Cytotoxic, Phytotoxic and Insecticidal Potential of Achillea millefolium L. and Chaerophyllum villosum wall. ex dc.

The methanolic, chloroformic and aqueous extract of Achillea millefolium and Chaerophyllum villosum were investigated for cytotoxicity, phytotoxic and insecticidal activities. Cytotoxicity was investigated by brine shrimp lethality assay indicating that the crude methanolic extract of A.millefolium and chloroformic extract of C.villosum revealed highest mortality of brine shrimps with (LD50 of 52.60 µg/ml) and (14.81 µg/ml). Phytotoxicity was evaluated using the Lemna minor bioassay which revealed that the crude methanolic extract of A.millefolium and C.villosum extract has maximum inhibition of Lemna minor with (Fl50 6.60 µg/ml) and (0.67 µg/ml).The insecticidal activity showed that among all the insects studied it was observed that methanolic extract of A. millefoliumand C. villosum was highly toxic to Sphenoptera dadkhani with (LD50=4.17 µg/ml) and (0.34 µg/ml). From the present study it can be concluded that different extracts from A. millefolium and C. villosum showed good cytotoxic, phytotoxic and insecticidal activity in a dose dependent manner.

Glycemic effect of a single high oral dose of the novel sweetener sucralose in patients with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of a single high oral dose of the novel noncaloric sweetener sucralose on short-term glucose homeostasis in patients with IDDM or NIDDM. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 13 IDDM and 13 NIDDM patients with glycosylated hemoglobin levels < 10% completed this double-blind cross-over study. After an overnight fast, patients were administered opaque capsules containing either 1,000 mg sucralose or cellulose placebo, followed by a standardized 360-kcal liquid breakfast. Plasma glucose and serum C-peptide levels were measured over the next 4 h. RESULTS: Regardless of the type of diabetes, areas under the curves for changes of plasma glucose and serum C-peptide levels after sucralose administration were not significantly different from those after placebo. During test meals with sucralose, one episode of symptomatic hypoglycemia occurred in each of three IDDM patients, but these episodes were not considered the result of sucralose administration. CONCLUSIONS: The present results support the conclusion that sucralose consumption does not adversely affect short-term blood glucose control in patients with diabetes.