Evaluation of antidiabetic activity of bud and flower of Avaram Senna (Cassia auriculata L.) In high fat diet and streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is very common metabolic disorder affecting people of all age groups. The change in life style and environmental factors are the considerable factors which are involved in the development of the disorder. The different parts of medicinal plants vary in their composition of bioactive compounds. There are reports on antidiabetic activity of C. auriculata L. flower and leaves. Traditionally bud of C. auriculata L. is used to treat diabetes rather than flower. This study aims to explore the antidiabetic efficiency of bud and flower and to identify the differential composition of phycompounds present in bud and flower parts of C. auriculata L. The compounds present in the bud and flower parts were identified using LC-ESI/MS analysis. Antidiabetic activity of C. auriculata L. bud and flower parts was studied in high fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. During which parameters such as feed intake, water intake, and body weight were monitored. After 21 days of the study, blood parameters like insulin, glucose, lipid profile, hepatic function test, renal function test and oxidative stress markers were analysed. Real time PCR was done to monitor the expression of IRS2 and GRIA2 genes. The LC-ESI/MS analysis showed the presence of various phenolics and flavonoid compounds specific to bud and flower parts. The antidiabetic activity results showed that the animal treated with C. auriculata L. bud ethanol extract (CABE500) could better reverse and control the progression of the disease compared to the flower ethanol extract. The gene expression studies revealed that regulation of IRS2 gene occurred in bud but not in flower extract treated animal livers and no differential expression of GRIA2 gene in all the experimental groups. C. auriculata L. bud extract can potentially better control the diabetes compared to the flower extract.

First report on distribution of heavy metals and proximate analysis in marine edible puffer fishes collected from Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve, South India.

In the present study, the heavy metal concentration in different organs (skin, tissue, liver, kidney, gill, intestine, and ovary) and muscle proximate composition were studied in marine edible puffer fishes Takifugu oblongus, Lagocephalus guentheri, Arothron hispidus, Chelonodon patoca and Arothron immaculatus collected from Mandapam fish landing centre, South east coast of India. Heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb & Zn) were analyzed in different organs for the above mentioned species. The heavy metals concentration ranges in fish organs of all the five species were Cu (0.42 -6.31 mg/kg), Cd (0.01-0.79 mg/kg), Pb (5.80-19.87 mg/kg), and Zn (6.75-65.08 mg/kg). Zn was detected higher in all the samples followed by Pb, Cu and Cd. The proximate composition was determined in edible muscle tissues of all the five species. The highest and lowest protein contents were observed in T. oblongus (20.6 ± 0.6%) and C. patoca (17.9 ± 0.3%). In the present study, heavy metal concentrations were found very high in all the internal organs when compared to muscle tissues. Further, this is the first report on distribution of heavy metals and proximate compositions of commercialized important edible puffer fishes from Mandapam coast of Gulf of Mannar, Southeast coast of India.