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Context: Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunal (Solanaceae), a clinically used herbal drug in Ayurveda, shows potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic, and cardioprotective effects. However, the efficacy of W. somnifera in pulmonary hypertension (PH), a cardiopulmonary disorder, remains unexplored. Objective: The present study investigates the effect of W. somnifera root powder on monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PH in rats. Materials and methods: In preventive studies, W. somnifera root powder (50 and 100 mg/kg/d, p.o.) was administered from day 1 following single administration of MCT (60 mg/kg, s.c.) in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. After 35 d, right ventricular pressure (RVP) was measured in anesthetized rats. Various physical markers of right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) were measured in isolated hearts. Markers of endothelial function, inflammation, and oxidative stress were estimated in lung homogenate. Vasoreactivity of pulmonary arteries was also studied. In therapeutic treatment, W. somnifera (50 and 100 mg/kg/d, p.o.) was administered from day 21 to 35 post-MCT administration. Results: Preventive treatment with 50 and 100 mg/kg W. somnifera significantly reduced the RVP (32.18 ± 1.273 mm Hg and 29.98 ± 1.119 mm Hg, respectively, versus 42.96 ± 1.789 mm Hg of MCT) and all markers of RVH in MCT-challenged rats. There was an improvement in inflammation, oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction, and attenuation of proliferative marker and apoptotic resistance in lungs. Therapeutic treatment with W. somnifera (100 mg/kg) also reduced RVP and RVH. Discussion: This study demonstrated that W. somnifera significantly protected against MCTinduced PH due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic, and cardioprotective properties.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of standardized extract of Bacopa monnieri (memory enhancer) and Melatonin (an antioxidant) on nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway in Okadaic acid induced memory impaired rats. OKA (200 ng) was administered intracerebroventricularly (ICV) to induce memory impairment in rats. Bacopa monnieri (BM-40 and 80 mg/kg) and Melatonin (20 mg/kg) were administered 1 hr before OKA injection and continued daily up to day 13. Memory functions were assessed by Morris water maze test on days 13–15. Rats were sacrificed for biochemical estimations of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, apoptosis, and molecular studies of Nrf2, HO1, and GCLC expressions in cerebral cortex and hippocampus brain regions. OKA caused a significant memory deficit with oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and neuronal loss which was concomitant with attenuated expression of Nrf2, HO1, and GCLC. Treatment with BM and Melatonin significantly improved memory dysfunction in OKA rats as shown by decreased latency time and path length. The treatments also restored Nrf2, HO1, and GCLC expressions and decreased oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and neuronal loss. Thus strengthening the endogenous defense through Nrf2 modulation plays a key role in the protective effect of BM and Melatonin in OKA induced memory impairment in rats.

Metformin (MTF) improves hyperglycemia primarily by suppressing glucose production by the liver. The objective of our investigation was to evaluate nanoemulsion as a promising carrier for MTF for sustained hypoglycemic effect. The drug was incorporated into oil phase of nanoemulsion, which finally improved biopharmaceutical properties achieved when compared with lipid based systems. Pseudo ternary phase diagrams were prepared by aqueous titration method. Formulations were selected at a difference of 5% v/v of oil from the o/w nanoemulsion region of phase diagrams, and then thermodynamic stability and dispersibility tests were performed. The composition of optimized formulation was hydrogenated castor oil (5% v/v), 30% v/v of surfactant (tween 80), co-surfactant (transcutol) and distilled water (65% v/v) as an aqueous phase. The preparation showed maximum drug release (98.70%), optimal globule size (92.25 nm), lowest polydispersity value (0.172), lesser viscosity (22.124 cps) and infinite dilution capability. The antidiabetic activity of optimized MTF nanoemulsion formulation evaluated by blood glucose estimation showed significant hypoglycemic effect which was comparable to that observed with conventional marketed formulation in experimental diabetic rats. Optimized formulation was subjected to stability studies at different temperature and relative humidity and was found to be stable. No significant variations were observed in the formulation over a period of 3 months at accelerated storage conditions.

BackgroundErythrina indica Lam. traditionally used in the treatment of laxative, diuretic, worm infestation, liver ailment and joints pain.ObjectiveTo evaluate the antihepatotoxic potential of Erythrina indica against isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RIF) induced hepatotoxicity in rats.Methods and materialLiver toxicity was induced by antitubercular drugs (INH+ RIF) at dose level of 50 mg/kg each, p.o for 28 days. 50% methanolic extract of Erythrina indica (100 and 200 mg/kg) were administered orally once daily for 28 days. The hepatoprotective activity was assessed using various biochemical parameters SGOT, SGPT, ALP, bilirubin, total protein, albumin and LDH. Meanwhile, in vivo antioxidant activities as SOD, CAT, GSH and, LPO were measured in liver homogenate also histological examinations were carried out to assess hepatoprotective activity.Statistical analysis usedThe values were subjected to one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey multiple compare test. Results were considered statistically significant when P < 0.05.ResultsObtained results demonstrated that the treatment with Erythrina indica (E. indica) significantly prevented drug induced increase in serum levels of hepatic enzymes. Furthermore, Erythrina indica significantly reduced the lipid peroxidation (P < 0.01 tp P < 0.001) in the liver tissue and restored activities of defense antioxidant enzymes GSH (2.15 ± 0.08 to 2.48 ± 0.99; P < 0.05), SOD (2.69 ± 0.752 to 3.712 ± 0.056; P < 0.05 to P < 0.01) and CAT (10.20 ± 0.58 to 12.59 ± 0.42; P < 0.05 to P < 0.001) towards normal. Histopathology of liver tissue showed that Erythrina indica attenuated the hepatocellular necrosis, regeneration and repair of cells toward normal.ConclusionThe results of this study strongly indicate the protective effect of Erythrina indica against liver injury which may be attributed to its hepatoprotective activity, and there by scientifically support its traditional use.

These finding powerfully supports that F. indica exert chemopreventive effect by suppressing the tumor burden and restoring the activities of hepatic cancer marker enzymes on NDEA and CCl(4)-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in Wistar rats.

Repaglinide (RPG) is a fast-acting prandial glucose regulator. It acts by stimulating insulin release from pancreatic b-cells. Recurrent dosing of RPG before each meal is burdensome remedy. Hence the plan of the present study was to evaluate nanoemulsion as a hopeful carrier for RPG for persistent hypoglycemic effect. The drug was incorporated into oil phase of nanoemulsion to give improved biopharmaceutical properties as compared to the lipid-based systems. Pseudo ternary phase diagrams were prepared by aqueous titration method. Formulations were selected at a difference of 5% w/w of oil from the o/w nanoemulsion region of phase diagrams. The optimized nanoemulsion formulation constituted sefsol-218 (5% v/v) as an oil phase, 30% v/v of Tween-80 and transcutol as a surfactant and co-surfactant to restrain nanodroplet size and low viscosity and distilled water (65%). In vitro dissolution studies showed higher drug release (98.22%), finest droplet size (76.23 nm), slightest polydispersity value (0.183), least viscosity (21.45 cps) and immeasurable dilution capability from the nanoemulsion as compared with existing oral tablet formulation. The optimized RPG nanoemulsion formulation showed better hypoglycemic effect in comparison to tablet formulation in experimental diabetic rats. No significant variations were also observed in the optimized formulation when subjected to accelerated stability study at different temperature and relative humidity over a period of 3 months.

Prostate cancer is the second most common malignancy in the human reproductive system. Eupalitin is one of the O-methylated flavonol-exhibited enhanced cancer chemopreventive agents. The current study highlights the structural determination of eupalitin and aims to explore the antitumor activity of eupalitin in human prostate cancer cell (PC3) and its underlying mechanism. Eupalitin structure was determined by using FTIR, (1)H NMR, and (13)C NMR. PC3 cells were treated with increasing concentrations of eupalitin, followed by analysis of the cell viability with an MTT assay. The results demonstrated that eupalitin markedly inhibited the proliferation of PC3 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The results from fluorescent microscopic analysis of nuclear condensation and intracellular ROS generation determined that eupalitin significantly induced ROS level lead to nuclear apoptosis. Cell cycle analysis revealed that eupalitin-induced cell cycle progression as a percentage of cells in G0/G1 phase decreased whereas S phase increased. Caspase-3 immunofluorescence analysis confirms the efficacy of eupalitin-inducing apoptotic pathway and cell death. Thus, our study is helpful in understanding the mechanism underlying these effects in prostate cancer and it may provide novel molecular targets for prostate cancer therapy.