In-vitro antioxidant and in-vivo anti-inflammatory activities of aerial parts of Cassia species

AbstractCassia species are native to Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa and are commonly used as food and in a broad variety of medicinal applications. Cassia species are widely used in India, but there are few reports in the literature of studies on its chemical compositions and biological properties. In this study, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of two plants of Cassia species namely Cassia siamea (Lam.) and Cassia javanica (Linn.) were evaluated and the total phenolic compounds and flavonoid contents were determined.The antioxidant activity of the extracts was measured using scavenging of 2,2′-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH), bleaching of β-carotene and % inhibition of H2O2. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using carrageenan induced paw edema method on Wistar albino rats. The etahnolic extracts of aerial parts of C. siamea and C. javanica were evaluated for in vivo anti-inflammatory activity against the animal model of female Wistar albino rats. Ethanol extracts showed significant and dose-dependent anti-inflammatory effects. The contents of flavonoids and total phenolic compounds could be correlated with the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities observed for C. siamea and C. javanica. Our findings suggest that aerial parts of C. siamea and C. javanica contain potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, which could be tested as drug candidates against oxidative and inflammation-related pathological processes in medicinal chemistry studies

Effectiveness of neuraminidase inhibitors in reducing mortality in patients admitted to hospital with influenza A H1N1pdm09 virus infection: a meta-analysis of individual participant data.

BACKGROUND: Neuraminidase inhibitors were widely used during the 2009-10 influenza A H1N1 pandemic, but evidence for their effectiveness in reducing mortality is uncertain. We did a meta-analysis of individual participant data to investigate the association between use of neuraminidase inhibitors and mortality in patients admitted to hospital with pandemic influenza A H1N1pdm09 virus infection. METHODS: We assembled data for patients (all ages) admitted to hospital worldwide with laboratory confirmed or clinically diagnosed pandemic influenza A H1N1pdm09 virus infection. We identified potential data contributors from an earlier systematic review of reported studies addressing the same research question. In our systematic review, eligible studies were done between March 1, 2009 (Mexico), or April 1, 2009 (rest of the world), until the WHO declaration of the end of the pandemic (Aug 10, 2010); however, we continued to receive data up to March 14, 2011, from ongoing studies. We did a meta-analysis of individual participant data to assess the association between neuraminidase inhibitor treatment and mortality (primary outcome), adjusting for both treatment propensity and potential confounders, using generalised linear mixed modelling. We assessed the association with time to treatment using time-dependent Cox regression shared frailty modelling. FINDINGS: We included data for 29,234 patients from 78 studies of patients admitted to hospital between Jan 2, 2009, and March 14, 2011. Compared with no treatment, neuraminidase inhibitor treatment (irrespective of timing) was associated with a reduction in mortality risk (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0·81; 95% CI 0·70-0·93; p=0·0024). Compared with later treatment, early treatment (within 2 days of symptom onset) was associated with a reduction in mortality risk (adjusted OR 0·48; 95% CI 0·41-0·56; p<0·0001). Early treatment versus no treatment was also associated with a reduction in mortality (adjusted OR 0·50; 95% CI 0·37-0·67; p<0·0001). These associations with reduced mortality risk were less pronounced and not significant in children. There was an increase in the mortality hazard rate with each day's delay in initiation of treatment up to day 5 as compared with treatment initiated within 2 days of symptom onset (adjusted hazard ratio [HR 1·23] [95% CI 1·18-1·28]; p<0·0001 for the increasing HR with each day's delay). INTERPRETATION: We advocate early instigation of neuraminidase inhibitor treatment in adults admitted to hospital with suspected or proven influenza infection. FUNDING: F Hoffmann-La Roche