In Vivo Antidiarrheal and Cytotoxic Potential of Different Fractions of Pandanus Foetidus Leaves

Abstract This study investigated the antidiarrheal and cytotoxic effects of methanol, petroleum ether, chloroform and aqueous fractions of Pandanus foetidus leaf extract. Antidiarrheal effect was measured in castor oil induced-diarrhea, -enteropooling and -gastrointestinal motility (GI) test models in albino mice. Cytotoxicity was investigated in brine shrimp lethality bioassay. All data were analyzed by the software, statistical package for social science (SPSS), Version 18.0. The extracts (200 mg/kg) showed a remarkable antidiarrheal activity by reducing the number of defecation and maintaining the consistency of feces. The petroleum ether, chloroform and aqueous fraction of the extract significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited the diarrheal incidence at the dose of 200 mg/kg. Castor oil induced enteropooling and fluid accumulation was significantly reduced by methanol and chloroform fraction, whereas gastrointestinal motility was shrunk by the aqueous fraction only. Loperamide was used as a reference drug in the above mentioned models. In cytotoxicity test, the lowest LC 50 was found to be 106.97 μg/ml by the chloroform fraction of the extract. The results demonstrated that Pandanus foetidus extract could be used as pharmaceutical preparation of antidiarrheal and cytotoxic agent obtained from appropriate solvent system

Arsenic Exposure from Drinking-water and Carotid Artery Intima-medial Thickness in Healthy Young Adults in Bangladesh

Epidemiological studies have linked high levels (>200 \u3bcg/L) of chronic exposure to arsenic in drinking-water with elevated risks of several vascular diseases. In this pilot study, the association between low-level arsenic exposure and carotid artery intimal-medial thickness (IMT) was evaluated among 66 healthy, normotensive, relatively young individuals (mean age 35 years) participating in the ongoing Health Effects of Arsenic Longitudinal Study in Bangladesh. Participants with a higher carotid IMT (>0.75 mm) in general had higher levels of past chronic exposure of arsenic than those with a lower carotid IMT ( 640.75 mm). Although the differences in average arsenic exposure between the two groups were not statistically significant, the findings suggest a possible association between low-level arsenic exposure from drinking-water and carotid atherosclerosis, warranting the need for larger studies

Natural Compounds from Hatikana Extract Potentiate Antidiabetic Actions as Displayed by In Vivo Assays and Verified by Network Pharmacological Tools

Background. Hatikana is a traditional medicinal plant used to treat inflammation, urolithiasis, goiter, cancer, wounds and sores, gastrointestinal, tumor, tetanus, arthritis, hepatic damage, neurodegeneration, and other ailments. The goal of this study is to investigate the antidiabetic properties of Hatikana extract (HKEx) and to construct the effects of its natural constituents on the genes and biochemical indices that are connected with them. Methods. HKEx was evaluated using GC-MS and undertaken for a three-week intervention in fructose-fed STZ-induced Wistar albino rats at the doses of HKEx50, HKEx100, and HKEx200 mg/kg bw. Following intervention, blood serum was examined for biochemical markers, and liver tissue was investigated for the mRNA expression of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD1) by RTPCR analysis. Most abundant compounds (oleanolic acid, 7α, 28-olean diol, and stigmasterol) from GC-MS were chosen for the network pharmacological assay to verify function-specific gene-compound interactions using STITCH, STRING, GSEA, and Cytoscape plugin cytoHubba. Results. In vivo results showed a significant (P < 0:05) decrease of blood sugar, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine kinase (CK-MB), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and increase of liver glycogen, glucose load, and serum insulin. Out of three antioxidative genes, catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD1) were found to be few folds increased. Oleanolic acid and stigmasterol were noticed to strongly interact with 27 target proteins. Oleanolic acid interacted with the proteins AKR1B10, CASP3, CASP8, CYP1A2, CYP1A2, HMGB1, NAMPT, NFE2L2, NQO1, PPARA, PTGIR, TOP1, TOP2A, UGT2B10, and UGT2B11 and stigmasterol with ABCA1, ABCG5, ABCG8, CTSE, HMGCR, IL10, CXCL8, NR1H2, NR1H3, SLCO1B1, SREBF2, and TNF. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis revealed the involvement of 25 target proteins out of twenty-seven. Cytoscape plugin cytoHubba identified TNF, CXCL8, CASP3, PPARA, SREBF2, and IL10 as top hub genes. Pathway analysis identified 31 KEGG metabolic, signaling, and immunogenic pathways associated with diabetes. Notable degree of PPI enrichment showed that SOD1 and CAT are responsible for controlling signaling networks and enriched pathways. Conclusion. The findings show that antioxidative genes have regulatory potential, allowing the HKEx to be employed as a possible antidiabetic source pending further validation

Accuracy of advanced versus strictly conventional 12-lead ECG for detection and screening of coronary artery disease, left ventricular hypertrophy and left ventricular systolic dysfunction

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Resting conventional 12-lead ECG has low sensitivity for detection of coronary artery disease (CAD) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and low positive predictive value (PPV) for prediction of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). We hypothesized that a ~5-min resting 12-lead <it>advanced </it>ECG test ("A-ECG") that combined results from both the advanced and conventional ECG could more accurately screen for these conditions than strictly conventional ECG.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Results from nearly every conventional and advanced resting ECG parameter known from the literature to have diagnostic or predictive value were first retrospectively evaluated in 418 healthy controls and 290 patients with imaging-proven CAD, LVH and/or LVSD. Each ECG parameter was examined for potential inclusion within multi-parameter A-ECG scores derived from multivariate regression models that were designed to optimally screen for disease in general or LVSD in particular. The performance of the best retrospectively-validated A-ECG scores was then compared against that of optimized pooled criteria from the strictly conventional ECG in a test set of 315 additional individuals.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Compared to optimized pooled criteria from the strictly conventional ECG, a 7-parameter A-ECG score validated in the training set increased the sensitivity of resting ECG for identifying disease in the test set from 78% (72-84%) to 92% (88-96%) (P < 0.0001) while also increasing specificity from 85% (77-91%) to 94% (88-98%) (P < 0.05). In diseased patients, another 5-parameter A-ECG score increased the PPV of ECG for LVSD from 53% (41-65%) to 92% (78-98%) (P < 0.0001) without compromising related negative predictive value.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Resting 12-lead A-ECG scoring is more accurate than strictly conventional ECG in screening for CAD, LVH and LVSD.</p

Serum iron and total iron binding capacity in severely malnourished children

Serum iron, total iron binding capacity and plasma protein of severely malnourished children of 12-59 months of age were compared with that of normal healthy children. Mean serum total protein and albumin level in normal children were 76.33 ± 0.51, 43.50 ± 0.38 gm/L respectively which was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of malnourished children (64.39 ± 0.57, 30.17 ± 0.45 gm/L). But mean serum globulin level was (34.22 ± 0.27 gm/l) higher in malnourished children than that of normal children (32.83 ± 0.53 gm/L). The mean serum iron and transferrin saturation level were (78.72 ± 11.12 µg/dL, 23.38 ± 1.97%) significantly high (p<0.001) in severely malnourished children than in normal children, whereas serum TIBC had no significant difference between these two groups.

Antihyperglycemic Effect of Trigonella Foenum-Graecum (Fenugreek) Seed Extract in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats and Its Use in Diabetes Mellitus: A Brief Qualitative Phytochemical and Acute Toxicity Test on the Extract

The effects of ethanol extract of Trigonella foenum-graecum (Fenugreek) seeds on the blood glucose levels in alloxan-induced diabetic rats at different doses (2g/kg, 1g/kg, 0.5g/kg and 0.1g/kg) were studied. The hypoglycemic effect of extract was compared with that of the standard antidiabetic drug (glimepiride, 4mg/kg) single dose. The extract showed significant activity against the diabetic state induced by alloxan but the intensity of hypoglycemic effect varied from dose to dose. The most effective dose recognized was 1g/kg but that is still lower than the standard antidiabetic drug. No acute toxicity was observed for ethanol extract of T. foenum-graecum seed when it was administered orally at high dose level (3 g/kg body weight), which is higher than effective antihyperglycemic dose, and closely observed for 24 hrs for any mortality and next 10 days for any delayed toxic effects on gross behavioral activities. Phytochemical group tests were also accomplished and presence of alkaloids, steroids and carbohydrates were recognized in the extract

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, ANALGESIC AND GC – MS ANALYSIS OF ESSENTIAL OIL OF ALPINIA CALCARATA RHIZOME

In the present study, essential oil isolated from Alpinia calcarata was analyzed and also assessed for acute toxicity, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities in animals. The essential oil isolated from Alpinia calcarata was analyzed by using GC-MS on a combined GC-MS instrument. For evaluation of the antiinflammatory property “carrageenan induced paw edema model ” served as acute model. “Acetic acid induced writhing response model ” was used to assess analgesic activity in mice. The major components of essential oils isolated from Alpinia calcarata were Camphene (3.86%), Betamyrcene(4.39%), Eucalyptol(14.05%), Linalol(2.48%), Pyrazine(1.72%), L-camphor(7.90%) and Berneol(5.67%). Intraperitoneal injection of essential oil isolated from Alpinia calcarata significantly (P&lt;0.05) suppressed the paw edema induced by carrageenan in two different dose levels studies namely 400mg/kg and 380mg/kg. Intraperitoneal injection of essential oil also significantly attenuated the acetic acid induced writhing response in three different dose levels studies namely 200 mg/kg (significant at P&lt;0.05), 400mg/kg (significant at P&lt;0.01) and 600mg/kg (significant at P&lt;0.01). These studies suggest that essential oil isolated from Alpinia calcarata might possess significant anti-inflammatory activity and analgesic effect and could be a potential source for treatment of different inflammatory diseases