Cardioprotective Effects of 6-Gingerol against Alcohol-Induced ROS-Mediated Tissue Injury and Apoptosis in Rats.

The present study investigated the cardioprotective properties of 6-gingerol against alcohol-induced ROS-mediated cardiac tissue damage in rats. Experiments were conducted on 4 groups of rats, orally treated with control, 6-gingerol (10 mg/kg body weight), alcohol (6 g/kg body weight) and combination of 6-gingerol plus alcohol for two-month. In the results, we found 6-ginger treatment to alcohol-fed rats substantially suppressed ROS production in cardiac tissue. Alcohol-induced elevated 8-OHDG and protein carbonyls which represent oxidative modification of DNA and proteins were completely reversed by 6-gingerol. This was further endorsed by restored superoxide dismutase and catalase activities with 6-gingerol against alcohol-induced loss. The elevated cardiac biomarkers (CK-MB, cTn-T, cTn-I) and dyslipidemia in alcohol-intoxicated rats was significantly reversed by 6-gingerol. Furthermore, alcohol-induced apoptosis characterized by overexpression of cytochrome C, caspase-8 and caspase-9 was diminished with 6-gingerol treatment. Transmission electron microscope images conferred the cardioprotective properties of 6-gingerol as we have seen less structural derangements in mitochondria and reappearance of myofilaments. Our findings conclude that 6-ginger effectively protect alcohol-induced ROS-mediated cardiac tissue damage, which may be due to its potent antioxidant efficacy. Therefore, 6-gingerol could be a potential therapeutic molecule that can be used in the treatment of alcohol-induced myocardial injury.

Phytochemical Profile, Free Radical Scavenging and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Acalypha Indica Root Extract: Evidence from In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.

In our in vitro and in vivo studies, we used Acalypha indica root methanolic extract (AIRME), and investigated their free radical scavenging/antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Primarily, phytochemical analysis showed rich content of phenols (70.92 mg of gallic acid/g) and flavonoids (16.01 mg of rutin/g) in AIRME. We then performed HR-LC-MS and GC-MS analyses, and identified 101 and 14 phytochemical compounds, respectively. Among them, ramipril glucuronide (1.563%), antimycin A (1.324%), swietenine (1.134%), quinone (1.152%), oxprenolol (1.118%), choline (0.847%), bumetanide (0.847%) and fenofibrate (0.711%) are the predominant phytomolecules. Evidence from in vitro studies revealed that AIRME scavenges DPPH and hydroxyl radicals in a concentration dependent manner (10-50 µg/mL). Similarly, hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation were also remarkably inhibited by AIRME as concentration increases (20-100 µg/mL). In vitro antioxidant activity of AIRME was comparable to ascorbic acid treatment. For in vivo studies, carrageenan (1%, sub-plantar) was injected to rats to induce localized inflammation. Acute inflammation was represented by paw-edema, and significantly elevated (p < 0.05) WBC, platelets and C-reactive protein (CRP). However, AIRME pretreatment (150/300 mg/kg bodyweight) significantly (p < 0.05) decreased edema volume. This was accompanied by a significant (p < 0.05) reduction of WBC, platelets and CRP with both doses of AIRME. The decreased activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase in paw tissue were restored (p < 0.05 / p < 0.01) with AIRME in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, AIRME attenuated carrageenan-induced neutrophil infiltrations and vascular dilation in paw tissue. For the first time, our findings demonstrated the potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of AIRME, which could be considered to develop novel anti-inflammatory drugs.

Regulation of cardiac oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats treated with aqueous extract of Pimpinella tirupatiensis tuberous root.

Plants with antidiabetic activities provide important source for the development of new drugs in the management of diabetes mellitus. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of aqueous extract (AE) of Pimpinella tirupatiensis (Pt) tuberous root on cardiac oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in non-diabetic and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in male Wistar rats by a single administration of STZ (40 mg/kg intraperitoneal (i.p). AE (750 mg/kg/b.w./day) and glibenclamide (GLB) (20 mg/kg/b.w./day) were administrated orally by intra oral gastric tube for 30 days. After 4 weeks of hyperglycaemia the enzymatic and non-enzymatic factors were measured in cardiac tissue of diabetic and control groups. Xanthine oxidase activity (XOD), Uric acid (UA) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were significantly (p<0.01) elevated by 48, 48 and 50% respectively and the contents of glutathione (GSH), ascorbic acid (AA) were significantly (p<0.01) diminished by 45 and 42% respectively in diabetic rats when compared to normal. Treatment with AE and GLB normalized the content of UA, GSH, AA, MDA and the activity of XOD. No significant changes were observed in control rats treated with AE. This data suggests that hyperglycemia induces oxidative stress in the heart, but the oxidative stress defense mechanisms in the heart tissue are fairly efficacious against oxidative injury by the treatment with AE and GLB. The present study reveals that AE may provide a useful therapeutic option in the reversal of oxidative stress induced cardiac dysfunction in diabetes mellitus.

Nephro-protective effects of a ginger extract on cytosolic and mitochondrial enzymes against streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic complications in rats.

Diabetes is characterized by elevated blood glucose levels and disturbed homeostasis of metabolic enzymes in whole-body. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ginger administration on altered blood glucose levels, intra- and extra-mitochondrial enzymes and tissue injuries in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Wistar strain rats (n = 30) were equally divided into 5 groups: normal control (NC), ginger treated (Gt, 200 mg/kg b.w. orally/30 days), diabetic control (DC, 50 mg/kg b.w.), diabetic plus ginger treated (D + Gt) and diabetic plus glibenclamide treated (D + Gli) groups. We found highly elevated blood glucose levels in the diabetic group, and the glucose levels were significantly (P < 0.001) lowered by ginger administration. Activities of intra- and extra-mitochondrial enzymes such as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) were significantly (P < 0.01) decreased in the kidneys of the diabetic rats, while this was significantly reversed by 30 days of ginger treatment. We also observed consistent renal tissue damages in the diabetic rats; however, these injuries recovered in the ginger-treated diabetic rats as shown in histopathological studies. In this study, we demonstrated that an ethanolic extract of ginger could lower the blood glucose levels as well as improve activities of intra- and extra-mitochondrial enzymes in diabetic rats. Our results suggest that ginger extracts could be used as a nephro-protective supplement particularly to reverse diabetic-induced complications.

Ginger feeding protects against renal oxidative damage caused by alcohol consumption in rats.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the nephro-protective effect of ginger against chronic alcohol-induced oxidative stress and tissue damage. DESIGN: This is a prospective animal study in which renal antioxidant enzymes were demolished by alcohol consumption and restored with ginger feeding. We fed rats with ginger for 30 days to evaluate the nephro-protective effect against alcohol toxicity. METHODS: Twenty-four Wistar strain rats were divided into 4 equal groups: normal control (Nc), ginger treated (Gt), alcohol treated (At), and alcohol plus ginger treated (At + Gt). Ginger was given to the At group for 30 days and renal antioxidant enzymes were assayed. RESULTS: Renal antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase activities, and the levels of glutathione were significantly (P < .001) decreased, whereas malondialdehyde levels were elevated in At group. However, ginger extract supplementation to the At rats reversed these effects and attained the antioxidant status to normal levels. Furthermore, degenerative changes in renal cells with alcohol treatment were minimized to nearness in architecture by ginger supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: This study concludes that alcohol-induced nephro-toxicity was attenuated by ginger extract treatment, thus ginger can used as a regular nutrient to protect the renal cells.