Aim: The present study was designed to examine the cytotoxic effects of ethanolic leaf extract of Caralluma fimbriata in the COLO 320 cell line. Materials and Method: The anti-proliferative effects were evaluated using the MTT assay. The COLO 320 cells were treated with different concentrations of the leaf extract of Caralluma (100 -300 µg/ml) for 24 h. The cell viability and IC 50 was calculated from the cytotoxicity. The morphology of the Caralluma treated cells, control, and positive control were observed under reverse phase inverted microscope. Result: The C. fimbriata ethanolic leaf extract showed dose dependant increase in cytotoxicity in COLO 320 human colon cancer cells. The maximum cytotoxic effect was noticed with maximum dose used in this study i.e., 300 µg with an IC 50 value of 233.87 µg. Conclusion: The present study shows that the ethanolic leaf extract of Caralluma fimbriata is capable of reducing cell proliferation by inducing cytotoxicity of COLO 320 cells.

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Background:An increase in prevalence of diabetes mellitus necessitates the need to develop new drugs for its effective management. Plants and their bioactive compounds are found to be an alternative therapeutic approach. Caralluma fimbriata, used in this study, is well known for its various biological effects.Objective:The present study was designed to investigate the antihyperglycemic effect of the ethanolic leaf extract of C. fimbriata.Materials and Methods:Different concentrations (1–1000 mg/mL) of the ethanolic leaf extract of C. fimbriata were subjected to alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory assay with acarbose as control. Cytotoxicity was assessed by 3-(4,5 dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay. Glucose uptake assay was performed on L6 myotubes using the extract in 1 μg–100 μg/mL, using metformin and insulin as control.Results:The C. fimbriata extract showed potent inhibitory activity on enzymes of glucose metabolism in a dose-dependent manner. The maximum alpha-amylase inhibitory effect was 77.37% ± 3.23% at 1000 μg/mL with an IC50 value of 41.75 μg/mL and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory effect was 83.05% ± 1.69% at 1000 μg/mL with an IC50 value of 66.71 μg/mL. The maximum glucose uptake was found to be 66.32% ± 0.29% for the Caralluma extract at 100 μg/mL and that of metformin (10 μg/mL) was 74.44% ± 1.72% and insulin (10 mM) 85.55% ± 1.14%. The extract was found to be safe as the IC50 of extract and metformin was found to be ≥1000 μg/mL and ≥1000 μM, respectively, in the cell line tested.Conclusion:The study concludes that C. fimbriata has promising antihyperglycemic activity.SUMMARY Caralluma fimbriata extract exhibited effective dose dependent inhibitory activity against alpha-amylase and alpha- glucosidaseEnhanced glucose uptake from L6 myotubes was appreciated in the presence of the extract, comparable to Insulin and metforminCaralluma fimbriata has potent antihyperglycemic properties. Abbreviations used: GLUT: Glucose transporter; MTT: 3-(4,5 dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide.

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The antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of four major parts of methanolic extracts of Tephrosia purpurea including leaves, root, stem and seed were investigated and compared. In vitro antioxidant activity of T. purpurea extracts was evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), reducing power assay and antihemolytic assay. In vitro cytotoxic effect of T. purpurea extracts on SW620 colorectal cancer cell line was studied using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl -2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Folin-ciocalteu and aluminium chloride methods were used to determine the total phenolic and flavonoid contents respectively. Among the four extracts studied, leaves extract showed the highest antioxidant activity, DPPH: 186.3 ± 14.0 μg/mL, FRAP: 754.2 ± 50.9 μmol Fe(II)/mg and reducing power activity: 65.7 ± 4.2 μg/mg of quercetin equivalent (QE/mg) and there was no significant difference observed in antihemolytic activity. Leaves extract showed effective cytotoxicity on colorectal cancer cells (IC50: 95.73 ± 9.6 μg/mL) and also had the higher total phenolic (90.5 ± 6.7 μg/mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE/mg) and flavonoid content (21.8 ± 5.4 μg QE/mg). These results suggest higher antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of leaves extract in comparison with other extracts and these activities could be due to the presence of rich phenolic and flavonoid content.

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Background:The aim of the present study was to investigate the preventive effect of Costus pictus leaf extract in experimental hypothyroidism.Materials and Methods:Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups with ten rats in each group: Control (C), hypothyroid (H), control+extract (C+E), and hypothyroid+extract (H+E). Rats in C group did not receive any intervention throughout the experimental period. The rats in the C+E and H+E groups received pretreatment with C. pictus leaf extract for 4 weeks. Subsequently, for the next 6 weeks, rats in the H group received 0.05% propylthiouracil in drinking water while C+E group received C. pictus leaf extract and H+E group received propyl thiouracil and C. pictus leaf extract.Results:Hypothyroid group rats exhibited dramatic increase in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels with concomitant depletion in the levels of thyroid hormones. Treatment with the extract resulted in remarkable improvement in thyroid profile. Extract produced 10.59-fold increase in plasma free T3, 8.65-fold increase in free T4, and 3.59-fold decrease in TSH levels in H+E group in comparison with H group. Treatment with the extract ameliorated hypercholesterolemia, decreased levels of plasma C-reactive protein and tumor necrosis factor alpha, suppressed tissue oxidative stress and prevented hepatic and renal damage caused due to thyroid hormone depletion in the H+E group. Pentacyclic triterpenes alpha and beta amyrins were identified and quantified in the extract.Conclusions:This is the first study to reveal that C. pictus extract has therapeutic potential to restore thyroid hormone levels and prevent the biochemical complications due to thyroid hormone insufficiency in the animal model of experimental hypothyroidism.SUMMARY The preventive effect of Costus pictus leaf extract in experimental hypothyroidism was evaluated in the present study.Hypothyroidism was induced in the experimental animals by giving 0.05% propylthiouracil in drinking water.Hypothyroid rats exhibited dramatic increase in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels with concomitant depletion in the levels of thyroid hormones.Treatment with Costus pictus leaf extract in hypothyroid rats significantly improved the thyroid profile. It also ameliorated hypercholesterolemia, decreased the levels of plasma inflammatory markers, suppressed tissue oxidative stress and prevented hepatic and renal damage caused due to thyroid hormone depletion.The possible active principles alpha and beta amyrins were identified and quantified in the extract through LC-MS. Abbreviations Used: APCI: Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; C group: Control group; C+E group: Control+extract group; C. pictus: Costus pictus; CRP: C-reactive protein; DPPH: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl; FRAP: Ferric reducing antioxidant power; HDL: High-density lipoprotein; H group: Hypothyroid group; H+E group: Hypothyroid+extract group; LDL: Low-density lipoprotein; LC-MS: Liquid chromatography-m...