Antimicrobial and Synergistic Effects of Syzygium cumini, Moringa oleifera, and Tinospora cordifolia Against Different Candida Infections

Introduction The burden of multiple drug resistance in human pathogens has necessitated the search for and development of antimicrobial agents with a wide range of structural classes and potentials to selectively act on the several mechanisms of actions exhibited by the pathogens. However, most synthetic antimicrobial agents have been linked with adverse side effects and high costs, furthering the need to explore more options. Syzygium cumini, Moringa oleifera, and Tinospora cordifolia are three medicinal plants used in traditional medicine systems for various infectious diseases. They contain various phytochemicals that exhibit antimicrobial activities against various bacteria, fungi, and parasites. The mechanisms of their antimicrobial action may involve the disruption of microbial cell walls and membranes, the inhibition of microbial enzyme and biofilm formation, the modulation of microbial gene expression and quorum sensing, and the induction of microbial cell death. Therefore, the present study evaluated the potentials of aqueous and ethanol extracts of S. cumini, M. oleifera, and T. cordifolia in managing infections as measured by their inhibitory effects on species. Materials and method Syzygium cumini, M. oleifera, and T. cordifolia were obtained and authenticated, and their aqueous and ethanol extracts were prepared. The antibacterial properties of the aqueous and ethanol extracts were examined. In addition to broth microdilution and biofilm development experiments, we also employed disk diffusion and agar-well diffusion techniques. The inocula of various species, including krusei, parapsilosis, utilis, albicans, and glabrata, were prepared for these assays. The synergistic effect of plant extracts with fluconazole was also evaluated. Results Syzygium cumini, M. oleifera, and T. cordifolia emerge as promising sources for the development of effective and sustainable antimicrobial interventions. Interestingly, the aqueous and ethanol extracts were effective against the selected species. Also, the synergistic combination of plant extracts with fluconazole was observed to triple the potency of the extracts. Furthermore, the potency of the plant extract as an antifungal and synergistic agent was ranked as S. cumini > M. oleifera > T. cordifolia. Conclusively, the plant extracts are effective in the management of opportunistic fungal infections.

Effect of temperature on hepatitis a virus and exploration of binding mode mechanism of phytochemicals from tinospora cordifolia: an insight into molecular docking, MM/GBSA, and molecular dynamics simulation study

The hepatitis A virus (HAV), which causes hepatitis A, is a contagious liver ailment. The infections are not specifically treated by any medications. Therefore, the development of less harmful, more effective and cost-effective antiviral agents are necessary. The present work highlighted the in-silico activity of phytocompounds from tinospora cordifolia against HAV. The binding interaction of HAV with the phytocompounds was analyzed through molecular docking. Molecular docking revealed that chasmanthin, malabarolide, menispermacide, tinosporaside, and tinosporinone compounds bind with HAV more efficiently than other compounds. Further evaluation using 100 ns molecular dynamics simulation, MM/GBSA and free energy landscape indicated that all phytocompounds studied here were found to be most promising drug candidate against hepatitis A virus. Our computational study will encourage promoting in further investigation for in vitro and in vivo clinical trials.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

In-Vitro α-amylase, α-glucosidase Inhibitory Activities and In-Vivo Anti-Hyperglycemic Potential of Different Dosage Forms of Guduchi (Tinospora Cordifolia [Willd.] Miers) Prepared With Ayurvedic Bhavana Process

Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia [Willd.] Miers) is a flagship rejuvenating herb of Ayurveda with reported anti-diabetic potential. In the present study, different dosage forms of Guduchi stem (growing on neem tree) were developed by adopting Ayurvedic pharmaceutical process of Bhavana (levigation). Guduchi Churna (GC) was subjected to 07 times Bhavana separately with its own extracted juice, decoction and potable water, and dosage forms namely Svarasa Bhavita Guduchi Churna (SBGC), Kwatha Bhavita Guduchi Churna (KBGC), and Jala Bhavita Guduchi Churna (JBGC) were prepared. The present study was aimed to evaluate the role of Bhavana on the potentiation of therapeutic properties of Guduchi. Sequential solvent extracts (5, 10, 15 and 25%) of GC, SBGC, KBGC and JBGC were prepared in different solvents [phosphate buffer, hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), chloroform] and screened for the α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The results revealed that phosphate buffer and DCM extracts of SBGC exhibited strong α-amylase inhibitory potential (>80% inhibition at 25% concentration) followed by KBGC, JBGC and GC with reference to the standard acarbose. In α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, maximum inhibition was observed in DCM and chloroform extracts of SBGC (>85% inhibition at 25% concentration), followed by KBGC (>80% inhibition at 25% concentration), JBGC and GC. In vivo anti-hyperglycemic studies were carried out by oral glucose tolerance test in Swiss albino mice. Test drugs (JBGC, KBGC, SBGC) treated groups showed marginal decrease of blood glucose levels in normo glycemic mice. However, the blood glucose level in test drug JBGC, KBGC and SBGC treated groups was still within normal range in overnight fasted mice. In oral glucose tolerance test, among all dosage forms SBGC (51.08%) produced pronounced anti-hyperglycemic effect followed by KBGC (42.57%) at a dose of 520 mg/kg. The GC, JBGC, KBGC and SBGC samples were also standardized using berberine (a well established anti-diabetic compound) as a marker compound by HPTLC fingerprint analysis. Findings of the present study indicate that SBGC and KBGC can be used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus and gives supporting evidence to Ayurvedic claims that the Bhavana process has pharmaceutico-therapeutic significance in Ayurvedic drug development.

Herbal Immune Booster-Induced Liver Injury in the COVID-19 Pandemic - A Case Series

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in widespread use of complementary and alternative medicines. Tinospora cordifolia is a widely grown shrub which has been commonly used in India's traditional system of Ayurveda for its immune booster properties and has been extensively used as prophylaxis against COVID-19. Six patients (4 women, 2 men) with a median (IQR) age of 55 years (45-56) and with an history of Tinospora cordifolia consumption presented with symptoms of acute hepatitis during the study period of 4 months in the COVID-19 pandemic. The median (IQR) duration of Tinospora cordifolia consumption was 90 days (21-210). The median (IQR) peak bilirubin and AST were 17.5 mg/dl (12.2-24.9) and 1350 IU/ml (1099-1773), respectively. The patients had either a definite (n = 4) or probable (n = 2) revised autoimmune hepatitis score with an autoimmune pattern of drug-induced liver injury on biopsy. Four of these patients (all women) had underlying silent chronic liver disease of possible autoimmune etiology associated with other autoimmune diseases - hypothyroidism and type 2 diabetes mellitus. One of the three patients treated with steroids decompensated on steroid tapering. The other five patients had resolution of symptoms, liver profile, and autoimmune serological markers on drug withdrawal/continuing steroid treatment. The median (IQR) time to resolution from discontinuing the herb was 86.5 days (53-111). Tinospora cordifolia consumption seems to induce an autoimmune-like hepatitis or unmask an underlying autoimmune chronic liver disease, which may support its immune stimulant mechanism. However, the same mechanism can cause significant liver toxicity, and we recommend that caution be exercised in the use of this herb, especially in those predisposed to autoimmune disorders. Besides, in patients presenting with acute hepatitis, even in the presence of autoimmune markers, a detailed complementary and alternative medicine history needs to be elicited.