EFFECT OF BETA VULGARIS L. ON CHOLESTEROL RICH DIET-INDUCED HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA IN RATS

Abstract The lyophilized aqueous extract of Beta vulgaris L. (beet root) (BVE) was investigated for its possible antihypercholesterolemic and antioxidant potential in cholesterol rich diet-induced hypercholesterolemia in Wistar albino rats. Hypercholesterolemia was induced in rats by feeding 1% cholesterol rich diet for 10 weeks. Lipid profile and glucose were estimated in serum. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and non-protein sulfhydryls (NP-SH) levels were measured in liver and heart. Hypercholesterolemic rats showed a significant increase in total cholesterol and triglycerides and a significant decrease in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. BVE at the doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight for 70 consecutive days showed a significant decrease in total cholesterol and triglycerides and significant increase in HDL-C. Furthermore, hypercholesterolemic rats showed free radical generation (lipid peroxidation), evident by a significant increase in MDA level and a significant reduction in NP-SH content in both liver and heart homogenates. BVE treatment significantly decreased MDA level and significantly replenished the reduced NP-SH content in both liver and heart tissue. The acute toxicity test of BVE showed no mortality or morbidity in rats. The findings indicate that BVE has a significant antihypercholesterolemic and antioxidant potential and/or free radical scavenging properties in hypercholesterolemic, rats possibly exerted by the phytoconstituents present in the beet root. Rezumat Studiul experimental evaluează acţiunea antihipercolesterolemiantă şi antioxidantă a extractului apos liofilizat al rădăcinii plantei Beta vulgaris (Chenopodiaceae). Studiul a fost realizat pe şobolani albi de laborator, cărora li s-a indus experimental hipercolesterolemia. A fost evaluat profilul lipidic şi glucidic al animalelor, concentraţia serică a malonildialdehidei. De asemenea, au fost evaluate (ĭn ţesutul hepatic şi cardiac) grupările sulfhidril non-proteice. Rezultatele obţinute indică proprietăţile antihipercolesterolemiante şi antioxidante, datorate fitoconstituenţilor prezenţi în rădăcina plantei studiate

Protective effect of <i style="">Embelia ribes</i> Burm on methionine-induced hyperhomocysteinemia and oxidative stress in rat brain

521-527The present study was aimed to find out the protective effect of ethanolic extract of E. ribes fruits on homocysteine, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and lipid profile in serum, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and non-enzymatic antioxidant glutathione (GSH) levels in brain homogenates and histopathological examination of brain tissue in methionine (1 g/kg body weight, orally for 30 days) induced hyperhomocysteinemic rats. A significant increase in homocysteine, LDH, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL-C) levels was observed in serum. Increased LPO levels in brain homogenates with reduced serum high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) levels and decreased GSH content were other salient features observed in methionine treated pathogenic control rats. Administration of ethanolic E. ribes extract (100 mg/kg body weight, orally) for 30 days to methionine-induced hyperhomocysteinemic rats produced a significant decrease in the levels of homocysteine, LDH, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, VLDL-C in serum and LPO levels in brain homogenates with significant increase in serum HDL-C levels and GSH content in brain homogenates, when compared with pathogenic control rats. Biochemical observations were further substantiated with histological examination of brain. Degenerative changes of neuronal cells in methionine treated rats were minimized to near normal morphology by ethanolic E. ribes extract administration as evident by histopathological examination. The results provide clear evidence for the first time, that ethanolic E. ribes extract treatment enhances the antioxidant defense against methionine-induced hyperhomocysteinemia and oxidative stress in brain

Antihyperglycaemic activity of aqueous extract of <i style="">Embelia ribes</i> Burm in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

607-613Forty days of orally feeding the aqueous E. ribes extract (100 and 200 mg/kg) to streptozotocin (40 mg/kg, iv, single dose) induced diabetic rats produced significant decrease in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, blood glucose, blood glycosylated hemoglobin, serum lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase and increase in blood glutathione levels as compared to pathogenic diabetic rats. Further, the extract significantly decreased the levels of pancreatic lipid peroxides and increased the levels of pancreatic superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione. The results suggest that aqueous E. ribes extract exhibits a significant blood glucose and blood pressure lowering potential. Further, it enhances endogenous antioxidant defense against free radicals produced under hyperglycaemic conditions, thereby, seemingly protects the pancreatic b-cells against loss in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

Protective Effect of Aqueous Extract of Embelia ribes Burm Fruits in Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion-Induced Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Rats

Objective: The present study was carried out to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of the aqueous extract of Embelia ribes , in focal ischemic brain. Materials and Methods: Adult male Wistar albino rats were fed with the aqueous extract of Embelia ribes (100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) for 30 days. After 30 days of feeding, all the animals were anaesthetized with chloral hydrate (400 mg/kg, i.p.). The right middle cerebral artery was occluded with a 4-0 suture for 2 h. The suture was removed after 2 h, to allow reperfusion injury. The animals were used for grip strength measurement, biochemical estimation in serum and brain tissue (hippocampus and frontal cortex) and cerebral infarct size measurement. Results: In the ischemic group, a significant (P < 0.01) alteration in the markers of oxidative damage (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS); reduced glutathione (GSH); glutathione peroxidase (GPx); glutathione reductase (GR); and, glutathione-S-transferase (GST)) was observed in the hippocampus and frontal cortex, as compared to sham operated rats. We observed that the animals treated with the aqueous extract of Embelia ribes had a significant (P < 0.01) increase in the poststroke grip strength activity. Further, supplementation with aqueous extract of Embelia ribes reversed the levels/activities of the above mentioned biochemical parameters significantly (P< 0.01) and also resulted in decreased cerebral infarct area, as compared to the ischemic group. Conclusion: The results of our study, for the first time, provide clear evidence that aqueous extract of Embelia ribes pretreatment ameliorates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and enhances the antioxidant defense against middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced cerebral infarction in rats; it exhibits neuroprotective property

Protective effect of aqueous extract of Embelia ribes Burm fruits in middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced focal cerebral ischemia in rats

Objective: The present study was carried out to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of the aqueous extract of Embelia ribes , in focal ischemic brain. Materials and Methods: Adult male Wistar albino rats were fed with the aqueous extract of Embelia ribes (100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) for 30 days. After 30 days of feeding, all the animals were anaesthetized with chloral hydrate (400 mg/kg, i.p.). The right middle cerebral artery was occluded with a 4-0 suture for 2 h. The suture was removed after 2 h, to allow reperfusion injury. The animals were used for grip strength measurement, biochemical estimation in serum and brain tissue (hippocampus and frontal cortex) and cerebral infarct size measurement. Results: In the ischemic group, a significant (P < 0.01) alteration in the markers of oxidative damage (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS); reduced glutathione (GSH); glutathione peroxidase (GPx); glutathione reductase (GR); and, glutathione-S-transferase (GST)) was observed in the hippocampus and frontal cortex, as compared to sham operated rats. We observed that the animals treated with the aqueous extract of Embelia ribes had a significant (P < 0.01) increase in the poststroke grip strength activity. Further, supplementation with aqueous extract of Embelia ribes reversed the levels/activities of the above mentioned biochemical parameters significantly (P< 0.01) and also resulted in decreased cerebral infarct area, as compared to the ischemic group. Conclusion: The results of our study, for the first time, provide clear evidence that aqueous extract of Embelia ribes pretreatment ameliorates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and enhances the antioxidant defense against middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced cerebral infarction in rats; it exhibits neuroprotective property

Modulatory effect of curcumin on methionine- induced hyperlipidemia and hyperhomocysteinemia in albino rats

534-540 The present study was designed to investigate the antioxidant effect of curcumin on methionine- induced hyperlipidemia and hyperhomocysteinemia in Wistar rats (200-250 g) of either sex. The vehicle control rats were treated with 1% Tween 80 in normal saline (2 ml/kg, po) for 30 days. Hyperlipidemia and hyperhomocysteinemia was induced by methionine administration (1 g/kg, po) for 30 days. A significant increase in total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and homocysteine levels in serum and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels in heart homogenates were observed with a concomitant decrease in serum high density lipoprotein (HDL-C) levels in pathogenic control (i.e. group II) rats, as compared to vehicle control (i.e. group I) rats. Further, curcumin (200 mg/kg, p.o.) treatment in methionine treated rats for 30 days significantly decreased the total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C and homocysteine levels in serum and TBARS levels in heart homogenates and increased serum HDL-C levels, as compared to pathogenic control (i.e. group II) rats. The results of biochemical observations were supplemented by histopathological examination of rat’s aortic section. The results of test drug were comparable to that obtained with folic acid (100 mg/kg, p.o.). The results suggest that curcumin has significant antihyperlipidemic and antihyperhomocysteinemic effect against methionine- induced hyperlipidemia and hyperhomocysteinemia in rats. </smarttagtype

Cardioprotective effect of aqueous extract of <i style="">Embelia ribes</i> Burm fruits against isoproterenol- induced myocardial infarction in albino rats

35-40In the present study, cardioprotective effect of aqueous extract of fruits of Embelia ribes Burm (ER) was evaluated in a rat model having acute myocardial infarction, induced by isoproterenol (5.25 and 8.5 mg/kg, sc, for two consecutive days). Aqueous ER extract (100 mg/kg) pretreatment orally for 40 days in isoproterenol (ISO)- treated rats significantly decreased the heart rate, systolic blood pressure, increased levels of serum lactate dehydrogenase, serum creatine kinase and myocardial lipid peroxides and significantly increased the myocardial endogenous antioxidants (glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase) levels. The results of biochemical observations in serum and heart tissues were supplemented by histopathological examination of rat’s heart sections to confirm the myocardial injury. The results were comparable to that of gliclazide treated group. The present results provide evidence for the first time, that aqueous ER extract pretreatment ameliorated myocardial injury and enhanced the antioxidant defense against ISO- induced myocardial infarction in rats and exhibited cardioprotective property

Ethanolic <i style="">Zingiber officinale</i> R. extract pretreatment alleviates isoproterenol-induced oxidative myocardial necrosis in rats

892-897Ethanolic Z. officinale (ZO) extract (200 mg/kg) pretreatment for 20 days in isoproterenol (ISO)-treated rats significantly increased the levels of endogenous myocardial antioxidants (catalase, superoxide dismutase and tissue glutathione), decreased the levels of serum marker enzymes (lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase) and increased myocardial lipid peroxides. Histological examination of rat’s heart section confirmed myocardial injury with ISO administration and near normal pattern with ethanolic ZO extract pretreatment. The results of the present study, for the first time, provide clear evidence that the ethanolic ZO extract pretreatment enhances the antioxidant defense against ISO-induced oxidative myocardial injury in rats and exhibit cardioprotective property