The present study examines the antioxidative, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic activities of Artocarpus heterophyllus (jack fruit) leaf extracts (JFEs). The 70% ethanol (JFEE), n-butanol (JFBE), water (JFWE), chloroform (JFCE), and ethyl acetate (JFEAE) extracts were obtained. Both JFEE and JFBE markedly scavenge diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical and chelate Fe+2in vitro. A compound was isolated from JFBE and identified using 1D and 2D 1H- and 13C-NMR. The administration of JFEE or JFBE to streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats significantly reduced fasting blood glucose (FBG) from 200 to 56 and 79 mg%, respectively; elevated insulin from 10.8 to 19.5 and 15.1 μU/ml, respectively; decreased lipid peroxides from 7.3 to 5.4 and 5.91 nmol/ml, respectively; decreased %glycosylated hemoglobin A1C (%HbA1C) from 6.8 to 4.5 and 5.0%, respectively; and increased total protein content from 2.5 to 6.3 and 5.7 mg%, respectively. Triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), VLDL-C, and LDL/HDL ratio significantly declined by -37, -19, -23, -37, and -39%, respectively, in the case of JFEE; and by -31, -14, -17, -31, and -25%, respectively, in the case of JFBE; as compared to diabetic rats. HDL-C increased by +37% (JFEE) and by +11% (JFBE). Both JFEE and JFBE have shown appreciable results in decreasing FBG, lipid peroxides, %HbA1C, TC, LDL-C, and TG levels, and increasing insulin, HDL-C, and protein content. The spectrometric analysis confirmed that the flavonoid isolated from JFBE was isoquercitrin. We can conclude from this study that JFEE and JFBE exert hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects in STZ-diabetic rats through an antioxidative pathway that might be referred to their flavonoid contents.

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SummarySchistosomiasis remains to be the most common fi brotic disease resulting from infl ammation and deposition of scar tissue around trapped parasitic eggs in the liver. Though chemotherapy eradicates matured worms effi ciently and prevents the accumulation of schistosome eggs, fewer effective drugs are directed to reverse the present hepatic fi brosis. Therefore, treatment targeting hepatic fi brosis associated with schistosomiasis remains a challenging proposition. The present study was designed to investigate the potential complementary schistosomicidal and hepatoprotective activities of the methanol extract of Capparis spinosa L. (C. spinosa) with or without praziquantel (PZQ) and compare results with silymarin (Milk thistle), a known hepatoprotective and antifi brotic agent, on induced liver fi brosis by experimental Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) infection. Total polyphenols in the extract were determined using colorimetric assay. C. spinosa L. caused a partial decrease in worm burden; a statistically signifi cant reduction in hepatic and intestinal tissue egg load, what was associated histopathologically with decreasing in both the number and diameter of granulomas, as well as restoring serum aminotransferases (AST & ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and improving liver albumin synthesis. The best results were obtained in the group of mice treated with C. spinosa L. and PZQ together. Quantitative estimation of total polyphenols content using colorimetric assay showed that C. spinosa L. leaves contain higher concentration of polyphenolic compounds than fruits. It was concluded that C. spinosa L. has a promising hepatoprotective and antifi brotic properties and could be introduced as a safe and effective therapeutic tool with PZQ in the treatment of schistosomal liver fi brosis. Nevertheless further studies on the mechanism of action of C. spinosa L. in chronic liver diseases may shed light on developing therapeutic methods in clinical practice.

The present study was carried out to investigate the phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of two Terminalia species (T. muelleri and T. myriocarpa). Antioxidant activity of the two Terminalia extracts was evaluated in vitro using DPPH, FRAP, and total phenolic content using rutin, iron sulfate, and gallic acid as reference materials. Polyphenol compounds of the two Terminalia leaves were investigated using HPLC and HPLC-MS/MS. It was shown that the two species leaves exhibited high antioxidant activity. The polyphenols content of T. muelleri and T. myriocapa are 0.19 and 0.155 mg equivalent of gallic acid/mg crude extract respectively. HPLC analysis of the two extracts revealed that the phenolic acids in T. muelleri and T. myriocarpa are predominantly in the free form. The main compounds are cinnamic acid and gallic acid in all analytical fractions of both Terminalia species. LCMS/MS analysis of the ethyl acetate extracts of the two species identified the following flavonoid compounds such as rutin, quercetin, methyl gallate, and cafoylacetylhexoside in T. muelleri while rutin, quercetin, epigallocatechin gallate, and myricetin were identified in T. myriocarpa. The antioxidant activity observed by the examined extracts may be attributed to the high amount of polyphenols. These results support the medicinal and pharmaceutical importance of Terminalia species.

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