway.

Neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD), are characterised with neuronal synapse and memory dysfunction, and thus, there is an urgent need to find novel therapeutic medicines that can target different pathways to restore the deficits. In this investigation, we assessed the medicinal potency of folecitin (a flavonoid isolated from Hypericum oblongifolium Wall.) against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced amyloidogenic amyloid beta (Aß) production pathway-mediated memory impairment in mice. The LPS was administered intraperitonially (i.p.) 250 µg/kg/day for 3 consecutive weeks, followed by the coadministration of folecitin (30 mg/kg/day) with LPS for the last two weeks (2nd and 3rd week). The expression of various proteins involved in synapse, neuronal death, and Aß generation was evaluated using the Western blot approach. Results indicated that folecitin significantly decreased LPS-induced apoptotic proteins; expressed BAX, PARP-1, and caspase-3 proteins; and inhibited BACE1 that cleaves transmembrane amyloid precursor protein and the amyloidogenic Aß production pathway. Folecitin restored both preneural and postneuronal synapse, accompanied by the improvement in memory impairment. Moreover, folecitin significantly activated endogenous antioxidant proteins Nrf-2 and HO-1 by stimulating the phosphorylation of Akt proteins. These findings indicate that folecitin might be a promising target for developing novel medication to treat neurodegenerative disorders caused by neurotoxins.

Anti-Methanogenic Traits of Safflower Oil Compounds Against Methyl-Coenzyme M Reductase Receptor in Equines: An In Silico Docking Analysis.

Greenhouse gases emission from livestock is the major concern for the ecosystem. Despite the lower contribution of non-ruminants towards greenhouse gas emission as compared to the ruminants, the emission of methane (CH4) gas from equines is expected to be increased in future due to its increasing population. Thus, it is essential to find or screen potential anti-methanogenic agent in a cost-effective and quicker manner. Considering this, the present investigation was aimed to analyze anti-methanogenic characteristic of bioactive compounds of safflower oil by targeting methanogenesis catalyzing enzyme (Methyl-coenzyme M reductase; MCR) via in silico tool. Initially, a total of 25 compounds associated with safflower oil were selected and their drug-likeness traits were predicted through Lipinski's rule of 5. Of 25 compounds, 9 compounds passed all the parameters of Lipinski's rule of five. These 9 ligands were further submitted for ADME traits analysis using Swiss ADME tool. Results revealed the absence of Lipinski's violation and approval of drug-likeness attributes of methyl tetradecanoate, 3-isopropyl-6-methylenecyclohex-1-ene, trans-2,4-decadienal, cis-6-nonenal, limonene, syringic acids, matairesinol, acacetin, and 2,5-octanedione. Molecular docking analysis was performed for analyzing the affinity between the selected 9 ligands and MCR receptor using FRED v3.2.0 from OpenEye Scientific Software and Discovery Studio client v16.1.0. Results showed maximum binding interaction of acacetin with MCR with the chemguass4 score of -13.35. Other ligands showed comparatively lower binding affinity in the order of matairesinol (-12.43) > methyl tetradecanoate (-9.25) > cis-6-nonenal (-7.88) > syringic acids (-7.73) > limonene (-7.18) > trans-2,4-decadienal (-7.07) > 3-isopropyl-6-methylenecyclohex-1-ene (-7.01) > 2,5-octanedione (-7.0.). In a nutshell, these identified compounds were observed as potential agents to reduce CH4 production from equines by targeting MCR. This in silico study emphasized the role of safflower-associated compounds in developing anti-methanogenic drug for equines in future.

Pharmacological evaluation and in-silico modeling study of compounds isolated from Ziziphus oxyphylla.

Medicines derived from plants are preferred over synthetic therapeutic agents in treating different diseases. Ziziphus oxyphylla (a member of Rhamnaceae family) is a medicinal plant used as a remedy of different diseases in Greek and Ayurveda medical systems. Z. oxyphylla roots were shade dried and then subjected to extraction of bioactive compounds using different solvent systems and silica gel. From ethyl acetate fraction, three compounds viz., p-coumaric acid (V), 3,4-dimethoxy benzoic acid (VI), and 4-heptyloxy benzoic acid (VII) were isolated in pure form. The selection of ethyl acetate fraction for isolation was based on HPLC profiling of crude extract and different fractions. These compounds were characterized by different spectroscopic techniques and evaluated for their in vitro antioxidant, anticholinesterase, α-glucosidase, and α-amylase inhibitory potentials. To find out possible binding interactions of V with AChE and BChE crystals, in-silico docking studies were also carried out. Compound V showed maximum scavenging capabilities of DPPH and ABTS free radicals with IC50 values of 69 and 62 µg/mL respectively. Excellent percent inhibition (83.4 ± 0.5% at highest concentration 1000 µg/mL) of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was exhibited by compound V (IC50 = 80 µg/mL); whereas, for the mentioned concentration, 83.2 ± 1.1% inhibition (IC50 = 90 µg/mL) of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) was observed as well. The compound VI exhibited highest % inhibition against α-glucosidase (IC50 = 84 µg/mL) whereas α-amylase was more potently inhibited by compound V (% inhibition = 86.8 % and IC50 = 85 µg/mL). Docking scores of -1.391 Kcal/mol (BChE) and -6.253 Kcal/mol (AChE) were recorded using molecular docking software. Compound V exhibited strong free radical scavenging and anticholinesterase potentials suggesting that it can be effectively used to treat oxidative stress and dementia in human.

Antimicrobial, Cytotoxic, and Antioxidant Potential of a Novel Flavone "6,7,4'-Trimethyl Flavone" Isolated from Wulfenia amherstiana.

Wulfenia amherstiana belongs to the Scrophulariaceae family and various plants of this family are known for their biological activities. The present study was focused on the isolation of bioactive compounds including a novel flavone 6,7,4'-trimethyl flavone (TMF) along with three known flavonoids such as quercetin, rutin, and a steroid ß-sitosterol which were isolated from the ethanolic extract of W. amherstiana (Himalayan Wulfenia) through column chromatography and purified by using HPLC. Their structures were identified and elucidated through electron ionization mass spectroscopy (EIMS), 1DNMR (1H-NMR and 13C-NMR), and 2DNMR (COSY, HMQC, and HMBC) spectroscopy. The antimicrobial activities of this novel compound were evaluated through agar well diffusion method, while antioxidant and cytotoxic activities were assessed through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free-radical scavenging assay and brine shrimp lethality assay, respectively. The NMR data revealed that TMF is a novel compound. TMF showed potential antibacterial and antifungal activities against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 128 µg/ml) and Candida albicans (MIC = 128 µg/ml). The cytotoxic potential of TMF was determined from brine shrimp lethality assay with LD50 of 127.01 µg/ml. The free-radical scavenging potential of TMF at various concentrations implicated its strong antioxidant activity in vitro. The results revealed that TMF demonstrated substantial antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and C. albicans, strong antioxidant activity, and moderately cytotoxic activity.

Isolation, pharmacological evaluation and molecular docking studies of bioactive compounds from Grewia optiva.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, Grewia optiva is widely used for the treatment of many diseases like dysentery, fever, typhoid, diarrhea, eczema, smallpox, malaria and cough. METHODS: Shade-dried roots of G. optiva were extracted with methanol. Based on HPLC results, chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions were subjected to silica column isolation and four compounds: glutaric acid (V), 3,5 dihydroxy phenyl acrylic acid (VI), (2,5 dihydroxy phenyl) 3',6',8'-trihydroxyl-4H chromen-4'-one (VII) and hexanedioic acid (VIII) were isolated in pure form. Ellman's assay was used to determine the anticholinesterase potential of isolated compounds while their antioxidant potential was estimated by DPPH and ABTS scavenging assays. RESULTS: Amongst the isolated compounds, VI and VII exhibited excellent percent inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) (83.23±1.11, 82.72±2.20 and 82.11±2.11, 82.23±1.21, respectively, at 1000 µg/mL) with IC50 of 76, 90, 78 and 92 µg/mL, respectively. Highest percent radicals scavenging against DPPH and ABTS (87.41±1.20 and 86.13±2.31) with IC50 of 64 and 65 µg/mL, respectively, were observed for compound VII. Molecular docking studies also supported the binding of compound VI and VII with the target enzyme. The para-hydroxyl group of the phenolic moiety is formed hydrogen bonds with the active site water molecule and the side chain carbonyl and hydroxyl residues of enzyme. CONCLUSION: The isolated compounds inhibited the DPPH and ABTS-free radicals, and AChE and BChE enzymes. It was concluded that these compounds could be used in relieving the oxidative stress and pathological symptoms associated with excessive hydrolysis of acetyl and butyryl choline. The results of the study were supported by docking studies for compounds VI and VII.

Berberine nanoparticles with enhanced in vitro bioavailability: characterization and antimicrobial activity.

BACKGROUND: Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid widely used in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine to treat illnesses such as hypertension and inflammatory conditions, and as an anticancer and hepato-protective agent. Berberine has low oral bioavailability due to poor aqueous solubility and insufficient dissolution rate, which can reduce the efficacy of drugs taken orally. In this study, evaporative precipitation of nanosuspension (EPN) and anti-solvent precipitation with a syringe pump (APSP) were used to address the problems of solubility, dissolution rate and bioavailability of berberine. METHODS: Semi-crystalline nanoparticles (NPs) of 90-110 nm diameter for APSP and 65-75 nm diameter for EPN were prepared and then characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD). Thereafter, drug content solubility and dissolution studies were undertaken. Berberine and its NPs were evaluated for their antibacterial activity. RESULTS: The results indicate that the NPs have significantly increased solubility and dissolution rate due to conversion of the crystalline structure to a semi-crystalline form. CONCLUSION: Berberine NPs produced by both APSP and EPN methods have shown promising activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and yeasts, with NPs prepared through the EPN method showing superior results compared to those made with the APSP method and the unprocessed drug.