Antidiabetic and Antioxidant Effects of Acteoside from Jacaranda mimosifolia Family Biognoniaceae in Streptozotocin–Nicotinamide Induced Diabetes in Rats

BACKGROUND: Acteoside is a phenylethanoid compound isolated from Jacaranda mimosifolia D. Don leaves with a potential antidiabetic effect. OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to investigate the antidiabetic and antioxidant effects of acteoside in streptozotocin-nicotinamide (STZ-NA)-induced Type 2 diabetes in rats. METHODS: Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of a single dose of STZ (52.5 mg/kg), 15 min following i.p. administration of NA (25 mg/kg). Rats were divided into six groups; Group I: Normal rat group received the vehicle, Group II: Diabetic control group, and Groups III-IV: Diabetic rat groups were treated by either oral acteoside (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) or pioglitazone (30 mg/kg) for 21 consecutive days. Biochemical parameters were assessed in the serum and liver homogenates. Examination of liver sections for histopathology was also carried out. RESULTS: Acteoside treated rats showed significant lower levels of blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and increased serum insulin compared to control diabetic rats. Furthermore, acteoside treated rats, in comparison to the diabetic control, demonstrated significantly reduced malondialdehyde, increased reduced glutathione liver contents, and attenuated pathological alterations in the liver. These effects were comparable to those caused by the standard antidiabetic drug, pioglitazone. In vitro, acteoside scavenged stable free radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl. CONCLUSION: Acteoside could be considered as a potential therapeutic agent for type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, studying further mechanisms underlying its antidiabetic effect is recommended

TOXICOLOGICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF GOLD NANORODS IN NORMAL RATS

Objective: assessment of acute, subchronic and chronic toxicity of pegylated gold nanorods (PEG-gold NRs) in Wistar rats of both sex in three routes of administration {intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM) and subcutaneous (SC)}.Methods: in the acute toxicity study; PEG-gold NRs were injected once by three different routes, blood and tissue samples were collected after 14 d. In the subchronic and chronic studies; PEG-gold NRs were injected via three different routes, at 0.225, 0.45 and 0.9 mg/kg, once daily for 5 consecutive days, followed by a 23-day recovery period, for three and six months in the subchronic and chronic toxicity studies, respectively. Hematology, urinalysis, biochemical and histopathological examinations were conducted at the end of each study.Results: acute toxicity showed a significant decrease in serum triglycerides and cholesterol levels after single IV, IM and SC injection of PEG-gold NRs, while serum creatinine was significantly increased after IV and IM injection. Subchronic results revealed a significant decrease in serum triglycerides and cholesterol levels. The chronic study showed a significant decrease in serum triglycerides, sodium levels, total leukocytes count and significant increase in serum creatinine after IV injection. IM injection resulted in significant decrease in serum alkaline phosphatase, triglycerides, cholesterol, sodium levels and total leukocytes count. SC injection resulted in significant decrease in serum triglycerides, glucose, red blood cell count with increased creatinine and hematocrit.Conclusion: PEG-gold NRs at the three examined doses is apparently safe since no serious signs of toxicity were detected. IM and SC routes of injection were irritating, so we recommend the IV route.Â

Effect of Nigella sativa and wheat germ oils on scopolamine-induced memory impairment in rats

Aim: To investigate the possible memory enhancing effects of Nigella sativa oil (NSO) and wheat germ oil (WGO) on scopolamine-induced amnesic rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats received either saline or scopolamine (16 mg/kg, i.p.). The other three groups were pretreated with NSO (1 ml/kg, p.o.), WGO (170 mg/kg, p.o.) or donepezil used as a reference drug (10 mg/kg, p.o.) for 14 days before scopolamine injection. Cognitive and biochemical measurements were then assessed. Principal results: NSO and WGO treated rats significantly reversed scopolamine-induced deficit of spatial and non-spatial working memory impairment in the T maze alternation task and object recognition test, respectively. Administration of NSO prior to scopolamine showed a significant decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) and increase in Glutathione (GSH) brain contents to be similar to that observed in donepezil group. It did not alter cholinesterase activity and showed a significant decrease in brain tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) content to be similar to donepezil-treated rats. Scopolamine-demented rats pretreated with WGO did not change MDA brain content significantly as compared to scopolamine and donepezil groups. WGO-treated rats showed a significant increase in GSH to a level similar to that observed in the donepezil group, it showed a significant decrease in cholinesterase activity as compared to scopolamine group and significantly elevated brain TNF-α content when compared to donepezil group. Conclusions: Memory enhancing effect of NSO in the present study might be due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, while that of WGO might be via its antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities

Article Polyphenolic Profile and Bioactivity Study of Oenothera speciosa Nutt. Aerial Parts

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Comparative DNA profiling, botanical identification and biological evaluation of Gazania longiscapa DC and Gazania rigens L.

Gazania longiscapa DC and Gazania rigens L. are species of cultivated ornamental plant that grow in Egypt. Genus Gazania has a role in folk medicine to prevent toothache; this study presents a comparative investigation of genetic and botanical features of root, rhizome, leaves and flowers of the two Gazania species and comparing their biological activity as analgesic and antiinflammatory as related to their folk medicinal use. The genetic and botanical differences between the two Gazania species are reported for the first time in this study. The results contribute toward validation of the traditional use of Gazania showing that both species are safe for oral administration and they exhibit significant antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects in a dose dependent manner

Hepatoprotection and Antioxidant Activity of Gazania Longiscapa and G. Rigens with the Isolation and Quantitative Analysis of Bioactive Metabolites

Gazania longiscapa and G. rigens are two species belonging to family Asteraceae. The present study aimed the isolation of the main active constituents from the methanol extracts using different chromatographic methods and their identification using different spectroscopic techniques, beside the quantitation of some biologically important active constituent as rutin using HPLC technique, together with estimation of total polyphenolic content calculated as gallic acid and estimation of total flavonoid content calculated as rutin using UV technique. Concomitantly the determination of the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of the total methanol extracts of the aerial parts of G. longiscapa and G. rigens. This work resulted in the isolation of 4 flavonoids (Apigenin, Luteolin, Luteolin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranosid, Apigenin 7-O-β-Dglucopyranosid), 3 phenolic acids (Caffeic acid, Chlorogenic acid and 3,5- di- O-caffeoylquinic acid) from G. longiscapa for the first time; these 3 phenolic acids were also isolated from G. rigens, together with one flavonoid (rutin), The quantitative determination of the methanol extracts showed that G. longiscapa is a richer source of phenolic acids than G. rigens and both Gazania species are valuable sources of rutin beside having hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity

Phenolic profile, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, anti-ulcerogenic and hepatoprotective activities of Pimenta racemosa leaves

Abstract Background Pimenta racemosa tree has many traditional uses where its leaves are used as herbal tea for treatment of flatulence, gastric disorder, osteoarthritis, colds and fever in addition to its analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. So, this study aimed to isolate phenolic constituents of 80% aqueous methanol extract (AME) of leaves and evaluate its biological activities. Methods The defatted AME was chromatographed and structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated using UV, NMR spectroscopy and UPLC-ESI-MS analysis. Antioxidant activity was investigated using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using carrageenan - induced paw oedema, while antinociceptive activity was determined by chemical and thermal stimuli. Anti-ulcerogenic effect of AME against gastric damage induced by ethanol in Wister male albino rats was evaluated. Also, hepatoprotective activity was investigated through determination of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) following oral administration of paracetamol. Both of Anti-ulcerogenic and hepatoprotective activities (125, 250 and 500 mg/kg b.wt.) were supported by histopathological examinations. Results Gallic acid (1), methyl gallate (2), avicularin (3), quercetin 3-O-β-D-arbinopyranoside (4), quercetin 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (5), quercetrin (6), cynaroside (7), strictinin (8), castalagin (9), grandinin (10) quercetin (11) and ellagic acid (12) were isolated. AME showed significant radical scavenging activity (SC50 = 4.6 μg/mL), promising anti-inflammatory effect through inhibition of oedema and antinociceptive activity by reduction in number of writhes after acetic acid injection and prolongation of reaction time towards the thermal stimulus. AME reduced the gastric mucosal lesions compared with ethanol control and ranitidine groups, ALT at the three doses and AST only at 125 and 250 mg/kg b.wt., when compared with paracetamol group. The results were confirmed by histopathological studies. Conclusion P. racemosa leaves are rich in phenolic compounds and showed significant biological activities