Consumption of the Syrian mesquite plant (Prosopis farcta) fruit and seed lyophilized extracts may have both protective and toxic effects in STZ-induced diabetic rats

Ameliorative effects of Scutellaria Pinnatifida subsp. pichleri (Stapf) Rech.f. Extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats: chemical composition, biochemical and histopathological evaluation

BACKGROUNDS

Scutellaria Pinnatifida subsp. pichleri (Stapf) Rech.f. (SP) is used in folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes. The aim of the study was to determine the phenolic profile of SP extract (SPE) by LC-MS/MS and to investigate the antidiabetic, hepatoprotective and nephroprotective effects of SPE in streptozotosin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model.

METHODS

Forty-two rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 7): Control (nondiabetic), diabetes mellitus (DM), DM + SP-100 (diabetic rats treated with SPE, 100 mg/kg/day), DM + SP-200 (diabetic rats treated with SPE, 200 mg/kg/day), DM + SP-400 (diabetic rats treated with SPE, 400 mg/kg/day) and DM + Gly-3 (diabetic rats treated with glibenclamide, 3 mg/kg/day). Live body weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG) level, antidiabetic, serum biochemical and lipid profile parameters, antioxidant defense system, malondyaldehyde (MDA) and histopathological examinations in liver, kidney and pancreas were evaluated.

RESULTS

Apigenin, luteolin, quinic acid, cosmosiin and epigallocatechin were determined to be the major phenolic compounds in the SPE. Administration of the highest dose of SP extract (400 mg/kg) resulted in a significant reduction in FBG levels and glycosylated hemoglobin levels in STZ-induced diabetic rats, indicating an antihyperglycemic effect. SPE (200 and 400 mg/kg) and glibenclamide significantly improved MDA in liver and kidney tissues. In addition, SPE contributed to the struggle against STZ-induced oxidative stress by stimulating antioxidant defense systems. STZ induction negatively affected liver, kidney and pancreas tissues according to histopathological findings. Treatment with 400 mg/kg and glibenclamide attenuated these negative effects.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the extract of the aerial part of Scutellaria pinnatifida subsp. pichleri has hepatoprotective, nephroprotective and insulin secretion stimulating effects against STZ-induced diabetes and its complications due to its antidiabetic and antioxidant phytochemicals such as apigenin, luteolin, quinic acid, cosmosiin and epigallocatechin.

Phytotoxicity of Rich Oxygenated Terpenes Essential Oil of Prosopis farcta against the Weed Dactyloctenium aegyptium

Weeds are considered the main reason for crop yield loss in the world. Weed control and management include various treatments such as cultural, physical, chemical, and biological methods. Chemical control of weeds is the most common method; however, the application of commercial synthetic herbicides caused several dangerous hazards in the environment including the appearance of resistant weed biotypes. Prosopis farcta (Banks & Sol.) J.F.Macbr. (Family: Fabaceae), is a common weed plant in the Middle East, where it is hard to eliminate due to its deep and overlapped roots. On the other side, it has many traditional uses around the world. Herein, the essential oil (EO) of P. farcta above-ground parts was extracted via hydrodistillation techniques and then analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). From the GC-MS analysis, 47 compounds were identified with a relative concentration of 98.02%, including terpenes as the main components (95.08%). From overall identified compounds, cubenol (19.07%), trans-chrysanthenyl acetate (17.69%), torreyol (8.28%), davana ether (3.50%), camphor (3.35%), and farnesyl acetone (3.13%) represented the abundant constituents. Furthermore, the phytotoxic activity of the P. farcta EO was assessed against the weed Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd. The EO of P. farcta, at a concentration of 100 µL L−1, significantly inhibited the germination, seedling shoot growth, and seedling root growth by 64.1, 64.0, and 73.4%, respectively. The results exhibited that the seedling root growth is the most affected followed by the seed germination and seedling shoot growth with respective IC50 at 64.5, 80.5, and 92.9 µL L−1. It can be concluded that weeds are not absolutely harmful, but they may have beneficial uses, such as, for example as a source of phytochemicals with application in weed control practices (bioherbicides). It is advised to conduct additional research to characterize the allelopathic action of the major chemicals in their pure form, either alone or in combination, against a variety of weeds.

Investigation of the phytochemical composition and remedial effects of southern grape hyacinth (Muscari neglectum Guss. ex Ten.) plant extract against carbon tetrachloride-induced oxidative stress in rats

We aimed to determine the phytochemical contents of the aerial part M. neglectum aerial part (MAP) and M. neglectum bulb (MB) ethanolic extract of Muscari neglectum and to investigate their protective effects on gastric damage induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) in rats. After the toxicity testing, 42 female Wistar albino rats were divided into 7 groups, Control, MAP, MB, CCl₄, CCl₄ + MAP, CCl₄ + MB, and CCl₄ + Silymarin groups. At the end of the experiment, the serum biochemical parameters, antioxidant defense enzymes, and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in the stomach tissue were evaluated to determine the antioxidant role of the M. neglectum extracts. According to the gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, fatty acid analysis, octadecadienoic, and 9,12,15 octadecatrienoic fatty acids were found as major fatty acids in the MAP, whereas 9,12 octadecadienoic and octadecanoic acids were the major fatty acids in the MB. According to the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, quinic acid, fumaric acid, gentisic acid, caffeic acid, kaempferol, and apigenin were found in the MAP, while quinic acid, fumaric acid, caffeic acid, and kaempferol were found in the MB. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the extract were determined in the MAP and MB. The MAP and MB extracts generally caused a statistically significant decrease in the MDA content and increase in the antioxidant parameters in the stomach tissue. It was concluded that MAP and MB extracts may have antioxidant and gastric protective effects due to the phytochemical content of M. neglectum.HighlightsAccording to LC-MS/MS results, quinic acid, fumaric acid, chemferol, apigenin, and caffeic acid were determined as major compounds in M. neglectum extracts.According to GC-MS results, octadecadienoic, octadecatrienoic, and octadecanoic methyl esters were the major fatty acids of the M. neglectum extracts.The M. neglectum extracts regulated the levels of stomach damage and biochemical parameters.The M. neglectum extracts extract might have pharmaceutical-nutritional potential.

Nanocurcumin Improves Lipid Status, Oxidative Stress, and Function of the Liver in Aluminium Phosphide-Induced Toxicity: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms

Background

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of nanocurcumin and curcumin on liver transaminases, lipid profile, oxidant and antioxidant system, and pathophysiological changes in aluminium phosphide (ALP) induced hepatoxicity. Material and Methods. In this experimental study, thirty-six male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups curcumin (Cur), nanocurcumin (Nanocur), ALP, ALP+Cur, and ALP+Nanocur. All treatments were performed by oral gavage for seven days. After treatment, animals were sacrificed, and liver and blood samples were taken. Serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (AP), total bilirubin, cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) were measured by photometric methods. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) as parameters of oxidative stress and mRNA expression of the nonenzyme protein including Sirtuin 1 (STR1), Forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) and protein O3 (FOXO3), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) as the enzyme protein in homogenized tissues have been investigated. A histologist analyzed liver tissue sections after staining with hematoxylin-eosin.

Results

In the aluminium phosphide group, there was a significant increase in MDA, ALT, AST, and AP and total bilirubin, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, and VLDL; AST, ALT, total bilirubin, LDL, VLDL, cholesterol, and MDA were significantly decreased; and HDL and TAC were significantly increased compared to ALP (P < 0.05). In the ALP+Nanocur group, ALT, AST, ALP, total bilirubin, cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, triglyceride, and MDA were significantly decreased and HDL and TAC were increased significantly (P < 0.05). The effect of nanocurcumin on controlling serum levels of LDL, VLDL, triglyceride, and MDA in ALP-poisoned rats was significantly more than curcumin (P < 0.05). The ALP group had significant changes in genes SIRT1, FOXO1a, FOXO3a, CAT, and GPX compared to healthy controls (P < 0.05). Nanocurcumin mice expressed more SIRT1, FOXO1a, CAT, and GPX genes than controls, and curcumin-treated mice expressed more SIRT1 and FOXO1a genes (P < 0.05). Histopathological findings also indicated a more significant protective effect of nanocurcumin relative to curcumin against ALP-induced hepatotoxicity.

Conclusion

Nanocurcumin significantly protects the liver against aluminum phosphide toxicity. It is suggested that nanocurcumin-based drugs be developed to reduce the toxic effects of ALP in poisoned patients.

Ameliorative role of Cyanus depressus (M.Bieb.) Soják plant extract against diabetes-associated oxidative-stress-induced liver, kidney, and pancreas damage in rats

In this original article, we aimed to assess the ameliorative role of Cyanus depressus (CD) plant ethanolic extract treatment of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced liver, kidney, and pancreas damage in rats. The rats were divided into five groups (n = 7): control, CD, Diabetes mellitus (DM), DM + CD, and DM + glibenclamide (Gly). The DM groups were injected with a single dose of 50 mg/kg STZ intraperitoneally (i.p.). While the CD and DM + CD groups received 400 mg/kg/day intragastrically for 21 days, the DM + Gly group received 3 mg/kg/day of Gly intragastrically throughout the experiment. Statistically significance was accepted as p < .05. According to our liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) data, quinic acid, cosmosiin, nicotiflorin, apigenin, and protocatechuic acid were the major compounds, in descending order. Weekly blood glucose, serum glucose, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and urea, malondialdehyde (MDA) (liver and pancreas), and blood glycosylated hemoglobin % (HbA1c %) were significantly decreased, whereas finally live body weights (LBWs), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) (pancreas), and pancreatic islet diameter and area were increased significantly in the CD-treated diabetic group. Moreover, CD administration was found to be effective in the protection of the histology of the liver, kidneys, and pancreatic islets in the STZ-induced rats. Consequently, we concluded that CD administration reduces hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and histopathology in STZ-induced experimental rats by improving antioxidant defenses. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Today, the prevalence of diabetes is increasing rapidly throughout the world and it causes complications such as kidney damage, blindness, amputations, and cardiovascular diseases. Despite medical technological advances, people's interest in medicinal herbal products is gradually increasing. Biochemical and histopathological findings showed that the use of the plant CD at the determined dose (400 mg/kg/day) in rats with DM by STZ had strong antioxidant and antidiabetic effects. CD may have a drug potential in preventing DM and its complications because of its phytochemical content including some phenolic acids such as quinic acid, cosmosiin, nicotiflorin, apigenin, and protocatechuic acid. Isolation of bioactive compounds from CD and investigation of their therapeutic effects could be planned as further studies.

Exploring phytochemical constituents of Achillea arabica Kotschy. ethanolic flower extract by LC-MS/MS and its possible antioxidant and antidiabetic effects in diabetic rats

The aim of this study was to reveal the antidiabetic and antioxidant effects of ethanolic lyophilized extract of Achillea arabica flower extract against streptozotosine (STZ)-induced in diabetic rats and to determine its phytochemical content by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). After toxicity test, 35 female rats were divided into five groups. Control, diabetes mellitus (DM), A.arabica (400 mg/kg) extract, DM + A. arabica (400 mg/kg) extract and DM + Glibenclamide (2 mg/kg). It was determined that while diabetic rats treated A.arabica plant extract significantly decreased blood glucose level, serum glucose, HbA1c, liver and kidney damage biomarker levels, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content compared to the DM group, it caused fluctuations in antioxidant enzyme levels. According to LC-MS/MS results of A. arabica flower extract, quinic acid (2439.9 μg/g), cyranoside (858.4 μg/g), chlorogenic acid (698.7 μg/g), and cosmosiin (347.8 μg/g) were determined as major compounds, respectively. In addition, two new compounds were determined in this extract according to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Mass analyses and these compounds were named edremitine and achillosine, respectively. Thus, A.arabica flower extract has possible therapeutic effects to prevent high blood glucose level and oxidative stress caused by DM in liver and kidney via its high phenolic content.