Acute toxicity profiling of the ethyl acetate fraction of Swietenia macrophylla seeds and in-vitro neuroprotection studies

Swietenia macrophylla (SM) is a medicinally important plant found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The ethyl acetate fraction of the seeds of S. macrophylla (SMEAF) is reported to exhibit potent anticancer, antitumor, anti-inflammatory and antifeedant activities. Till date, there have been no studies reported on the acute oral toxicity profile of the ethyl acetate fraction of the seeds of SM. The objective of the present study was to determine the acute toxicity of SMEAF and evaluate the in-vitro neuroprotective activity of SMEAF using primary neuronal cell cultures. In acute oral toxicity study, the SMEAF did not produce any lethal signs of morbidity and mortality. Histo-pathological findings, support the safety of SMEAF, as there were no significant changes observed in any of the parameters studied. Based on the results obtained in MTT assay, we infer that SMEAF has a significant neuroprotective effect, as it increased the cell viability and exhibited protection to the neuronal cells against TBHP induced oxidative stress. Thus, SMEAF can be suggested for use in the development of herbal drug formulations with neuroprotective potential

Characterization of antiepileptic and anxiolytic activities of ethyl acetate fraction from Swietenia macrophylla king seeds

Epilepsy is a serious brain disorder with approximately 2.4 million new cases each year globally, from which 80% of them are in the developing world. In addition, anxiety and depression are frequent co-morbid conditions associated with epilepsy patients, usually unrecognized and untreated in the majority of epilepsy sufferers. Thus, developing a new agent from a plant source which may be useful in the treatment of epilepsy, along with anxiety and depression is a worthwhile approach. A number of plants used in traditional medicine systems have been found to possess antiepileptic activity. Swietenia macrophylla is an important medicinal plant, has been reported for various activities, including antioxidant and antinociceptive activities. The main objective of this study was to characterize the potential neuropharmacological activity of ethyl acetate fraction of Swietenia macrophylla seeds (SMEAF) in experimental animal models. The in vitro assay was carried out to determine the neuroprotective properties using primary neuronal cells and cell viability was assessed using MTT assay. The results of assay suggested the ability of SMEAF in protecting primary neuronal cells against tert-Butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) induced oxidative stress. An acute oral toxicity study was conducted in which the SMEAF was found to be safe up to the dose of 2000 mg/kg. Antiepileptic activity of SMEAF was evaluated in Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) and Picrotoxin (PCT)- induced convulsion models in which important brain neurotransmitter, gammaaminobutyric acid (GABA) levels was then estimated. SMEAF was found to have significant (p≤0.05, one-way ANOVA) anticonvulsant activity and exerted its property through multiple mechanisms, indicating its anticonvulsant property through GABA receptor and also by modulating the brain monoamine levels. Furthermore, the expression of selected epilepsy associated genes in the mouse brain was investigated, where it suppressed the mRNA expression levels of selected genes after PTZ treatment. Lastly, the effect of SMEAF on electroencephalogram (EEG) activity was determined, in which it corrected PTZ induced EEG disturbances. The antiepileptic activity may be due to limonoids and flavonoids which have also been reported to have various pharmacological activities in the central nervous system. The anxiolytic activity of SMEAF was evaluated in open field test and elevated plus maze. SMEAF showed significant (p≤0.05, one-way ANOVA) anxiolytic activity in both tests. As SMEAF was shown to modulate the levels of GABA, this action might be contributing to the anxiolytic potential of SMEAF. The antidepressant activity was evaluated using tail suspension test, but showed no significant effect in animals treated with SMEAF as compared with the control group. Taken together, it is concluded that SMEAF may be developed as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of epilepsy along with anxiety

Formulation, development & evaluation of antihypertensive microsphere ionotropic gelatin method

Captopril is an ACE inhibitor that is used for the treatment of high blood pressure. The reason of this examine became to encapsulate the drug in unique polymer having mucoadhesive belongings and hence combining the benefits of microparticulates with mucoadhesive drug transport device. The microcapsules with a coat which include alginate and a mucoadhesive polymer including sodium carboxymethylcellulose (SCMC), methylcellulose, Carbopol 934P and hydroxyl propylmethylceullulose (HPMC) E15V have been organized through ionotropic gelation method, in which gelation became finished with oppositely charged counter ions to shape microparticles. The organized microcapsules have been subjected for diverse evaluations. The ensuing microparticles had been discrete, large, round and loose–flowing. Captopril release from those microcapsules became gradual and prolonged over longer duration of time. Drug launch for a few formula became diffusion controlled and others exhibited anomalous behavior. The organized microcapsules exhibited correct mucoadhesive belongings in the in vitro wash–off test. Among all formulations, batch containing sodium alginate and carbopol 934 confirmed better encapsulation efficiencies, correct float belongings and most prolongation of drug launch and correct mucoadhesion residences drug release and excellent mucoadhesion residences.&nbsp