Biology, Medicine, & Natural Product Chemistry
Not a member yet
345 research outputs found
Sort by
Nephroprotective Activities of Ethanol Root Extract and Fractions of Hippocratea africana Against Doxorubicin-Induced Kidney Toxicity
Get PDFHippocratea africana root used locally in the treatment of poisoning was investigated to confirm its antidotal potential in rats. The root extract (200-600 mg/kg) and fractions; dichloromethane (DCM) and aqueous, 400 mg/kg) were evaluated for nephroprotective activity against doxorubicin-induced kidney injury in rats. Kidney function parameters, kidney oxidative stress markers and kidney histology were used to assess the kidney protective effect of the extract. The root extract and fractions (200-600 mg/kg) significantly (p<0.05-0.01) reduced the levels of creatinine, urea and electrolytes that were elevated by doxorubicin. Also, the MDA level elevated by doxorubicin was reduced by the extract and fractions co-administration, while the levels of GSH, GST, SOD, GPx, and CAT that were decreased by doxorubicin were significantly (p<0.01) elevated by the root extract/fractions. Histology of the kidney sections of extract/fractions -treated animals showed reductions in the pathological features compared to the organotoxic-treated animals. The chemical pathological changes were consistent with histopathological observations suggesting marked nephroprotective potential. The anti-toxic effect of this plant may in part be mediated through the chemical constituents of the plant. The plant, Hippocratea africana possesses anti-toxicant properties which can be exploited in the treatment of doxorubicin related toxicities
Alkaloids Lead to Potential Inhibition of the Acyl Carrier Protein Reductase to Attenuate Tuberculosis; an in-silico Analysis
Get PDFTuberculosis (TB) is a contagious infection that mostly affects the lungs. Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes tuberculosis infection, leading to granulomatous lesions in affected lung tissue. It is one of the most prevalent and deadly infectious diseases among the under developed countries. This study aims to investigate the possible inhibition of the acyl carrier protein reductase for preventing tuberculosis by well-known alkaloids, thereby reducing Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth in the lungs and thereby reducing the incidence of latent and active TB. About five natural alkaloids were subjected to the molecular docking analysis, which produced favorable findings in terms of best pose and binding energies of these compounds towards the active residues of mycobacterial ACP reductase, with values ranging from -10 kcal/mol to -9.1 kcal/mol. The molecular dynamics simulation produced similar encouraging results. All of the prospective alkaloid compounds were subjected to an in-silico toxicity investigation, which determined that every compound was safe and non-toxic. Further studies may be necessary for effective formulation development employing these compounds as part of the process of drug discovery and development. The findings from this study may be helpful in the development of the novel nanoformulations using natural products for pharmacotherapy of tuberculosis infection
Medicinal Biospecificity of Ginger and Its Efficacious Bioactive Compounds in the Context of Its Biological Activities Against Predominant Health Issues: Current Study and New Avenues
Get PDFThere is a multitude of life-threatening and widespread health issues worldwide, regarding weak immunity, severe inflammation, viral infections, bacterial infections as well as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), high free radicals generation, and cancer. Ginger, a perennial plant of the Zingiberaceae family with several authentic nutritional and medicinal values used in many countries as traditional medicine. That is why, the study was designed to highlight recent studies about medicinally most efficacious bio-active compounds of ginger along their biological significance related to immuno-stimulatory, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer effects. Our study also recognized future gaps in research. The study included professional research data under duration from 2001-2022 appearing in books and scholarly journals, collected from scientific database platforms via PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Springer Nature, Science Direct and Scopus. The present study includes the medicinal effects of almost 44 most influential ginger compounds like phenolics, terpenoids, flavonoids, and vinyllyl ketonic compounds etc. Our results revealed the strong alleviating effects of gingerols, shogaols, paradols, and polyphenols. Moreover, the ginger essential oil has proven to be very effective both for antiviral and antibacterial activity. However, no data is available in previous literature for components of ginger involved in immuno-stimulatory, effects. There is also a need to explore components for antibacterial activity. However, research has been conducted on ginger for only a few viruses despite its strong alleviating effects. Besides this, more study is needed to comprehend the comprehensive mechanism of action (especially at the molecular level) regarding the anti-bacterial and anti-viral activity of ginger and its constituents
The Potential of a Sumbawa Herbal Oil-Based Oleogel as Burn Wound Dressing
Get PDFThis study aimed to innovate the current Sumbawa oil preparation which is still in the form of liquid into an oleogel so that it is easier to apply and more practical for distribution and storage. Phytochemical analysis of Sumbawa oil showed the contents of phenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids. By adding hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) as a gelling agent and glycerin as a humectant, Sumbawa oil can be served in the form of an oleogel. The pH measurement of the Sumbawa oil oleogel at levels of 90%, 95%, and 100% ranged from 7.0–7.3 which is the ideal acidity level for the wound healing process. In the antimicrobial activity test with S. aureus and E. coli, the zone of inhibition ranged from 12.1–14.7 mm which is considered strong. Meanwhile, in in vitro testing of the anti-inflammatory activity using the human red blood cell membrane stabilization method, the stability level of each was obtained to be 78% for 100% Sumbawa oil, 74% for oleogel with 95% Sumbawa oil, and 73% for oleogel with 90% Sumbawa oil. The oleogel morphology observation using a scanning electron microscope showed a good gelation process at 5% and 10% HEC levels
Lupenone Isolated from Diospyros melanoxylon Bark Non-competitively Inhibits alpha-amylase Activity
No full textDiabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that poses a serious global health problem, due to its associated effects on obesity and aging. Therapeutic strategies for targeting diabetes include the downregulation and/or inhibition of enzymes such as a-amylase and a-glucosidase, hydrolyzing the dietary carbohydrates in intestine. There is increasing interest for a-amylase inhibitors from natural sources. Our objective was to undertake the phytochemical screening of bark extracts of Diospyros melanoxylon for potential a-amylase inhibitory activity and further identification of the active principle and the underlying mechanisms of inhibition. Enzyme-assay guided fractionation of the Diospyros melanoxylon bark extract led to the isolation of a triterpene, Lupenone as a potential inhibitor of a-amylase, with a non-competitive inhibition and inhibitor constant = 30 mM. Lupenone-mediated inhibition of a-amylase responsible for the breakdown of dietary sugar may be effective in preventing postprandial hyperglycemia in the diabetic subjects
Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activity of Pomegranate Extract (Punica granatum L.) in Lip Balm Formulation
No full textLips are a part of the face that does not have hair follicles making them easily dry and crack. Lipbalm is a beauty product that could be used to solve this problem by increasing lip moisture. However, the synthetic ingredient in commercial lip balm can have side effects on the body in the long term. Pomegranate fruit is one of the natural ingredients containing anthocyanin which can be used as a natural dye, antioxidant, and antibacterial. Therefore, this study was performed to study the potency of pomegranates as natural dyes, antioxidants, and antibacterial in lip balm. Pure pomegranate juice was obtained through squeeze step. Lip balm was prepared in several concentrations of pomegranate juice which were 0%, 12.5%, 18.75%, and 25%. Phytochemical screening shows the content of anthocyanin, saponin, tannin, and flavonoid. In this study, pomegranate juice has low antioxidant activity with IC50 449 ppm. Lip balm formula with 18.75% and 25% of pomegranate juice can inhibit the growth of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus
Bioactive Compound in Solanum torvum and Its Potential as Functional Food and Drink: A Review
Get PDFSolanum torvum is a fruit used as food and has medical properties. This study aims to provide an updated understanding of Solanum Torvum’s health benefits as a functional food through a study literature review. The research utilizes electronic databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Nature, Clinical Key, and Springer) from July-October 2022. Solanum Torvum contains various bioactive components, vitamins, mineral, nutritions. It shows that Solanum torvum has potential sources as functional food. However, studies about solanum torvum consumption as a functional food and the clinical trial of its health benefits in humans are still limited. Further in vivo and in vitro studies are necessary to present the effect of solanum torvum consumption on health
Liver Protection Effect of Red Rose Petal Methanol Extract in Copper-Induced Liver Injury in Male Wistar Rats
Get PDFThe human body requires low amounts of copper to maintain homeostasis, but high copper intake can cause various health problems. Many previous studies have been performed to look for natural products that can neutralize the excessive copper effect; one such natural product is a rose petal. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the liver protection effect of rose petals in copper-induced liver injury in male Wistar rats. This experimental study used thirty male Wistar rats that were grouped into five groups, including control, standard (quercetin), Rose Petal Methanol Extract-1 (400 mg/kg BW), 2 (800 mg/kg BW), and 3 (1,200 mg/kg BW). All groups were treated for 14 days, and all rats were given copper (II) sulfate suspension for the last three days. On the fifteenth day, all rats were sacrificed to obtain blood and liver tissue SGOT, SGPT, and liver histology study. The results showed that rose petal methanol extract significantly decreased SGOT and SGPT levels compared to the control group (P-value <0.05). The reduced area of ballooning degeneration and necrosis were in line with the increased dose of rose petal extract supported the liver protection effect of rose petal extract. Therefore, it can be concluded that rose petal methanol extract protects the liver against copper impacts
The Effects of Frequent Therapeutic Administration of Artesunate-amodiaquine and Artemether-lumefantrine on Haematological Markers in BALB/c Mice
Get PDFArtemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT) is readily available in malaria-endemic nations, leading to repeated drug usage by undiagnosed persons. Repeated use of ACT therapy by non-infected individuals may affect blood cells. This study explored how repeated artesunate-amodiaquine (A/A) and artemether-lumefantrine (A/L) treatment in non-infected mice affected haematological markers. 100 male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: non-infected and Plasmodium berghei NK65 infected treated with A/L and A/A 1X, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, and 6X, and the control group. Packed cell volume (PCV), Haemoglobin (Hb), and red blood cell (RBC) were reduced (p>0.05) non-significantly in the non-infected group treated with A/L or A/A six times compared to the control and infected groups. WBC rose in infected and non-infected mice treated with A/L or A/A 1X, 2X, 3X, and 6X, with a substantial rise in non-infected mice treated with A/L (p < 0.01) and A/A (p < 0.001) three times. WBC mainly rose due to lymphocytes, although neutrophils decreased. Repeated therapeutic use of A/L and A/A without infection may cause a haematological change. Continuous efforts are needed to educate the public about screening for malaria parasites before using drugs
Prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae Producing Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) in Broiler Meat (Gallus domesticus) Sold in Regional Markets of West Surabaya
Get PDFBroiler meat is a foodstuff that is easily damaged by bacterial growth. Several pathogenic bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family have also been found as contaminants in chicken meat. While Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBL) are enzymes that have the ability to hydrolyze antibiotics of the penicillin class, first, second, and third generation cephalosporins as well as the monobactam group. Based on this phenomenon, the researchers wanted to examine the prevalence of the ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae family in broiler chicken (Gallus domesticus) meat sold in the West Surabaya market. This research is a descriptive observational type using a cross-sectional approach. The population in this study was broiler chicken meat taken from broiler traders in several markets in West Surabaya which had met the inclusion and exclusion criteria with a large sample of 50 samples. Then the data were analyzed using the chi-square test. The results of the analysis showed that 13 samples produced ESBL. The prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae bacteria producing ESBL in broiler chicken (Gallus domesticus) meat in several markets in West Surabaya is 26% of the 50 samples used. The results of the chi-square test showed that there was no significant difference between locations where ESBL was found