In the present study antioxidant activities by (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical inhibition, hemolysis by hydrogen peroxide assay, reducing power and total antioxidant activities of polyphenolic extract of Ichnocarpus frutescens leaves were investigated. The flavonoids and total polyphenolic contents of the extract were also determined using standard methods. Phytochemical analyses revealed the presence of flavonoids, polyphenols, anthocyanins and simple phenolic acids. The results of antioxidant activities of polyphenol extract obtained by different in vitro methods were varied depending on the method used. Nevertheless, polyphenol extract showed significant inhibitory activities in all in vitro reactive oxygen species scavenging, might be attributed due to the high level of polyphenolic compound. Also, these various antioxidant activities were compared to α-tocopherol and l-ascorbic acid as reference antioxidant compounds. These findings provide evidence that the polyphenolic extract of I. frutescens is a natural source of antioxidant against oxidative damage.
A Phase 2 clinical trial with Black Cohosh and Red Clover was conceived in 2000 within our UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplement Research on Womenʼs Health. Prior to implementing the trial, a Phase 1 study was required and approval from FDA that an IND application was not required since the end point being measured was reduction in hot flashes in menopausal women. Menopause, for purposes of FDA is not considered a disease. The study was delayed for more than a year in order to prepare a botanically authenticated and chemically and biologically standardized extract. It was ascertained that the biological endpoint for purposes of the study would be interaction with certain serotonin receptors, in vitro. The study preparations had to be formulated and were subjected to accelerated stability studies. During the recruitment of suitable subjects the results of the WHI (Womenʼs Health Initiative) caused difficulty in the ability to recruit suitable women since the study had four arms, i.e. Black Cohosh, Red Clover, Placebo and Prempro and many women were reluctant to enter the trial if there was a possibility that there would be taking Prempro. Because of this, only 88 subjects were recruited of the 128 initially planned. However, the study was powered sufficiently if the dropout rate was less than 15 %. In the final analysis, Red Clover was shown to positively affect cognition but neither test preparation reduced hot flashes. A discussion of these results will be presented.
Diabetic nephropathy is one of the major complications of diabetes. Oxidative stress is implicated as an important mechanism by which diabetes causes nephropathy. The aim of the study was to examine the involvement of oxidative stress in the progression of nephropathy in STZ diabetic animals and to evaluate the potential of polyphenolic extract (PPE) in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. In this study, we examined whether prolonged oral administration of polyphenolic extract of Ichnocarpus frutescens could prevent the progress or improve the outcome of diabetic nephropathy induced by oxidative stress in STZ diabetic rats. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) revealed a significant decrease in blood glucose levels at 180 min after glucose loading in Wistar albino rats fed with PPE. During the eight weeks of experimental period, diabetic rats exhibited wide range of symptoms, including loss of body weight, hyperglycemia, polyuria, proteinuria, renal enlargement, and total renal dysfunction. A significant increase in TBARS level was observed in diabetic kidney, which was accompanied by a significant decrease in enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant levels. After eight weeks, PPE-treated groups showed a lower level of blood glucose compared with non-treated STZ diabetic rats. The increases in urinary albumin and protein after eight weeks of treatment were significantly inhibited by prolonged treatment with PPE. In addition, PPE attenuates the adverse effects on hepatic biomarkers. We found that PPE can effectively protect against aldose reductase activity and protein damage (albumin glycation), and showed that its action was mainly due to enriched polyphenolic content. Our results also showed that treatment with PPE normalized the increase in hyperalgesia (i.e., the response to thermal stimuli) associated with the induction of diabetes by STZ. PPE administration in diabetic rats clearly ameliorated diabetic complications, suggesting not only a natural antioxidant but also supportive therapy for the treatment of type II diabetes.
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