Synthesis, biological evaluation, and molecular docking study of some new rohitukine analogs as protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitors.

Rohitukine (RH) was extracted from the stem bark of Dysoxylum binectariferum Hook. It was derivatized to different arylsulphanmides by treating with the corresponding aryl sulphonyl chlorides. These derivatives were tested in-vitro on protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) inhibition. Among these the active compounds K2, K3, K5, and K8 significantly inhibited the PTP1B by 51.3%, 65.6%, 71.9%, and 55.9% respectively at 10 µg/ml, the results were also supported by in-silico docking experiments. The most potent compound K5 was analyzed for antidiabetic and antidyslipidemic activity in vivo. It showed a marked reduction in blood glucose level (random and fasting) and serum insulin level in db/db mice. It improved glucose intolerance as ascertained by the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). These NCEs (New Chemical Entities) also lowered cholesterol and triglyceride profiles while improved high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in db/db mice. The K5 was further evaluated for antiadipogenic activity on MDI (Methylisobutylxanthine, dexamethasone, and insulin)-induced adipogenesis. where it significantly inhibited MDI-induced adipogenesis in 3 T3-L1 preadipocytes, at 10 µM and 20 µM concentration. These results were compared with the parent compound RH which inhibited 35% and 45% lipid accumulation while the RH analog K5 inhibited the lipid accumulation by 41% and 51% at 10 and 20 µM concentration, respectively. These results well corroborated with in-silico studies.

Novel derivatives of plant monomeric phenolics: act as inhibitors of bacterial cell-to-cell communication.

The aim of the present study was to synthesize novel active Anti-Quorum sensing derivatives from secondary metabolites viz. Gallic acid, Protocatechuic acid and Vanillic acid present in the plant Bergenia ciliata. Efficacy of all synthesized derivatives have been evaluated on the formation of bacterial biofilm and inhibition of cell-to-cell communication. Anti-Quorum Sensing activity and biofilm formation of all synthesized compounds was measured on biomonitor strain Chrobacterium violaceum, ATCC 12472 using standard paper disk-diffusion assay and quantification of violacein pigment. Among all derivatives, five derivatives 3,4,5-Trihydroxy-benzoic acid methyl ester (9a), 3,4-Dihydroxy-benzoic acid methyl ester (10a), 3,4,5-Tris-(2,4-dichloro-benzyloxy)-benzoic acid methyl ester (12), 3,4,5-Tris-(2,5-dichloro-benzyloxy)-benzoic acid methyl ester (13) and 4-(2,4-Dichloro-benzyloxy)-3-methoxy-benzoic acid methyl ester (15) has shown Anti-Quorum Sensing activity by inhibiting violacein pigment production and biofilm formation without interfering with its growth. The inhibitory effects in violacein pigment production were: positive control (C-30) 72%, (9a), (10a) 47.2%, (12) 27.3%, (13) 40.1% and (15) 22.7% at the concentration of 1 mg/mL and biofilm percent inhibition were found (C-30) 64% (9a) 46.2%, (10a) 40.3%, (12) 18.4%, (13) 35.2%, and (15) 17.3% when compared with the untreated control. Results reveal that synthesized derivatives seem to be good compounds for inhibition and formation of biofilm and AHL-mediated Quorum-sensing mechanism. The present article highlights the importance of derivatives derived from secondary metabolites as potent drug for biofilm formation and inhibition of cell-to-cell communication.

Indian Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines on the Fast and Junk Foods, Sugar Sweetened Beverages, Fruit Juices, and Energy Drinks.

JUSTIFICATION: In view of easy availability and increasing trend of consumption of fast foods and sugar sweetened beverages (fruit juices and drinks, carbonated drinks, energy drinks) in Indian children, and their association with increasing obesity and related non-communicable diseases, there is a need to develop guidelines related to consumption of foods and drinks that have the potential to increase this problem in children and adolescents. OBJECTIVES: To review the evidence and formulate consensus statements related to terminology, magnitude of problem and possible ill effects of junk foods, fast foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and carbonated drinks; and to formulate recommendations for limiting consumption of these foods and beverages in Indian children and adolescents. PROCESS: A National Consultative group constituted by the Nutrition Chapter of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), consisting of various stakeholders in private and public sector, reviewed the literature and existing guidelines and policy regulations. Detailed review of literature was circulated to the members, and the Group met on 11th March 2019 at New Delhi for a day-long deliberation on framing the guidelines. The consensus statements and recommendations formulated by the Group were circulated to the participants and a consensus document was finalized. CONCLUSIONS: The Group suggests a new acronym 'JUNCS' foods, to cover a wide variety of concepts related to unhealthy foods (Junk foods, Ultra-processed foods, Nutritionally inappropriate foods, Caffeinated/colored/carbonated foods/beverages, and Sugar-sweetened beverages). The Group concludes that consumption of these foods and beverages is associated with higher free sugar and energy intake; and is associated with higher body mass index (and possibly with adverse cardiometabolic consequences) in children and adolescents. Intake of caffeinated drinks may be associated with cardiac and sleep disturbances. The Group recommends avoiding consumption of the JUNCS by all children and adolescents as far as possible and limit their consumption to not more than one serving per week. The Group recommends intake of regional and seasonal whole fruits over fruit juices in children and adolescents, and advises no fruit juices/drinks to infants and young children (age <2y), whereas for children aged 2-5 y and >5-18 y, their intake should be limited to 125 mL/day and 250mL/day, respectively. The Group recommends that caffeinated energy drinks should not be consumed by children and adolescents. The Group supports recommendations of ban on sale of JUNCS foods in school canteens and in near vicinity, and suggests efforts to ensure availability and affordability of healthy snacks and foods. The Group supports traffic light coding of food available in school canteens and recommends legal ban of screen/print/digital advertisements of all the JUNCS foods for channels/magazines/websites/social media catering to children and adolescents. The Group further suggests communication, marketing and policy/taxation strategies to promote consumption of healthy foods, and limit availability and consumption of the JUNCS foods.

Infantile tremor syndrome: current perspectives.

Infantile Tremor Syndrome (ITS) is a self-limiting clinical state characterized by tremors, anemia, pigmentary skin disease, regression of mental development, and hypotonia of muscles in a plump looking child. Tremors are coarse in character, decreased or disappeared in sleep and resolves within 4-6 weeks in its natural course. Various etiological factors as infectious, metabolic, nutritional have been hypothesized but none is conclusive. Consensus is developing on the role of Vitamin B12 deficiency in children with ITS but is still debatable. Empirical management of ITS children has been tried in the absence of exact etiology considering child as undernourished. Nutritional management includes supplementation of Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin B12 and other multivitamins. Tremors can be managed with administration of propranolol most commonly or phenobarbitone, phenytoin, and carbamazepine.

Altitudinal variation of berberine, total phenolics and flavonoid content in Thalictrum foliolosum and their correlation with antimicrobial and antioxidant activities.

BACKGROUND: The quality of herbal medicine is determined by its secondary metabolites, which may vary according to growth, season and altitude etc. OBJECTIVE: We studied the variation in phytochemistry and biological activities of Thalictrum foliolosum (TF) roots collected from four sites at different altitudes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The berberine content in different extracts of T. foliolosum roots collected from various altitudes was estimated using HPTLC. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined using Folin-Ciocalteau reagent and aluminum chloride method respectively. The sensitivity of microbes for the extracts was studied using disc diffusion and the MIC was estimated using broth dilution method. Antioxidant capacity of the plant was studied using ß-carotene bleaching assay, lipid peroxidation assay using goat liver, reducing power assay and DPPH free radical scavenging activity. RESULTS: Berberine content varied inversely with altitude; while phenol and flavonoid content of TF increased at higher altitudes. All the TF extracts showed moderate to high activity against Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Extracts with high berberine content were most effective against C. albicans and S. aureus and also showed relatively significant anti-lipid peroxidation, ß-carotene bleaching and reducing power. TF extracts with higher phenol and flavonoid content showed better scavenging of DPPH free radicals. Berberine was used as a standard in all the antioxidant and antimicrobial experiments performed. CONCLUSION: Thalictrum from lower elevations can be explored as an alternate source of berberine and the plant has high antioxidant and antimicrobial properties owing to its berberine content.

The Endophytic Symbiont-Pseudomonas aeruginosa Stimulates the Antioxidant Activity and Growth of Achyranthes aspera L.

A plant growth promoting bacterial endophyte designated as AL2-14B isolated from the leaves of Achyranthes aspera L. was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa based on its phenotypic and physiological features, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. AL2-14B had plant growth stimulating attributes including siderophore and indole acetic acid release, inorganic phosphate solubilization, along with nitrogenase, ammonification, and protease activities. It also exhibited antifungal property against Rhizoctonia solani. The plantlets grown in germ-free condition were inoculated with AL2-14B and studied for the colonization of endophyte. Significant increase in population of AL2-14B between 3rd and 5th days after inoculation was recorded. The treatment of plants with endophytic P. aeruginosa AL2-14B increased nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (NPK) contents in plant by 3.8, 12.59, and 19.15%, respectively. Significant enhancement of shoot and root length, dry leaf, dry shoot and dry root weight, and leaf surface area as compared to control (P < 0.05) was recorded in AL2-14B inoculated plants. The antioxidant activities increased in plants grown in germ-free conditions and inoculated with AL2-14B. The present study emphasizes on the role of diazotrophic endophyte P. aeruginosa AL2-14B in stimulating growth of A. aspera L. and improvement of its medicinal properties. Significant increase in growth and antioxidant content of P. aeruginosa AL2-14B treated plants suggests the possibility of an economical and eco-friendly mean of achieving antioxidants rich, healthier A. aspera plants.

Black tea: Phytochemicals, cancer chemoprevention, and clinical studies.

Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) is the most popular, flavored, functional, and therapeutic non-alcoholic drink consumed by two-thirds of the world's population. Black tea leaves are reported to contain thousands of bioactive constituents such as polyphenols, amino acids, volatile compounds, and alkaloids that exhibit a range of promising pharmacological properties. Due to strong antioxidant property, black tea inhibits the development of various cancers by regulating oxidative damage of biomolecules, endogenous antioxidants, and pathways of mutagen and transcription of antioxidant gene pool. Regular drinking of phytochemicals-rich black tea is linked to regulate several molecular targets, including COX-2, 5-LOX, AP-1, JNK, STAT, EGFR, AKT, Bcl2, NF-κB, Bcl-xL, caspases, p53, FOXO1, TNFα, PARP, and MAPK, which may be the basis of how dose of black tea prevents and cures cancer. In vitro and preclinical studies support the anti-cancer activity of black tea; however, its effect in human trails is uncertain, although more clinical experiments are needed at molecular levels to understand its anti-cancer property. This review discusses the current knowledge on phytochemistry, chemopreventive activity, and clinical applications of black tea to reveal its anti-cancer effect.

Grilling enhances antidiarrheal activity of Terminalia bellerica Roxb. fruits.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Terminalia bellerica Roxb. fruits are rich in a variety of biologically active ingredients. Tharu and Buksa tribes of Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand, India use grilled fruits of Terminalia bellerica as an effective cure for diarrhea AIM OF THE STUDY: We validated the ethnobotanical claim by comparing the antidiarrheal effect of grilled fruits (GF) with dried fruits (DF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 50% ethanolic extracts of GF and DF were successively fractionated; the antioxidant and bacterial inhibition activity were studied using DPPH free radical scavenging, anti-lipid peroxidation and broth dilution method respectively. Difference in metabolites of ethyl acetate fractions of GF and DF was analyzed using GC-MS, gallic acid content was determined through HPTLC. Further the in-vivo antidiarrheal effect of ethyl acetate fractions of DF and GF was studied on castor oil induced diarrhea model. RESULTS: The ethyl acetate fractions showed potential DPPH free radical scavenging (IC50 11.13µg/ml in DF and 8.56µg/ml in GF), anti-lipid peroxidation and antibacterial activity. The non-targeted metabolic profiling showed higher content of tartaric acid, valeric acid, gallic acid, succinic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, malic acid, 1,2,3 trisbenzene, uridine and 11-eicosenoic acid in GF. The HPTLC results indicated that gallic acid content was 2.8 (±0.14) and 4.92 (±0.28) mg/g while ellagic acid content was 4.7 (±0.32) and 4.45 (±0.45) mg/g dry powder in DF and GF respectively. According to in vivo antidiarrheal activity DF and GF (100mg/kg oral) inhibited diarrhea by 41.87% and 71.72% respectively. CONCLUSION: Grilling significantly altered the levels of metabolites in T. bellerica fruits which could be responsible for its increased therapeutic potential.

Comparative in vitro anti-tick efficacy of commercially available products and newly developed phyto-formulations against field collected and resistant tick lines of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus.

Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is considered as one of the most widely distributed tick species ecto-parasitizing on livestock and causes fatal diseases with significant production loss. To address the problem of controlling acaricide resistant tick infestations on animals, attention has been paid to develop eco-friendly phyto-acaricides. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the comparative anti-tick activities of commercially available herbal and chemical products with chemically characterized phyto-formulations developed recently against field ticks and resistant tick lines of R. (B.) microplus. The chemical product Butox® Vet was found nearly passive against all the tested resistant tick lines. However, one of the commercial polyherbal product, Zerokeet® showed an efficacy (E%) of 41.8-75.4 % ([Formula: see text]) using recommended dilution (1:2) against field ticks and resistant tick lines. However, the other commercial product, Erina® EP has very limited efficacy against all the tested tick. In comparison, the newly developed phyto-formulation, NBA/13/B/2 and NAC-01 conferred an E% of 82.4-91.3 % ([Formula: see text]) and 62.3-94.6 % ([Formula: see text]), respectively, against tested resistant ticks. Results indicated higher marketing potentiality of newly developed formulation in the existing tick problem scenario.

Chemo-profiling and bioassay of phytoextracts from Ageratum conyzoides for acaricidal properties against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting cattle and buffaloes in India.

In India, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus populations have developed a certain level of resistance to most of the acaricides marketed against tick species. To manage the problem, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the acaricidal potential of Ageratum conyzoides plants against acaricides-resistant ticks infesting cattle and buffaloes. The regression analysis of dose-response data of ethanolic extract of A. conyzoides revealed LC90 value of 8.91% against reference susceptible IVRI-1 line of R.(B.) microplus. The ethanolic extract was found efficacious against 76.7-90% acaricides-resistant field ticks and adversely affected oviposition showing 7.04-31.3% reduction in egg laying capacity. The extract was also showed an in vitro efficacy of 52.5 and 76.7% against reference resistant IVRI-4 and 5 lines. The GC/MS/MS profiling of hexane extract, two bioactive sub-fractions and essential oils revealed the presence of 6,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran (precocene II) as a major phyto-compound. The bioactive sub-fractions showed 96.2-97.5% efficacy against larvae of IVRI-1 and 77.1-94.9% against multi-acaricide resistant larvae of IVRI-5 line of R.(B.) microplus. The results of this study provided significant support for the development of a phyto-formulation based on A. conyzoides species.

Traditional herbs: a remedy for cardiovascular disorders.

BACKGROUND: Medicinal plants have been used in patients with congestive heart failure, systolic hypertension, angina pectoris, atherosclerosis, cerebral insufficiency, venous insufficiency and arrhythmia since centuries. A recent increase in the popularity of alternative medicine and natural products has revived interest in traditional remedies that have been used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. AIM: The purpose of this review is to provide updated, comprehensive and categorized information on the history and traditional uses of some herbal medicines that affect the cardiovascular system in order to explore their therapeutic potential and evaluate future research opportunities. METHODS: Systematic literature searches were carried out and the available information on various medicinal plants traditionally used for cardiovascular disorders was collected via electronic search (using Pubmed, SciFinder, Scirus, GoogleScholar, JCCC@INSTIRC and Web of Science) and a library search for articles published in peer-reviewed journals. No restrictions regarding the language of publication were imposed. RESULTS: This article highlights the cardiovascular effects of four potent traditional botanicals viz. Garlic (Allium sativum), Guggul (Commiphora wightii), Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) and Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna). Although these plants have been used in the treatment of heart disease for hundreds of years, current research methods show us they can be utilized effectively in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases including ischemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias and hypertension. CONCLUSION: Although the mechanisms of action are not very clear, there is enough evidence of their efficacy in various cardiovascular disorders. However, for bringing more objectivity and also to confirm traditional claims, more systematic, well-designed animal and randomized clinical studies with sufficient sample sizes are necessary. Multidisciplinary research is still required to exploit the vast potential of these plants. Potential synergistic and adverse side effects of herb-drug interactions also need to be studied. These approaches will help in establishing them as remedies for cardiovascular diseases and including them in the mainstream of healthcare system.

In vitro acaricidal properties of Semecarpus anacardium fruit and Datura stramonium leaf extracts against acaricide susceptible (IVRI-I line) and resistant (IVRI-V line) Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus.

In an attempt to identify plants having anti-tick properties, the 95% ethanolic and 50% hydro-ethanolic extracts of the fruits of Semecarpus anacardium and leaves of Datura stramonium were evaluated against reference tick lines of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. The 95% ethanolic extracts of S. anacardium and D. stramonium caused 50% and 20% mortality, respectively, within 72 h of treatment by adult immersion test. The LC90 value of the ethanolic fruit extract of S. anacardium was determined as 13.5% (CI 12.05-15.12). The extract was also found efficacious (73.3%±3.3%) against the multi-acaricide-resistant IVRI-V line of R.(B.) microplus. The S. anacardium extract significantly affected the reproductive physiology of treated ticks by inhibiting the oviposition and was found safe. The HPTLC fingerprinting profile revealed the presence of pyrocatechol as a marker compound. The acaricidal property of S. anacardium against chemical acaricide-resistant R. (B.) microplus was discussed.

Identification of potential plant extracts for anti-tick activity against acaricide resistant cattle ticks, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Acari: Ixodidae).

To develop an eco-friendly tick control method, seven plant extracts were prepared using 50 and 95% ethanol and evaluated for acaricidal activity against cattle tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. The adult immersion test was adopted for testing different extracts. Based on 72 h screening criterion, 95% ethanolic extracts of Datura metel fruits and Argemone mexicana whole plant were found effective showing more than 50% mortality of treated ticks. The 95% ethanolic extracts of D. metel fruits and A. mexicana whole plant exhibited acaricidal and reproductive inhibitory effects on treated ticks. The LC90 values of D. metel and A. mexicana extracts were determined as 7.13 and 11.3%, respectively. However, although both the extracts were found efficacious against deltamethrin-resistant IVRI-4 and multi-acaricide resistant IVRI-5 lines of R. (B.) microplus, they caused less mortality than treated ticks of the reference IVRI-I line. Phytochemical studies indicated the presence of alkaloids and glucosides in D. metel fruits and alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids and phenolics in A. mexicana whole plant extracts. The results indicated that these botanicals may play an important role in reducing the use of chemicals for tick control and possibly to manage resistant tick population in environment friendly manner.

Quercetin sensitizes fluconazole-resistant candida albicans to induce apoptotic cell death by modulating quorum sensing.

Quorum sensing (QS) regulates group behaviors of Candida albicans such as biofilm, hyphal growth, and virulence factors. The sesquiterpene alcohol farnesol, a QS molecule produced by C. albicans, is known to regulate the expression of virulence weapons of this fungus. Fluconazole (FCZ) is a broad-spectrum antifungal drug that is used for the treatment of C. albicans infections. While FCZ can be cytotoxic at high concentrations, our results show that at much lower concentrations, quercetin (QC), a dietary flavonoid isolated from an edible lichen (Usnea longissima), can be implemented as a sensitizing agent for FCZ-resistant C. albicans NBC099, enhancing the efficacy of FCZ. QC enhanced FCZ-mediated cell killing of NBC099 and also induced cell death. These experiments indicated that the combined application of both drugs was FCZ dose dependent rather than QC dose dependent. In addition, we found that QC strongly suppressed the production of virulence weapons-biofilm formation, hyphal development, phospholipase, proteinase, esterase, and hemolytic activity. Treatment with QC also increased FCZ-mediated cell death in NBC099 biofilms. Interestingly, we also found that QC enhances the anticandidal activity of FCZ by inducing apoptotic cell death. We have also established that this sensitization is reliant on the farnesol response generated by QC. Molecular docking studies also support this conclusion and suggest that QC can form hydrogen bonds with Gln969, Thr1105, Ser1108, Arg1109, Asn1110, and Gly1061 in the ATP binding pocket of adenylate cyclase. Thus, this QS-mediated combined sensitizer (QC)-anticandidal agent (FCZ) strategy may be a novel way to enhance the efficacy of FCZ-based therapy of C. albicans infections.

Colostrum hexasaccharide, a novel Staphylococcus aureus quorum-sensing inhibitor.

The discovery of quorum-sensing (QS) systems regulating antibiotic resistance and virulence factors (VFs) has afforded a novel opportunity to prevent bacterial pathogenicity. Dietary molecules have been demonstrated to attenuate QS circuits of bacteria. But, to our knowledge, no study exploring the potential of colostrum hexasaccharide (CHS) in regulating QS systems has been published. In this study, we analyzed CHS for inhibiting QS signaling in Staphylococcus aureus. We isolated and characterized CHS from mare colostrum by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography evaporative light-scattering detection (RP-HPLC-ELSD), (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Antibiofilm activity of CHS against S. aureus and its possible interference with bacterial QS systems were determined. The inhibition and eradication potentials of the biofilms were studied by microscopic analyses and quantified by 96-well-microtiter-plate assays. Also, the ability of CHS to interfere in bacterial QS by degrading acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), one of the most studied signal molecules for Gram-negative bacteria, was evaluated. The results revealed that CHS exhibited promising inhibitory activities against QS-regulated secretion of VFs, including spreading ability, hemolysis, protease, and lipase activities, when applied at a rate of 5 mg/ml. The results of biofilm experiments indicated that CHS is a strong inhibitor of biofilm formation and also has the ability to eradicate it. The potential of CHS to interfere with bacterial QS systems was also examined by degradation of AHLs. Furthermore, it was documented that CHS decreased antibiotic resistance in S. aureus. The results thus give a lead that mare colostrum can be a promising source for isolating a next-generation antibacterial.

Effect of Asparagus racemosus (shatavari) extract on physicochemical and functional properties of milk and its interaction with milk proteins.

The effects of interaction of Asparagus racemosus (shatavari) with milk constituents and physico-chemical and functional characteristics of milk was studied. Addition of freeze dried aqueous shatavari extract at a concentration of 1 g /100 ml of milk showed a decrease in pH, rennet coagulation time and an increase in acidity, viscosity and heat stability at maximum. The extract also imparted brown colour to milk and showed an increase in a* (redness) and b* (yellowness) values but a decrease in L* (lightness) value. Proteins in milk were modified by reaction with shatavari extract. The derivatives formed were characterized in terms of SDS-PAGE. Electrophoretic pattern of sodium caseinate and whey containing 1% shatavari herb extract did not show any difference in band pattern i.e. there was no difference in mobility based on size of the proteins, but the intensity (width) of bands differed.

Indian traditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional supplementation.

Food is the major source for serving the nutritional needs, but with growing modernization some traditional ways are being given up. Affluence of working population with changing lifestyles and reducing affordability of sick care, in terms of time and money involved, are some of the forces that are presently driving people towards thinking about their wellness. There has been increased global interest in traditional medicine. Efforts to monitor and regulate traditional herbal medicine are underway. Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicine, remains the most ancient yet living traditions. Although India has been successful in promoting its therapies with more research and science-based approach, it still needs more extensive research and evidence base. Increased side effects, lack of curative treatment for several chronic diseases, high cost of new drugs, microbial resistance and emerging, diseases are some reasons for renewed public interest in complementary and alternative medicines. Numerous nutraceutical combinations have entered the international market through exploration of ethnopharmacological claims made by different traditional practices. This review gives an overview of the Ayurvedic system of medicine and its role in translational medicine in order to overcome malnutrition and related disorders.

Physical Stability and HPLC Analysis of Indian Kudzu (Pueraria tuberosa Linn.) Fortified Milk.

Functional foods provide health benefit beyond basic nutrition. Functional foods fortified with plant ingredients are well known. Ayurveda (Indian System of Medicine) has found several ways in which the medicinal benefits of herbs can be conveyed via certain foods as carriers. Milk is one such carrier which has been effectively used to deliver phytochemicals for targeted health benefits. Indian Kudzu or Pueraria tuberosa Linn. (Fabaceae) is an important medicinal plant of Ayurveda, and experiments suggest that it enhances the health benefits of milk when taken with milk as a carrier. Different milk combinations with P. tuberosa were prepared by homogenizing pasteurized toned milk with its ethanolic and hot water extracts and their stability with reference to pH and coagulation was studied over a period of 15 days. The combinations were also analyzed for puerarin, the major isoflavone C-glucoside present in P. tuberosa, through high-performance liquid chromatography using photo diode array detector. It was observed that there was no precipitate formation and the pH also did not change during the study period indicating their physical stability under the experimental conditions. Also there was no significant change in the content of puerarin during the study period, thereby indicating the chemical stability of the samples. These studies will be useful for developing milk nutraceuticals fortified with Indian Kudzu which has the potential to be included as an ingredient in health and functional foods.

An important Indian traditional drug of ayurveda jatamansi and its substitute bhootkeshi: chemical profiling and antioxidant activity.

Nardostachys jatamansi DC. and Selinum vaginatum (Edgew) Cl. are two endemic high altitude Indian medicinal plants that have been traditionally known as "Jatamansi" and "Bhootkeshi," respectively. These are used in various traditional herbal formulations and nutraceuticals, as well as to treat neurological disorders like epilepsy, hysteria, syncope, convulsions, and mental weakness. They resemble each other in their external morphological characters and characteristic odour, so their roots are often confused with each other. Since free radicals have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a considerable range of neurological disorders, including seizures and epilepsy, analysis of these two important medicinal plants was carried out based on their antioxidant activities and phenolic profiles. N. jatamansi expressed better antioxidant activity with both DPPH and TAC methods. Strong correlation was seen between TPC and antioxidant activities. Phenolic compounds such as chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, protocatechuic acid, and syringic acid were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively in the methanol extracts of N. jatamansi and S. vaginatum by HPLC. N. jatamansi was found to contain only protocatechuic and syringic acids while chlorogenic and ferulic acids were present only in S. vaginatum. The studies suggest that both of the plants exhibit distinctive properties and that their similar therapeutic uses may be dependent on synergistic effects exhibited by the different compounds present in them.