Coadministration of black seeds and turmeric shows enhanced efficacy in preventing metabolic syndrome in fructose-fed rats.

Among noncommunicable diseases, metabolic syndrome (MS), a cluster of metabolic disorders including obesity, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and hypertension, is highly prevalent in modern society. Its management requires lifestyle modifications and/or the life-long use of multiple medications, hence demanding development of safe alternative remedies. This study was aimed to establish the efficacy of combined use of black seeds and turmeric using fructose-fed rat model of MS. The high-performance liquid chromatographic fingerprints of turmeric and black seeds showed the presence of curcumin and thymoquinone, respectively, as their major constitutes. Different doses of black seeds and turmeric, individually and in combination, were administered to fructose-fed rats for up to 6 weeks representing characteristic features of MS. At 3 weeks of the treatment, black seeds and turmeric lowered (P < 0.01) high blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, respectively, whereas their coadministration reduced (P < 0.01) both high blood pressure and hypertriglyceridemia. At 6 weeks, the coadministration of both herbs, at half the doses of individual herbs, was the most effective (P < 0.001) in preventing hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, and endothelial dysfunction than the individual herbs. This study demonstrates the therapeutic superiority of the combination of black seeds and turmeric at low doses over individually tested herbs, in improving features of MS.

Management of osteoporosis among post-menopausal women in a selected hospital of Delhi.

The term 'osteoporosis' describes both a process of decreasing bone density and also the clinical outcome of fracture. The research approach for the study was the quantitative (exploratory survey research). Majority of postmenopausal women (81%) were having osteoporosis, and the remaining 19 percent did not have osteoporosis. The findings indicate that there is lack of knowledge among most of the postmenopausal women regarding prevention and management of osteoporosis and hence there is need to give information to post-menopausal women regarding prevention and management of osteoporosis.

Flavonoid and cardenolide glycosides and a pentacyclic triterpene from the leaves of Nerium oleander and evaluation of cytotoxicity.

A pentacyclic triterpene, oleanderocioic acid, two flavonoidal glycosides, quercetin-5-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)]-ß-D-glucopyranoside and kaempferol-5-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside, and a cardenolide, oleandigoside, together with 11 known compounds, were isolated from the leaves of Nerium oleander. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. The growth inhibitory and cytotoxic activities of eight compounds were evaluated against the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line using a sulforhodamine B assay. Three compounds, oleandrin, odoroside A and B were further assayed using a panel of 57 human cancer cell lines.

Two new triterpenoid isomers from Nerium oleander leaves.

Two new triterpenoid isomers alpha-neriursate (1) and beta-neriursate (2) have been isolated from the fresh, uncrushed leaves of Nerium oleander and their structures elucidated as 3alpha-acetophenoxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid and 3beta-acetophenoxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid, respectively. The structure elucidation is based on spectroscopic methods, including 1D ((1)H NMR, (13)C NMR) and 2D ((1)H-(1)H COSY, NOESY, HMQC, HMBC and J-resolved) NMR data and chemical transformation.

Two new triterpenoids and a steroidal glycoside from the aerial parts of Ocimum basilicum.

Studies on the chemical constituents of the aerial parts of Ocimum basilicum have led to the isolation of three new compounds, basilol (1), ocimol (2), and basilimoside (3), along with two known constituents betulinic acid and oleanolic acid. The structures of the new constituents have been elucidated through spectral studies including 2D-NMR experiments (HMQC, HMBC, COSY, NOESY, and J-resolved) and chemical transformation, as p-formylphenyl 3beta-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oate (1), 2-methoxy-4-carbomethoxyphenyl 3beta-hydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-28-oate (2), and (22E)-24xi-ethyl-25-methylcholesta-5,22-diene-3beta-ol-3-O-D-glucopyranoside (3).