BackgroundInspite of introduction of oral hypoglycemic agents, diabetes and its related complications remains to be a major clinical problem. The aim of this study was to investigate the antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant activities of Grewia asiatica (Linn) stem bark in alloxan induced diabetic rats.MethodsDiabetes was induced by a single dose of intraperitoneal injection of alloxan (110 mg/kg) in Norwegian Long Evans rats. Ethanol extract of barks from Grewia asiatica (GAE 200 and 400 mg/kg) and metformin (150 mg/kg) were orally administered once daily for 15 days. Blood glucose levels and body weights of rats were measured on 0, 5, 10 and 15 days of oral treatment. At the end of the experiment the rats were sacrificed and blood sample were collected for the measurement of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), low density lipoproteins (LDL), high density lipoproteins (HDL), SGOT and CK-MB. Analysis of liver glycogen content and histopathlogy of pancreas were carried out. In vitro DPPH free radical scavenging activity, total phenolic and total flavonoid content of GAE were also determined.ResultsAfter 15 days of oral administration of GAE at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg increased survival rate and showed a significant attenuation in blood glucose and lipid profile in diabetic rats. Oral ingestion of GAE significantly reduced the SGOT and CK-MB levels and restored liver glycogen content when compared to diabetic control. The effects of GAE on SGOT, CK-MB and liver glycogen content were dose-dependent. The diabetic rats treated with GAE showed significant improvement in normal cellular population size of islets. Phytochemical screening of GAE revealed the presence of flavonoid, steroid, tannin and phenolic compounds. Total phenolic content was 44.65 ± 3.17 mg of gallic acid equivalent per gm of GAE extract and the total flavonoid content was 39.11 ± 4.65 mg of quercetin equivalent per gm of GAE extract. In DPPH scavenging assay, IC50 values of GAE and ascorbic acid were found 76.45 and 12.50 μg/ml, respectively.ConclusionWe demonstrated that ethanol extract of barks from G. asiatica possess glucose, lipid lowering efficacy, restored liver glycogen and protects pancreas from oxidative damage in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Thus, the results of the present study provide a scientific rationale for the use of G. asiatica in the management of diabetes and its related complications.

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus is a global health problem and constantly increasing day by day. The number of diabetic people in world is expected to rise to 366 million in 2030. The available drugs for diabetes, insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents have one or more side effects and search for new antidiabetic drugs with minimal or no side effects from medicinal plants is a challenging for us. The present study was undertaken to investigate the antidiabetic and antioxidant activity of Semecarpus anacardium (Linn.) (abbreviated as SF).MethodsThe antidiabetic activity was determined by using alloxan-induced diabetic rats. After 15 days of treatment, serum biochemical parameters such as TC, TG, LDL, HDL, SGOT and SGPT were estimated. The survival rate, body weight, organ weight, liver glycogen and blood parameters (RBC and Hb) were also measured. The antioxidant activity was measured by DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Phytochemical screening, total phenolic and total flavonoid content were determined by using standard methods.ResultsThe results showed that the survival rate was 100% in rats of Group SA 400. The effect of extract on blood glucose level in Groups SA 100, SA 200 and SA 400 were dose-dependent throughout the treatment period. No significant changes in organ weight to body weight ratio were observed, liver weights significantly improved in Groups SA 200 and SA 400. The bark extract exhibited significant (p < 0.05) anti-diabetic activity with lowering TC, TG, LDL level dose-dependently and protected liver which may be partially explained by attenuation of SGOT and SGPT levels and increases liver glycogen. The percentage of Hb and RBC counts were negatively correlated with the doses of extracts. In DPPH scavenging assay, IC50 values of SA extract and ascorbic acid were found 72.24 μg/ml and 17.81 μg/ml, respectively. Phytochemical screening showed the presence of steroids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, and tannins that were contribute to biological activity.ConclusionsThese results indicated that stem barks of S. anacardium possess strong anti-diabetic and antioxidant potentials and support traditional medicinal use for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and good source for natural antioxidants.

To improve the solubility of the drug nifedipine (NI), highly stabilized solid-lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) of nifedipine (NI-SLNs) were prepared by high pressure homogenization using two phospholipids, followed by lyophilization with individual sugar moieties (four monosaccharides and four disaccharides). The mean particle diameter, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, drug loading, and the encapsulation efficiency of the NI-SLN suspension were determined to be 68.5 nm, 0.3, 62.1 mV, 2.7%, and 97.5%, respectively. In comparison with the NI-SLNs, the NI-SLNs lyophilized with trehalose (NI-SLN-Tre) showed a slight increase in the particle size from 68.5 to 107.7 nm, but the PDI decreased from 0.38 to 0.33, and no significant change in zeta potential was observed. Aqueous re-dispersibility study demonstrated that NI-SLNs lyophilized with trehalose had the maximum concentration (14.7 µg/mL) at 5 min, compared with lyophilized SLNs using other sugars; the use of other sugars also resulted in significant changes in the particle size, PDI, and zeta potential. A trehalose concentration of 2.5% w/v and a two-fold dilution of the SLN suspension were found to be the best conditions for lyophilization. Data from lyophilized SLNs using differential scanning calorimetry, powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy indicated eventual transformation of NI-SLN-Tre from a crystalline to an amorphous state during the homogenization process. Finally, a stability study was performed with NI-SLN-Tre for up to 6 months at 30°C and 65% relative humidity, with no significant deterioration observed, suggesting that trehalose might be a useful cryoprotectant for NI-SLNs.

Objective: Irrational drug use increased the risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), the emergence of drug resistance and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The study was designed to analyse prescription patterns and antibiotic use among outpatients in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Bangladesh.Methods: This prospective survey was conducted among the out-patients in a district hospital. The prescribed drugs were classified according to Anatomical and Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system. Patient characteristics and drug data were recorded. The prescription pattern was analysed using general drug use indicators according to World Health Organisation (WHO).Results: A total of 405 prescriptions were analyzed of which 54% of child and 46% of adult prescriptions. The age and body weight of the patients were not mentioned in 30% of child and 62% of adult prescriptions and none of the prescriptions included sex of the patients. Physician's handwriting was not clear and legible in 31% prescriptions. A total 1362 drugs were used in this study with an average 3.36 drugs per prescription. However, none of the drugs was prescribed in generic name. Children were highly exposed to antibiotics (66%) than to adults (44%) of which cephalosporin's (30%) and macrolides (14%) were commonly used. Interestingly, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were also highly accounted in children (53%) than to adults (36%). Conclusion:Our results suggested that the prescription information was incomplete and physicians did not follow the standard guideline for drug treatment resulting in polypharmacy and indiscriminate use of antimicrobials irrespective to the age of patients.