Hematinic effect of fruits of Opuntia elatior Mill. on phenylhydrazine-induced anemia in rats

Exploring the biofunctionalities of lactic fermented cactus pear (Opuntia elatior Mill.) fruit beverage: an exotic superfood

Cactus pear fruit is known with many health benefits in ethnomedicine of countries like Mexico, Portugal, Chine, India etc. The study was aimed to develop biofunctional lactic fermented cactus pear fruit beverage to add values to the medicinal fruit. The processing parameters such as quantity of freeze dried cactus pear fruit powder, sucrose and incubation time were optimised using response surface methodology. The optimized product was then subjected to proximate compositional, physicochemical, biofunctional and microbial analysis. The lactic fermented cactus pear fruit beverage was prepared by mixing 12% [w/v] freeze dried cactus pear fruit powder and 3% sucrose in water, then pasteurised and inoculated with 3% Lactobacillus fermentum MTCC 25515 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus M9, then incubated at 37 °C for 6 h. The moisture content of the beverage was 87.77% and major constituent was carbohydrate (9.58% per wet matter basis). The 100 mL beverage contains 89.84 mg GAE phenolic compounds, 5.86 mg QE flavonoids, 71.82 mg betacyanin, 28.08 mg betaxanthin, 10.59 mg ascorbic acid. The beverage also exhibited 58% ABTS antioxidant activity. The beverage was shelf stable for 20 days at 7 ± 1 °C. Such a biofunctional beverage loaded with antioxidant potential can be consumed as refreshing drink.

Graphical abstract

Ayurveda and in silico Approach: A Challenging Proficient Confluence for Better Development of Effective Traditional Medicine Spotlighting Network Pharmacology

Coalescence of traditional medicine Ayurveda and in silico technology is a rigor for supplementary development of future-ready effective traditional medicine. Ayurveda is a popular traditional medicine in South Asia, emanating worldwide for the treatment of metabolic disorders and chronic illness. Techniques of in silico biology are not much explored for the investigation of a variety of bioactive phytochemicals of Ayurvedic herbs. Drug repurposing, reverse pharmacology, and polypharmacology in Ayurveda are areas in silico explorations that are needed to understand the rich repertoire of herbs, minerals, herbo-minerals, and assorted Ayurvedic formulations. This review emphasizes exploring the concept of Ayurveda with in silico approaches and the need for Ayurinformatics studies. It also provides an overview of in silico studies done on phytoconstituents of some important Ayurvedic plants, the utility of in silico studies in Ayurvedic phytoconstituents/formulations, limitations/challenges, and prospects of in silico studies in Ayurveda. This article discusses the convergence of in silico work, especially in the least explored field of Ayurveda. The focused coalesce of these two domains could present a predictive combinatorial platform to enhance translational research magnitude. In nutshell, it could provide new insight into an Ayurvedic drug discovery involving an in silico approach that could not only alleviate the process of traditional medicine research but also enhance its effectiveness in addressing health care.

Ocimum gratissimum leaf extract ameliorates phenylhydrazine-induced anaemia and toxicity in Wistar rats

OBJECTIVES

Ocimum gratissimum L. is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of bacterial infections and anaemia. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of O. gratissimum leaf extract on phenylhydrazine (PHZ)-induced anaemia and toxicity in rats.

METHODS

The experimental rats were divided into five groups (A-E) (n=6/sex/group). Each rat in groups B-E was intraperitoneally administered 50 mg/kg of PHZ for two consecutive days. Group A (normal control) did not receive any PHZ, group B (negative control), group C received orally 5 mg/kg ferrous sulphate whereas groups D and E received 200 and 400 mg/kg O. gratissimum leaf extract respectively, for 14 days.

RESULTS

Red blood cell count, packed cell volume, haemoglobin concentration and high-density lipoprotein increased significantly (p<0.05) whereas low-density lipoprotein and very-low-density lipoprotein decreased in extract-treated groups when compared to the negative control. O. gratissimum (400 mg/kg extract) and standard drug (5 mg/kg ferrous sulphate) significantly (p<0.05) reduced the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study indicate that O. gratissimum leaf extract has a restorative effect on the phenylhydrazine-induced metabolic distortions in the blood, liver, and kidney, and therefore could be used therapeutically as an anti-anaemic tonic.

Ocimum gratissimum leaf extract ameliorates phenylhydrazine-induced anaemia and toxicity in Wistar rats

OBJECTIVES

Ocimum gratissimum L. is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of bacterial infections and anaemia. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of O. gratissimum leaf extract on phenylhydrazine (PHZ)-induced anaemia and toxicity in rats.

METHODS

The experimental rats were divided into five groups (A-E) (n=6/sex/group). Each rat in groups B-E was intraperitoneally administered 50 mg/kg of PHZ for two consecutive days. Group A (normal control) did not receive any PHZ, group B (negative control), group C received orally 5 mg/kg ferrous sulphate whereas groups D and E received 200 and 400 mg/kg O. gratissimum leaf extract respectively, for 14 days.

RESULTS

Red blood cell count, packed cell volume, haemoglobin concentration and high-density lipoprotein increased significantly (p<0.05) whereas low-density lipoprotein and very-low-density lipoprotein decreased in extract-treated groups when compared to the negative control. O. gratissimum (400 mg/kg extract) and standard drug (5 mg/kg ferrous sulphate) significantly (p<0.05) reduced the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study indicate that O. gratissimum leaf extract has a restorative effect on the phenylhydrazine-induced metabolic distortions in the blood, liver, and kidney, and therefore could be used therapeutically as an anti-anaemic tonic.

Drug-induced liver injury: Asia Pacific Association of Study of Liver consensus guidelines

Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury mimics acute and chronic liver disease. It is under recognized and underrecognised because of the lack of pathognomonic diagnostic serological markers. Its consequences may vary from being asymptomatic to self-limiting illness to severe liver injury leading to acute liver failure. Its incidence is likely to be more common in Asia than other parts of the world, mainly because of hepatotoxicity resulting from the treatment of tuberculosis disease and the ubiquitous use of traditional and complimentary medicines in Asian countries. This APASL consensus guidelines on DILI is a concise account of the various aspects including current evidence-based information on DILI with special emphasis on DILI due to antituberculosis agents and traditional and complementary medicine use in Asia.

Mapping drug-target interactions and synergy in multi-molecular therapeutics for pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy

Advancements in systems biology have resulted in the development of network pharmacology, leading to a paradigm shift from "one-target, one-drug" to "target-network, multi-component therapeutics". We employ a chimeric approach involving in-vivo assays, gene expression analysis, cheminformatics, and network biology to deduce the regulatory actions of a multi-constituent Ayurvedic concoction, Amalaki Rasayana (AR) in animal models for its effect in pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy. The proteomics analysis of in-vivo assays for Aorta Constricted and Biologically Aged rat models identify proteins expressed under each condition. Network analysis mapping protein-protein interactions and synergistic actions of AR using multi-component networks reveal drug targets such as ACADM, COX4I1, COX6B1, HBB, MYH14, and SLC25A4, as potential pharmacological co-targets for cardiac hypertrophy. Further, five out of eighteen AR constituents potentially target these proteins. We propose a distinct prospective strategy for the discovery of network pharmacological therapies and repositioning of existing drug molecules for treating pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy.

Effect of Opuntia elatior Mill. (Nagaphani) in the management of Pandu Roga w. s. r to iron deficiency anemia; an open labeled randomized standard controlled clinical trial

Background:

Pandu Roga described in Ayurveda bears resemblance to the clinical features of anemia. The fruits of Nagaphani (Opuntia elatior Mill.) of family cactaceae, are consumed by the inhabitants of Gujarat as a hematinic agent to treat general debility and anemia.

Aim and objective:

To evaluate the efficacy of the O. elatior fruit juice in Pandu Roga with special reference to iron deficiency anemia.

Materials and method:

Present clinical study was an open labeled, randomized trial, in which 105 patients of Pandu Roga (iron deficiency anemia), were divided into two groups using the coin method of randomization. Group A received Opuntia elatior fruit juice, 20 ml twice a day with lukewarm water before meal. Group B received Punarnava Mandura (standard control), well accepted after this a herbo-mineral fromulation, two tablets of 500 mg each, twice a day with Takra (butter milk) before meal. Duration of intervention was 2 months in both groups and a follow-up of 1 month. The assessment was done based on the clinical signs and symptoms and hematological parameters such as Hb% (hemoglobin %), total red blood cell (TRBC), serum iron, serum ferritin and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), before and after completion of the treatment. The data were subjected to statistical tests (Wilcoxon signed-rank test and paired t-tests, co-efficient of variance (CV)), and analyzed.

Results:

Both trial drug and the standard drug produced a statistically significant increase in Hb%, TRBC and serum Iron. The standard drug provided statistically significant increase (P < 0.05) in TIBC, whereas a statistically insignificant (P > 0.05) effect was observed in the trial group. Both trial and standard drug provided statistically significant (P < 0.001) relief in Panduta (pallor), Daurbalya (general weakness), Akshikutashotha (periorbital edema) and Pindikodveshthana (calf muscle cramps). When compared between the groups, the standard drug was found to be more effective than the trial drug.

Conclusion:

Fruit juice of Opuntia elatior is effective in iron deficiency anemia as it increases the hemoglobin, TRBC levels in blood along with providing relief in Panduta (pallor), Daurbalya (general weakness) Akshikutashotha (periorbital edema).

The protective effect of vitamin C on phenylhydrazine-induced hemolytic anemia on sperm quality and in-vitro embryo development in mice

Background

Phenylhydrazine (PHZ) induced anemia and was shown to have harmful effects on the male reproductive system.

Objective

To investigate the protective effect of vitamin C (Vit C) on sperm parameters quality, in vitro fertilization potential and embryonic development in a mouse model of hemolytic anemia induced by PHZ.

Materials and Methods

Thirty-two NMRI adult male mice (n = 8/each) were randomly classified into four groups. Group I (control) received normal saline, Group II (PHZ) received 8 mg/100 gr body weight PHZ as initial dose, continued by 6 mg/100 gr intraperitoneally every 48 hr, Group III (Vit C) received Vit C (10 mg/kg, daily, intraperitoneally), and group IV (PHZ + Vit C) received PHZ and Vit C. After 35 days, sperm quality parameters, the percentage of sperm with DNA damage and in vitro fertilization outcomes up to blastocyst stage were evaluated.

Results

A significant (p < 0.001) reduction in all of the sperm parameters (count, motility, viability and normal morphology) were observed in group II (PHZ) compared with group I (control). In group IV (PHZ ± Vit C), these parameters and sperm DNA damage (p < 0.001) improved significantly when compared with PHZ-treated mice. Furthermore, PHZ caused a significant (p < 0.001) decrease in the fertilization rate and the percentage of pre-implantation embryos' (two cell embryo and blastocyst) formation in comparison to group I (control), and Vit C supplementation in mice of group IV improved significantly the fertilization rate (p = 0.002), but it could not improve the percentage of two cell embryos and blastocyst production.

Conclusion

The data from this study indicated that Vit C decreased the adverse effects of PHZ on the quality of sperm parameters and in vitro fertilization rate, but it is insufficient to restore the in-vitro embryonic development and fertility potential.

Pharmacognostic and pharmacological evaluation of Eulaliopsis binata plant extracts by measuring in vitro/in vivo safety profile and anti-microbial potential

The present investigation emphasizes the pharmacognostic and phytochemical screening of Eulaliopsis binata and further evaluates the extracts of this plant for toxicological profile and anti-bacterial potential based on in vivo/in vitro assays. Microscopy, powder characteristics of the leaf material, and physicochemical and phytochemical screening were assessed for pharmacognostic evaluation. Dry leaves of Eulaliopsis binata were extracted using different solvents (methanol, ethyl acetate, and hexane), and the extracts obtained were further investigated for in vitro/in vivo toxicological study. Moreover, acute toxicity was assessed by evaluating the anti-oxidant defense system and anatomical damage in vital organs. In addition, anti-bacterial activity of all the extracts was assessed by the Kirby-Bauer method. Physicochemical and microscopic observations showed the unique identification mark for leaf powder and leaf transverse section. Phytochemical investigation evidenced the presence of flavonoids and phenolic contents in the methanolic extract. All extracts were found to be hemocompatible and exhibited no induction of behavioral alteration and no alteration in the anti-oxidant potential and anatomical structure of the vital organs. On the other hand, the methanolic extract showed a significant upsurge in the reduced glutathione level, whereas all extracts showed significant anti-bacterial potential in a dose-dependent manner. Eulaliopsis binata has inimitable pharmacognostical characteristics, good safety profile and significant anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial potential that show immense possibility for its further investigation for pharmacological use.

Active phytochemicals of Pueraria tuberosa for DPP-IV inhibition: in silico and experimental approach

Background

We had earlier reported that the extract of Pueraria tuberosa significantly inhibits DPP-IV enzyme, resulting in glucose tolerance response in rats. In this study, we have explored the active phytochemicals responsible for this potential. The results have been validated in both fasting and postprandial states in the plasma of normal rats and also in fasting blood and intestinal homogenates of diabetic models.

Methods

Pueraria tuberosa water extract (PTWE) was administered to normal Charles Foster rats for 35 days and to diabetic model (65 mg/kg bw) for 10 days. After treatments, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin was done for 90 min, and the changes in the levels of GLP-1, GIP, and DPP-IV activities were monitored in fasting and postprandial states. In the case of the diabetic model, DPP-IV activity was measured in intestinal homogenate and basal insulin in plasma. The components of PTWE were analyzed via HPLC-MS based on their chemical formula, molecular mass, and retention time. Using the molecular docking study, we have selected the top five components having strong binding energy with DPP-IV.

Results

The increase in secretion of GLP-1 and GIP was significantly higher in the postprandial state when compared to fasting condition. GLP-1 plasma concentration increased by 5.8 and 2.9 folds and GIP increased by 8.7 and 2.4 folds in PTWE and control rats, respectively. In contrast, the postprandial decrease in DPP-IV specific activities was recorded at 2.3 and 1.4 folds. The response in OGTT and insulin was also consistent with these changes. In comparison to diabetic controls, PTWE-administered rats showed decreased DPP-IV activity in the intestine, leading to enhanced basal insulin concentration. Through molecular docking, we found Puerarone and Robinin to be the most potential phytochemicals of PTWE for DPP-IV inhibition. Binding energy (kcal/mol) and dissociation constant (pM) of Robinin with DPP-IV protein were found to be 7.543 and 2,957,383.75, respectively. For Puerarone, it was 7.376 and 3,920,309, respectively.

Conclusions

Thus, this study provides the novel active components that contribute to the DPP-IV inhibitory property of PTWE.