Antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects of Solanum nigrum aqueous extract in animal models

The present study was carried out to evaluate the antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects of the aqueous extract of Solanum nigrum leaves using various animal models. The extract, at concentrations of 10, 50 and 100%, was prepared by soaking (1:20; w/v) air-dried powdered leaves (20 g) in distilled water (dH2O) for 72 h. The extract solutions were administered subcutaneously in mice/rats 30 min prior to the tests. The extract exhibited significant (P < 0.05) antinociceptive activity when assessed using the abdominal constriction, hot plate and formalin tests. The extract also produced significant (P < 0.05) anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities when assessed using the carrageenan-induced paw edema and brewer's yeast-induced pyrexia tests, respectively. Overall, these activities occurred in a concentration-dependent manner, except for the 50% concentration of the extract, which was not effective in the abdominal constriction test. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that S. nigrum leaves possessed antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects and thus supported traditional claims of its medicinal uses

Antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects of Solanum nigrum chloroform extract in animal models

AIM: The present study was carried out to evaluate the antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects of chloroform extract of Solanum nigrum leaves using various animal models. METHODS: The extract was prepared by soaking (1:20; w/v) the air-dried powdered leaves (20 g) in chloroform for 72 hrs followed by evaporation (40°C) under reduced pressure to dryness (1.26 g) and then dissolved (1:50; w/v) in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The supernatant, considered as the stock solution with dose of 200 mg/kg, was diluted using DMSO to 20 and 100 mg/kg, and all doses were administered (s.c.; 10 ml/kg) in mice/rats 30 min prior to tests. RESULTS: The extract exhibited significant (p<0.05) antinociceptive activity when assessed using the abdominal constriction, hot plate and formalin tests. The extract also produced significant (p<0.05) anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities when assessed using the carrageenan-induced paw edema and brewer's yeast-induced pyrexia tests. Overall, the activities occurred in a dose-independent manner. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that the lipid-soluble extract of S. nigrum leaves possessed antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and anti-pyretic properties and confirmed the traditional claims

In vivo carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatoprotective and in vitro cytotoxic activities of Garcinia hombroniana (seashore mangosteen)

Background: Garcinia hombroniana, known as "manggis hutan" (jungle mangosteen) in Malaysia, is distributed in tropical Asia, Borneo, Thailand, Andaman, Nicobar Islands, Vietnam and India. In Malaysia, its ripened crimson sour fruit rind is used as a seasoning agent in curries and culinary dishes. Its roots and leaves decoction is used against skin infections and after child birth. This study aimed to evaluate in vivo hepatoprotective and in vitro cytotoxic activities of 20% methanolic ethyl acetate (MEA) G. hombroniana bark extract. Materials and methods: In hepatoprotective activity, liver damage was induced by treating rats with 1.0 mL carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)/kg and MEA extract was administered at a dose of 50, 250 and 500 mg/kg 24 h before intoxication with CCl4. Cytotoxicity study was performed on MCF-7 (human breast cancer), DBTRG (human glioblastoma), PC-3 (human prostate cancer) and U2OS (human osteosarcoma) cell lines. 1H, 13C-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), and IR (infrared) spectral analyses were also conducted for MEA extract. Results: In hepatoprotective activity evaluation, MEA extract at a higher dose level of 500 mg/kg showed significant (p<0.05) potency. In cytotoxicity study, MEA extract was more toxic towards MCF-7 and DBTRG cell lines causing 78.7% and 64.3% cell death, respectively. MEA extract in 1H, 13C-NMR, and IR spectra exhibited bands, signals and J (coupling constant) values representing aromatic/phenolic constituents. Conclusions: From the results, it could be concluded that MEA extract has potency to inhibit hepatotoxicity and MCF-7 and DBTRG cancer cell lines which might be due to the phenolic compounds depicted from NMR and IR spectra

Phytochemical Analysis and Toxicity Assessment of Bouea Macrophylla Yoghurt

The Bouea macrophylla fruit is native to Malaysia and is known for its many beneficial effects on one’s health. Probiotics are well-known for their roles as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumour properties due to their widespread use. As a result, the purpose of this study was to incorporate the ethanolic extract of Bouea macrophylla into yoghurt and then assess the rodents for any toxicological effects. According to the findings of the nutritional analysis, each 100 mL serving of the newly formulated yoghurt contains 3.29 g of fat, 5.79 g of carbohydrates, 2.92 g of total protein, and 2.72 g of sugar. The ability of the newly developed yoghurt to stimulate the growth of Lactobacilli was demonstrated by the fact that the peak intensity of Lactobacillus species was measured at 1.2 × 106 CFU/g while the titratable acidity of the lactic acid was measured at 0.599 CFU/g. In order to carry out the toxicological evaluation, forty-eight male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were utilized. Oral administration of single doses of 2000 mg/kg over the course of 14 days was used for the study of acute toxicity. Subacute toxicity was studied by giving animals Bouea macrophylla yoghurt (BMY) at repeated doses of 50, 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg/day over a period of 28 days, while the control group was given normal saline. The results of the acute toxicity test revealed that rats treated with increasing doses up to a maximum of 2000 mg/kg exhibited no signs of toxicity. After an additional 14 days without treatment, acute toxicity of a single dose (2000 mg/kg) of BMY did not show any treatment-related toxicity in any of the rats that were observed. According to the data from the subacute toxicity study, there were no differences between the treated groups and the control groups in terms of food and water intake, body weight, plasma biochemistry (AST, ALT, ALP, and creatinine), haematological products, or organ weights. The architecture of the liver, heart, and kidney were all found to be normal upon histological examination. This indicates that oral consumption of BMY did not result in any negative effects being manifested in the rodents

Elateriospermum tapos Yogurt Supplement in Maternal Obese Dams during Pregnancy Modulates the Body Composition of F1 Generation

Maternal obesity is a key predictor of childhood obesity and a determining factor for a child’s body composition. Thus, any form of maternal nutrition during the gestational period plays a vital role in influencing the growth of the fetus. Elateriospermum tapos (E. tapos) yogurt has been found to comprise many bioactive compounds such as tannins, saponins, α-linolenic acid, and 5′-methoxy-bilobate with apocynoside I that could cross the placenta and exhibit an anti-obesity effect. As such, this study aimed to investigate the role of maternal E. tapos yogurt supplementation on offspring body composition. In this study, 48 female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were induced with obesity using a high-fat diet (HFD) and were allowed to breed. Upon confirmation of pregnancy, treatment was initiated with E. tapos yogurt on the obese dams up to postnatal day 21. The weaning offspring were then designated into six groups according to their dam’s group (n = 8) as follows; normal food and saline (NS), HFD and saline (HS), HFD and yogurt (HY), HFD and 5 mg/kg of E. tapos yogurt (HYT5), HFD and 50 mg/kg of E. tapos yogurt (HYT50), and HFD and 500 mg/kg of E. tapos yogurt (HYT500). The body weight of the offspring was accessed every 3 days up to PND 21. All the offspring were euthanized on PND 21 for tissue harvesting and blood sample collection. The results showed that both male and female offspring of obese dams treated with E. tapos yogurt showed growth patterns similar to NS and reduced levels of triglycerides (TG), cholesterol, LDL, non-HDL, and leptin. Liver enzymes such as ALT, ALP, AST, GGT, and globulin, and renal markers such as sodium, potassium, chloride, urea, and creatinine levels significantly reduced (p < 0.05) in the offspring of E. tapos yogurt-treated obese dams with the normal histological architecture of the liver, kidney, colon, RpWAT, and visceral tissue that is comparable to NS. In toto, E. tapos yogurt supplementation of obese dams exerted an anti-obesity effect by preventing intergenerational obesity by reversing HFD-induced damage in the fat tissue of the offspring

Analysis of expression of vitamin E-binding proteins in H2O2 induced SK-N-SH neuronal cells supplemented with α-tocopherol and tocotrienol-rich fraction.

Natural α-tocopherol (α-TCP), but not tocotrienol, is preferentially retained in the human body. α-Tocopherol transfer protein (α-TTP) is responsible for binding α-TCP for cellular uptake and has high affinity and specificity for α-TCP but not α-tocotrienol. The purpose of this study was to examine the modification of α-TTP together with other related vitamin E-binding genes (i.e., TTPA, SEC14L2, and PI-TPNA) in regulating vitamin E uptake in neuronal cells at rest and under oxidative stress. Oxidative stress was induced with H2O2 for an hour which was followed by supplementation with different ratios of α-TCP and tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) for four hours. The cellular levels of vitamin E were quantified to determine bioavailability at cellular levels. The expression levels of TTPA, SEC14L2, and PI-TPNA genes in 0% α-TCP were found to be positively correlated with the levels of vitamin E in resting neuronal cells. In addition, the regulation of all the above-mentioned genes affect the distribution of vitamin E in the neuronal cells. It was observed that, increased levels of α-TCP secretion occur under oxidative stress. Thus, our results showed that in conclusion vitamin E-binding proteins may be modified in the absence of α-TCP to produce tocotrienols (TCT), as a source of vitamin E. The current study suggests that the expression levels of vitamin E transport proteins may influence the cellular concentrations of vitamin E levels in the neuronal cells

Determination of Cover Management and Soil Loss Risk Mapping by Sub-Districts and River Catchments of Cameron Highlands Malaysia

Uncontrolled deforestation and land clearing for agricultural, urban development, and infrastructure construction without considering cover management (C&amp;P) factors have resulted in severe soil erosion over the land surface of Cameron Highlands in the state of Pahang, Malaysia. Thus, this study determines the C&amp;P factors for the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) to forecast soil loss risk. Land use and land cover recorded by PLANMalaysia and the Department of Agriculture (DOA) Malaysia have produced different C&amp;P factors in Cameron Highlands. The C&amp;P factor produced from PLANMalaysia and the DOA has values ranging between 0.01 to 1.00 and 0.30 to 0.49, respectively. Since the C&amp;P factor varies according to the data source, this study combined both data sources to capture both agricultural and urban development impacts, resulting in an acceptable C&amp;P factor. These new C&amp;P factors have improved the prediction of soil loss risk with 15.63% (10,581.86 hectares) of the Cameron Highlands area classified as having a moderate–critical soil loss risk compared to DOA 7.16% (4844.97 hectares) and PLANMalaysia’s 11.46% (7725.26 hectares). Thus, local authorities must strengthen all regulations and policies to address the predicted moderate–critical soil loss risk in Cameron Highlands, thereby preventing severe soil erosion

Determination of Cover Management and Soil Loss Risk Mapping by Sub-Districts and River Catchments of Cameron Highlands Malaysia

Uncontrolled deforestation and land clearing for agricultural, urban development, and infrastructure construction without considering cover management (C&P) factors have resulted in severe soil erosion over the land surface of Cameron Highlands in the state of Pahang, Malaysia. Thus, this study determines the C&P factors for the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) to forecast soil loss risk. Land use and land cover recorded by PLANMalaysia and the Department of Agriculture (DOA) Malaysia have produced different C&P factors in Cameron Highlands. The C&P factor produced from PLANMalaysia and the DOA has values ranging between 0.01 to 1.00 and 0.30 to 0.49, respectively. Since the C&P factor varies according to the data source, this study combined both data sources to capture both agricultural and urban development impacts, resulting in an acceptable C&P factor. These new C&P factors have improved the prediction of soil loss risk with 15.63% (10,581.86 hectares) of the Cameron Highlands area classified as having a moderate–critical soil loss risk compared to DOA 7.16% (4844.97 hectares) and PLANMalaysia’s 11.46% (7725.26 hectares). Thus, local authorities must strengthen all regulations and policies to address the predicted moderate–critical soil loss risk in Cameron Highlands, thereby preventing severe soil erosion

Determination of Cover and Land Management Factors for Soil Loss Prediction in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Many new agricultural activities resulted in severe soil erosion across the Cameron Highlands’ land surface. Therefore, this study determines the cover (C) and land management (P) factors of the USLE for predicting soil loss risk in Cameron Highlands using a Geographic Information System (GIS). For this study, data from the Department of Agriculture Malaysia (DOAM) and the Department of Town and Country Planning Malaysia (PLANMalaysia) were used to generate several C&P factors in the Cameron Highlands. Data from both agencies have resulted in C factors with 0.01 to 1.00 and P factors with 0.30 to 0.49. Due to the cover and land management factor varies depending on the data collected by the various agencies, this study used the two data sets to come up with a C&P factor that accurately reflected both agricultural and urban growth effects. RKLS factors of USLE were obtained from the DOAM with values R (2375–2875), K (0.005), LS (2.5–25), respectively. The Cameron Highlands’ soil loss risk with these new C&P values resulted in a soil loss of 6.72 per cent (4547.22 hectares) from high to critical, with a percentage difference range of −0.77 to +3.37 under both agencies, respectively