Investigations of the antipyretic effect and safety of Prasachandaeng, a traditional remedy from Thailand national list of essential medicines.

Prasachandaeng (PSD) remedy from the Thailand National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) has been used as an antipyretic for chronic fever in both adults and children for centuries. Its therapeutic effect in treating fever and its safety have not been studied in animal models. We evaluated its antipyretic activity on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced fever and safety in the liver in comparison with acetaminophen (ACP). Correlation between biochemistry of liver function and the level of cytochrome P450 (CYP2E1) was also evaluated using an ELISA kit. All doses of PSD powder (PSDP) and a 95% ethanol extract of PSD (PSDE) (50, 200, and 400 mg/kg) showed a significant antipyretic effect (* p < 0.05) as compared to ACP. We investigated clinical biochemistry of liver and kidney functions, histopathology, and concentrations of CYP2E1. All treatment groups demonstrated a normal range of clinical biochemistry of liver and kidney functions in comparison with ACP on days 1, 3, 7, and 10. Serum AST, ALP, and LDH levels of PSDE and PSDP showed mean values less than that of ACP on the corresponding days (* p < 0.05). None of the treatment groups showed evidence of hepatocellular damage, nor did they affect CYPE21. The results of histopathology on liver tissue correlated with the biochemistry of liver functions which indicated no hepatotoxicity effect in liver tissue during the seven day treatment. These findings suggest that both forms of PSD remedy possessed marked antipyretic activity and were not hepatotoxic during the seven days of administration in rats.

Mulberry fruit extract alleviates the intracellular amyloid-ß oligomer-induced cognitive disturbance and oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease model mice.

Intracellular amyloid-ß (Aß) oligomers are key therapeutic targets because they are strongly cytotoxic and play crucial roles in the cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Anthocyanins, polyphenolic flavonoids with antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, are potential therapeutic candidates for AD. Here, we investigated the effects of anthocyanin-enriched extracts from fruits of mulberry (Morus alba Linn.) in Thailand against the neurotoxicity of Aß oligomers. Using the monitoring system for Aß aggregation, we showed that the extract induced the dissociation of Aß in cultured HEK293T cells. To investigate the effects on cognitive function, we orally administered the extract to Aß-GFP transgenic mice (Aß-GFP Tg), a mouse model that expresses Aß oligomers inside neurons, and performed the novel object recognition test and passive avoidance test. Aß-GFP Tg usually showed deficits in novel object recognition memory and reference memory compared with non-Tg, but administration of the extract improved both compared with vehicle-treated Aß-GFP Tg. Aß-GFP Tg exhibited lower superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity than non-Tg. However, after the administration of the extract, the SOD activity was restored. These results suggest that Thai mulberry fruit extract ameliorates cytotoxicity induced by the intracellular Aß oligomers and may be an effective therapeutic or preventive candidate for AD.

Preparation and characterization of gamma oryzanol loaded zein nanoparticles and its improved stability.

Gamma oryzanol (GO), a bioactive ingredient found in rice bran oil, performs a variety of biological effects such as antioxidant activity, reduction of total cholesterol, anti-inflammation, and antidiabetes. However, GO is water-insoluble and normally degrades through oxidation. Thus a nano-encapsulation technique was investigated to improve its stability and quality. In this research, gamma oryzanol was successfully encapsulated into zein nanoparticles. The fabrication parameters including pH, zein concentration (0.3, 0.4, and 0.5% w/v), and % GO loading (30, 40, and 50% by weight) were investigated. Particle size, zeta potential, yield, encapsulation efficiency and the stability or GO retention during the storage were determined. The morphology of gamma oryzanol loaded zein nanoparticles (GOZNs) was observed by scanning electron micrographs and transmission electron microscope. The increase of zein concentration and % GO loading resulted to an increase of yield, encapsulation efficiency, and particle size. The particle size of the GOZNs ranged from 93.24-350.93, and 144.13-833.27, and 145.27-993.13 nm for each zein concentration with 3 loading levels, respectively. Nano-encapsulation exhibited higher % GO retention compared with nonencapsulated GO during 60 days storage both at 4°C and -18°C. In vitro study indicated the sustained release of GO in the simulated gastric fluid followed by simulated intestinal fluid. This finding indicated a high potential for the application of insoluble GO with improved stability by encapsulation with the hydrophobic zein protein.