ATHMSI Journals
Not a member yet
2062 research outputs found
Sort by
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF PLATYCODIN D ON ALCOHOL-INDUCED FATTY LIVER RATS VIA TLR4-MYD88-NF-
Get PDFBackground: The current study was designed to evaluate the effect of PD, triterpenoid saponins extracted from the roots of Platycodon grandiflorumon on alcohol-induced fatty liver and investigate the possible mechanism of anti-inflammation and anti-endotoxin.
Methods and Materials: A rat model was set up by feeding alcohol and fish oil to experimental animals, which then were treated with PD of 10, 20, 30 mg/kg body weight/day for 4 weeks, respectively. Whereafter, liver function enzymes, endotoxin of serum and liver lipid were assayed by biochemical methods, cytokines, histochemistry of hepatic tissue, the protein expression of CD14 and the TLR4, the mRNA expression of MD-2, MyD 88 and TRAF-6 were assayed.
Results: Treatment with PD on ALF rats significantly decreased the levels of ALT, AST and TBIL, coefficient of liver index and the hepatic tissue contents of TG, additionally and dramatically ameliorated gut leakiness, decreased serum endotoxins levels, down-regulated MD-2 and CD14 levels, as well as the mRNA expression of TLR4, MyD88 and TRAF-6, accordingly suppressed NF
EVALUATION OF THE ACUTE AND SUBCHRONIC TOXICITY OF Aster tataricus L. F.
Get PDFBackgr ound: Aster tataricus L. f. is used as a traditional Chinese drug to relieve cough and asthma symptoms and to eliminate
phlegm. However, Aster tataricus L. f. possesses toxicity, and little systematic research has been conducted on its toxic effects in the
laboratory.
Methods and Materials: The acute group was administered 75% alcohol extract of Aster tataricus L. f. in a single dose. A
subchronic toxicity study was performed via daily oral administration of Aster tataricus L. f. at a dose of 0.34 g/kg body weight in
SD rats. The rats were divided into six groups: a petroleum ether extract (PEA) group, an ethyl acetate extract (EEA) group, an
n-butyl alcohol extract (NEA) group, a remaining lower aqueous phases (REA) group, a 75% alcohol extract (AEA) group and a
control group. Quantitative measurements of cytokines were obtained by fluorescence with a laser scanner using a Cy3 equivalent
dye.
Results: The LD50 of the 75% alcohol extract of Aster tataricus L. f. was 15.74 g/kg bw. In the subchronic toxicity study, no
significant differences were observed among groups in relative organ weights, urine traits, liver antioxidase levels, or cytokine levels.
However, significant sporadic differences were observed in body weight gains, haematology indices, biochemistry values, and
histopathology features in PEA, EEA group. In addition, sporadic changes in other groups in measures such as WBC, MCHC, CK,
ALP, AST, ALT, LDH, T-BIL, LDL-C, HDL-C, and TC were observed.
Conclusion: The toxicity study showed that Aster tataricus L. f. can produce toxic effects, mainly on the liver; much less on the
heart. The LD50 was 15.74 g/kg BW in mice, and the subchronic toxicity study, used a dosage of 0.34 g/kg/d.BW, showed that the
toxic components of Aster tataricus L. f. were mainly concentrated in the petroleum ether fraction, followed by the ethyl acetate
fraction, the n-butyl alcohol fraction, the lower aqueous phase and the 75% ethanol extracts
INDIGENOUS PLANT-DERIVED MEDICINE USED BY ORDINARY COMMUNITY MEMBERS OTHER THAN TRADITIONAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS FOR PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE IN MOHLALETSI COMMUNITY IN LIMPOPO PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA
Get PDFBackground: Research on medical ethnobotany shows that ordinary community members in the rural areas have knowledge of selfpreventive
care which is accomplished through administration of plant medicine to prevent the onset of disease and create a sense of
well-being. Several medicinal plants and traditional medicines derived from them have been used to enhance resistance to several
disease agents. The present study documented the indigenous plant-derived medicines used by Mohlaletsi community members to
minimize the chances of contracting disease thus promoting good health and well-being.
Materials and Methods: Structured interviews were used to collect data among 80 respondents purposely sampled to share
knowledge about the use of indigenous plant-derived medicine for preventive health care.
Results: The results of the study revealed six indigenous plant species belonging to six families identified as sources of medicine
administered for preventive care of primary health care. Preventive medicine is prepared from the mixture of plant parts
administered to limit susceptibility to disease and improve the general well-being. The medicine is repeatedly reported to promote
good health and well-being of the children by limiting the children’s vulnerability to disease and promote their welfare.
Conclusion: Ordinary community members use plant-derived medicine to prevent attack by disease in an effort to promote good
health and well-being. This type of preventive care may form the basis for community participation towards the achievement of
primary health care needs in the rural areas
PHENOLIC PROFILE OF Centaurea aegyptiaca L. GROWING IN EGYPT AND ITS CYTOTOXIC AND ANTIVIRAL ACTIVITIES
Get PDFBackground: Centaurea aegyptiaca L (Asteraceae), is one of the most attractive plants growing wildly in Sinai, and is not well
investigated for its phytochemical constituents. This study represents the first in-depth characterization of the phenolic profile of the
aerial parts of C. aegyptiaca methanolic extract utilizing liquid chromatography (LC) combined with electrospray ionization (ESI)
tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS).
Material and Methods: Phenolic profile was researched utilizing LC-HRESI-MS-MS. Assessment of cytotoxic activity against four
human cancer cell lines (Hep-G2; hepatocellular carcinoma cells, MCF-7; breast adenocarcinoma cells, and HCT-116; colon
carcinoma and HELA; cervical carcinoma cells) was performed using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium
bromide (MTT) assay. Antiviral activity was surveyed utilizing cytopathic effect inhibition assay.
Results: A total of sixty-one compounds were tentatively distinguished (twenty-one phenolic acids and their derivatives, thirty-one
flavonols and nine flavones) in the negative and positive modes. Centaurea aegyptiaca demonstrated outstanding results against
Hep-G2, MCF-7, HCT-116 and HELA cell lines with IC50 of 12.1, 30.9, 11.7 and 19.5 μg/mL respectively compared and
doxorubicin as a reference drug. Weak antiviral activity was seen against hepatitis A virus (HAV) and no impact against herpes
simplex virus type 1 (HSV 1).
Conclusion: This study provides a better understanding of the chemistry of C. aegyptiaca that announces itself as a promising
cytotoxic agent
ASSOCIATION OF MTHFR A1298C POLYMORPHISMWITH BREAST CANCER AND/OR OVARIAN CANCER RISK: AN UPDATED META-ANALYSIS
Get PDFBackground: Recent years have witnessed the discovery of similar gene variations between breast cancer and ovarian cancer, inherited breast
and ovarian cancer in particular. A large number of case-control studies have been conducted to explore the association of
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) A1298C polymorphism with breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer risk. However, the results are
still inconsistent and inconclusive. Consequently, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between MTHFR A1298C
polymorphism and breast, ovarian cancer risk.
Materials and Methods: A comprehensive retrieval was conducted in the electronic database of PubMed, Web of Science and Chinese National
Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) until June 2015 to identify eligible studies. A total of 35 studies which examined the association of MTHFR
A1298C polymorphism with breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer were identified. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals
(CIs) were used to assess the effect of gene polymorphism. And allele model, homozygous model, co-dominant model, dominant model,
recessive model were applied.
Result: In the overall analysis, significantly increased breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer risk was found (for allele model A VS C OR = 1.05,
CI: 1.02-1.08, P = 4×10-3; for homozygous model AA VS CC OR = 1.11, CI: 1.03-1.19, P = 5×10-3; for recessive model (AC +AA) VS CC: OR
= 1.10, CI: 1.03-1.18, P = 7×10-3).
Conclusion: In the subgroup analysis, significantly increased breast cancer risk was identified among Caucasians. MTHFR A1298C
polymorphism might contribute to an increased risk of breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer susceptibility. In addition, MTHFR A1298C
polymorphism had a significant association with breast cancer in Caucasians
MYCOLOGICAL ANALYSIS AND AFLATOXIN B1CONTAMINANT ESTIMATION OF HERBAL DRUG RAW MATERIALS
Get PDFBackground: The present study explores the fungal contamination of important herbal drug raw materials (HDRM), which are widely used in the preparation of many herbal drugs. Understanding of the microbial contamination status of HDRM is one of the important steps to ensure the safety and efficacy of herbal drugs. Materials and Methods: Eighteen samples of six herbal drug raw materials (HDRM) viz., Acorus calamus Linn., Cassia angustifolia Vahl., Centella asiatica (Linn.) Urban, Myristica fragrans Houtt.,Tinospora cardifolia (Wild) Miers and Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunal, were screened for fungal contamination, by employing serial dilution method. All the isolates of Aspergillus flavus were screened for their ability to produce aflatoxin B1 (AB1) and highly contaminated samples were subjected to AB1 estimation by using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), spectrophotometric method and occurrence of Aflatoxin B1 was confirmed by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis (LCMS). Results: A total of 302 isolates of 42 fungal species belonging to 17 genera were found in association with test the samples. More than 61% of A. flavus isolates tested positive for production of AB1 and highest yield recorded was 5008.20 ppb from the isolates of T. cordifolia. Amongthesix highly contaminated samples three samples tested positive for AB1. Highest AB1 was recorded from T. cordifolia (104.19 µg/kg), followed by A. calamus (13.73 µg/kg) and M. fragrans (12.02 µg/kg). Conclusion: Assessment of fungal and mycotoxin contamination should be a part of the quality check while selecting HDRM for manufacture of herbal products. Safeprocessing and storage practices are necessary
PROSPECTIVE EFFECT OF RED ALGAE, ACTINOTRICHIA FRAGILIS, AGAINST SOME OSTEOARTHRITIS AETIOLOGY
Get PDFBackground: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive disease characterized by joints pain and articular cartilage
destruction. Most of the current treatment strategies for OA are effective for symptoms relief but are accompanied with
adverse side effect. Thus, the present investigation aims to evaluate the potential influence of red algae, Actinotrichia
fragilis, in the dry powder form (AFP) or gel form (AFG) on some relevant factors of OA progression as well as assess
its safety through in vitro and in vivo experiments.
Materials and Methods: In vitro, AFP was analyzed for its chemical constituents screening, amino acid, proteinase
inhibitory activity, HRBC membrane stabilization activity, free radical scavenging activity, total antioxidant potency,
nitric oxide radical scavenging power. In vivo, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
toxicity test was performed to test the safety of AFP on rats.
Results: The present findings revealed that AFP and AFG can be considered as inflammatory-proteinase-oxidant
inhibitor and considered to be safe according to the OECD guideline.
Conclusion: AFP and AFG may have the potency to become the therapeutic candidate for OA disease as it prevents
the key causes of OA initiation
FABRICATION AND EVALUATION OF SMART NANOCRYSTALS OF ARTEMISININ FOR ANTIMALARIAL AND ANTIBACTERIAL EFFICACY
Get PDFBackground: Nanocrystals have the potential to substantially increase dissolution rate, solubility with subsequent
enhanced bioavailability via the oral route of a range of poor water soluble drugs. Regardless of other issues, scale up
of the batch size is the main issue associated with bottom up approach.
Material and Methods: Smart nanocrystals of artemisinin (ARM) was produced relatively at large batch sizes (100,
200, 300 and 400ml) compared to our previously reported study by (Shah, et al., 2016). ARM
nanosuspensions/nanocrystals were characterised using zeta sizer, SEM, TEM, DSC, PXRD and RP-HPLC. The
nanosuspensions were finally subjected to in vitro antimalarial and antimicrobial activity.
Results: The average particle size (PS) for 400 ml batches was 126.5 ±1.02 nm, and the polydispersity index (PI) was
0.194 ± 0.04. The saturation solubility of the ARM nanocrystals was substantially increased to (725.4± 2.0 μg/ml)
compared to the raw ARM in water 177.4± 1.3 μg/ml and stabilizer solution (385.3± 2.0 μg/ml). The IC50 value of
ARM nanosuspension against P. vivax was 65 and 21 folds lower than micronized 19.5 ng/mL and unprocessed drug
(6.4 ng/mL) respectively. The ARM nanosuspension was found highly effective compared to unprocessed drug against
all the tested microorganism except E. coli, Shigella and C. albican.
Conclusion: The simple precipitation-ultrasonication approach was efficiently employed for fabrication of ARM
nanosuspension to scale up the batch size. Similarly, the solubility, antimalarial potential and antimicrobial efficacy of
ARM in the form of nanosuspension were significantly enhanced. Findings from this study can persuade research
interest for further comprehensive studies using animals model
POSSIBLE REGULATION OF LDL-RECEPTOR BY NARINGENIN IN HEPG2 HEPATOMA CELL LINE
Get PDFBackground: High plasma concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) plays a significant role in the
incidence of atherosclerosis and coronary heart diseases (CHD).
Materials and Methods: The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism by which citrus flavonoids,
naringenin regulate the LDL receptor (LDLr) gene in human liver using the human hepatoma cell line, HepG2 as a
model.
Results: Time-course transient transfection of HepG2 cells with luciferase reporter-gene constructs incorporating the
promoters of SREBP-1a,-1c, -2 and LDLr, revealed that in lipoprotein-deficient medium (LPDM), only SREBP-1a
promoter activity was increased significantly after 4h exposure to 200μM naringenin respectively. However, after 24h
incubation with 200μM naringenin the gene expression activities of all the SREBP-1a, -1c, -2 and LDLr promoterconstructs
were increased significantly. The effects of both 200μM naringenin on elevating LDLr mRNA are possibly
due to regulation of gene transcription by SREBP-la and SREBP-2. However, the suppression effect of 200μM
naringenin on hepatic SREBP-1c mRNA expression is likely associated with the reduction in mRNA expression of
both acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. It was found that, 200μM
naringenin was likely to stimulate LDLr gene expression via increase phosphorylation of PI3K and ERK1/2 which
enhance the transcription factors SREBP-1a and SREBP-2 mRNA levels and increased their protein maturation in
human hepatoma HepG2 cell.
Conclusion: Diets supplemented with naringenin could effectively reduce mortality and morbidity from coronary heart
diseases and as cardio-protective effects in humans
BIOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION OF BARLEY RIHANE (HORDEUM VULGARE L.)
Get PDFBackground: Many experimental studies have suggested an important role for barley Rihane(BR)in the prevention of
colon cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physico-chemical properties
and nutritional characterizations of BR compared to other varieties grown in Tunisia (Manel, Roho and Tej).
Material and Methods: Total, insoluble and soluble dietary fiber(β-glucan),total protein, ash and some minerals of BR
and Tunisian barley varieties were determined.
Results: The results revealed that BR is good source of dietary fiber mainly β-glucan compared to the other varieties.
This variety is a relatively rich source of phosphorous and potassium and it contains many important unsaturated fatty
acids. BR has higher nutritional value than other varieties.
Conclusion: Barley Rihane has significant nutritional characterizations compared to others Tunisian barleys varieties