Journal of Natural Pharmaceuticals : 2011 - 2(3)

Message from the Editor

Ilkay Erdogan-Orhan — Tue,18 Oct 2011

Ilkay Erdogan-Orhan

Journal of Natural Pharmaceuticals 2011 2(3):119-119

Evaluation of hair growth promoting activity of Musa paradisiaca unripe fruit extract

Anil Sidram Savali — Tue,18 Oct 2011

Anil Sidram Savali, Somnath Devidas Bhinge, Hariprasanna R Chitapurkar

Journal of Natural Pharmaceuticals 2011 2(3):120-124

For the evaluation of the hair growth promoting activity of Musa paradisiaca unripe fruit extract, the study was aimed to investigate the hair growth promoting activity of M. paradisiaca unripe fruit extract. Objective: We examined the effect of M. paradisiaca unripe fruit extract for the hair growth promoting activity, which has been traditionally used for treating hair loss. Materials and Methods: The mice were divided into four groups the extract and minoxidil were applied over the shaved skin surface on to the backs of mice and monitored for 30 days. Results: The extract of M. paradisiaca unripe fruit when tested for the hair growth activity was assed by studying hair length and microscopic study of follicles in vehicle control, 2% minoxidil treated and extract treated animals. Conclusion: The findings suggest that extract of M. paradisiaca unripe fruit has potential as a hair growth promoter.

Effect of oral administration of ethanolic root extract of Tinospora cordifolia on aflatoxin B 1 -induced toxicity in swiss albino mice

Veena Sharma — Tue,18 Oct 2011

Veena Sharma, Rekha Gupta, Shatruhan Sharma

Journal of Natural Pharmaceuticals 2011 2(3):125-132

Background: Aflatoxins are potent hepatotoxic and hepatocarcinogenic agents. This hepatotoxicity is thought to be mediated by their ability to generate reactive oxygen species and cause peroxidative damage. Considering the antioxidant properties of Tinospora cordifolia, this study was undertaken to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Tinospora cordifolia root extract in terms of altered biochemical, hematological, serological and histopathological parameters. Methods: Sixty male swiss albino mice were taken for post exposure therapy. Results: Aflatoxin exposure elicited a significant escalation in the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and depletion in reduced glutathione, protein, ascorbic acid and antioxidant enzymes, namely, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glutathione S-transferase activities. Chronic aflatoxin ingestion showed a significant decline in total erythrocyte count, lymphocyte count, hemoglobin, hematocrit values while total leukocyte count, platelet count and neutrophil count significantly increased in the aflatoxin-treated group. The activities of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and alkaline phosphate augmented significantly in the serum of aflatoxin-exposed mice suggesting hepatic damage. Aflatoxin administration decreased the content of high density lipoprotein while increased the content of cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein significantly. Pathological examination of the liver tissue also supported the biochemical findings. However, post-exposure administration of Tinospora cordifolia root extract to the aflatoxin-treated group attenuated the deranged parameters to some extent. Conclusion: This study indicated that Tinospora cordifolia can be a protective regimen for aflatoxin toxicity.

Flavonoids inhibited NADPH consumption and ecdysis processes in Oncopeltus fasciatus

Juliana Oliveira Abreu Narciso — Tue,18 Oct 2011

Juliana Oliveira Abreu Narciso, Marco Antonio Soares de Souza, Mario Geraldo de Carvalho, Mário Sergio da Rocha Gomes, Marcelo Genestra, Marise Maleck de Oliveira Cabral

Journal of Natural Pharmaceuticals 2011 2(3):133-137

Background: Piptadenia rigida is a source of flavonoids such as isoliquiritigenin ( 1 ), 7,3',4'-trihydroxyflavone ( 2 ) and 7,8,3',4'-tetrahydroxyflavanone ( 3 ). Flavonoids influence on the feeding behavior of insects besides the inhibition of the insect larvae growth. Nitric oxide (NO) seems to be conserved in invertebrate innate immunity and the NO synthase (NOS) activity has been implicated in insect immunity. Therefore, the NOS expression can be evaluated to determine the inhibition of NADPH consumption. Material and Methods: three natural flavonoids, isolated from P. rigida whose structures were determined by 1 H and 13 C NMR spectral data analysis, were evaluated on the Oncopeltus fasciatus control by molting processes and NADPH consumption in the insect intestine following mortality. Results: The flavonoids treatment on O. fasciatus showed 50% mortality and 50% ecdysis ( 1 ), 30% mortality and 43% ecdysis ( 2 ), and topical treatment with th 3 resulted in 43% ecdysis but did not show high toxicity at 100μg/nymph. Intestine homogenates obtained from insects treated with flavonoids that were incubated with NADPH substrate showed percentage inhibitions of 72%, 78% and 80%, for the treatments 3, 1 and 2, respectively. Conclusion: The flavanone ( 3 ) was the most effective and least toxic to the insect, followed by 2 and then 1 .

Anticancer, cytotoxic potential of Moringa oleifera extracts on HeLa cell line

Shruti Nair — Tue,18 Oct 2011

Shruti Nair, KN Varalakshmi

Journal of Natural Pharmaceuticals 2011 2(3):138-142

Background: The objective of the study was to analyze the anticancer property of Moringa oleifera on HeLa cells and also to analyze its safety on human peripheral lymphocytes. Materials and Methods: Using ethnomedical data approach, the Indian medicinal plant (M. oleifera) that is used in traditional medicine for cancer and non-cancerous diseases was collected. The crude extracts were prepared by alcoholic and aqueous extraction methods using standard protocols. The antiproliferative effects of the aqueous and alcoholic extracts were evaluated in vitro by employing MTT assay, viability test by trypan blue dye exclusion and apoptosis of the cancer cells were confirmed by DNA fragmentation analysis, ethidium bromide- acridine orange (EB/AO) staining. Results: The aqueous extract of M. oleifera showed good cytotoxicity which was concentration dependent. It was contradictory incase of methanolic and hexane extracts, the cell viability was found to increase as the concentration of extract increased. It states that not only the concentration of extract is having an effect on cell viability, even the methods and solvents of extraction are important in exerting their effects on cell lines. At the same time, the extracts showed proliferative effects on the normal human lymphocytes. Conclusion: The aqueous extract of M. oleifera exhibited cytotoxic effects on Hela cells and least cytotoxicity on lymphocytes. For plants that are used as anticancer herbal drugs, our results indicated a correlation between the reported use of these plants and their cytotoxic activity on cancer cells.

Comparative toxicity assessment of three Tephrosia species on Artemia salina and animal cell lines

Sandhya Subhadra — Tue,18 Oct 2011

Sandhya Subhadra, Venkata Ramana Kanacharalapalli, Vinod Kombath Ravindran, Sai Kumar Parre, Sunitha Chintala, Rajeswar Thatipally

Journal of Natural Pharmaceuticals 2011 2(3):143-148

Background: Tephrosia calophylla, Tephrosia maxima and Tephrosia purpurea are generally used in the treatment of various ailments including cancer by the folklore of Indian subcontinent. Materials and Methods: The powdered root of three plants were separately extracted with chloroform and then subjected to preliminary chemical screening. The total phenolic and flavonoid content were estimated by using gallic acid and quercetin as standard. Brine shrimp hatchability and lethality tests were done by hatching the cysts of Artemia salina in brine solution. As these parameters can be associated to tumor cells, the investigation was extrapolated to animal cell lines, Daltons Lymphoma Ascites (DLA) and Erlisch Ascites Carcinoma (EAC). Trypan blue exclusion method was adopted for this screening. In all experiments dose selected were between the ranges of 10 and 200 μg/mL. Results: Preliminary chemical screening revealed the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, alkaloids, tannins and flavonoids for T. calophylla and T. maxima; proteins, alkaloids, tannins and flavonoids for T. purpurea. The total phenolic and flavonoid content was found to be highest in the case of T. calophylla followed by T. maxima and then by T. purpurea. It was observed that in all the cytotoxicity tests performed T. calophylla was proved to be most potent followed by T. maxima and then by T. purpurea. The results thus obtained were found to correlate with the values obtained for total phenolic and flavonoid content. Conclusion: The present investigation revealed that all three species of Tephrosia to be potent cytotoxic agents. Increasing order of cytotoxicity can be denoted as T.purpurea < T.maxima < T.calophylla. Further studies have to be performed to identify the chemical entity responsible for efficient cytotoxicity which may help in the development of suitable lead compounds.

Evaluation of the effect of the ethanolic extract of Delonix elata on acute inflammation in rats

K Manimekalai — Tue,18 Oct 2011

K Manimekalai, Kartik J Salwe, Harsha M Shetty

Journal of Natural Pharmaceuticals 2011 2(3):149-153

Background: The ethanolic extract of Delonix elata was studied for its effect on the acute inflammation and comparison of its ulcerogenic potential with ibuprofen. Materials and Methods: The ethanolic extract of the leaves of D. elata was obtained using the Soxhlet apparatus. Swiss albino mice weighing 20-30 g and Wistar albino rats weighing 120-130 g of either sex were used in the study. The antinociceptive property of the plant extract was screened by acetic acid-induced writhing in mice while the anti-inflammatory property was studied using the carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats. The gastric irritant action was tested by administering the drug orally and screening the gastric mucosa macroscopically and microscopically after acute administration of the D. elata extract in rats. The percent inhibition of the writhing response and paw edema was noted. The stomach were excised and opened along the greater curvature. The severity of ulcers was scored from 0 to 5 depending on the size and severity of ulcer. Results: The plant extract at a dose of 100 and 200 mg/kg showed a significant reduction in writhing with 55.56% and 54.76% of inhibition, respectively, and also showed a significant dose-dependent reduction in the volume of paw edema with approximately 55.78% and 66.31% of inhibition, respectively. The histological section after the acute administration of ibuprofen indicated superficial erosion. In contrast, after acute treatment of D. elata, it was found that the surface epithelium was intact. Conclusion: The present results indicate that D. elata may be considered safer than the conventional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with respect to gastric irritation potential.

HPLC analysis of protoberberine alkaloids in Phellodendron lavallei D. introduced to Western Georgia

Mariam Meskheli — Tue,18 Oct 2011

Mariam Meskheli, Valentina Vachnadze, Dali Berashvili, Aliosha Bakuridze

Journal of Natural Pharmaceuticals 2011 2(3):154-157

Background : Phellodendron lavallei D. is one of the oldest medicinal plants and is of current interest as a natural medicine. The aim of our study was to determine the features and amount of the content of berberine, palmatine, jatrorrhizine, and magnoflorine in the overall preparation enriched by pharmacologically active alkaloids, obtained from the bark of P. lavallei, using HPLC. Materials and Methods: The chromatographic separation was carried out using a Zorbax SB-C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm; Waters), mobile phase MeOH 20 mL/mol and KH 2 PO 48:52 (pH 2.6). The UV detection was performed at 235 nm. Results: A good linear behavior over the investigated concentration range was observed with the value r2 > 0.9999. The amount of palmatine, jatrorrhizine, magnoflorine, and berberine in the extract was determined and the following results were achieved: berberine 7.6%, palmatine 0.77%, jatrorrhizine 0.9%, and magnoflorine 57%. Conclusion: Study results show that this method of HPLC might be used to determine alkaloids such as berberine, palmatine, jatrorrhizine, and magnoflorine in P. lavallei D .

Laxative potential of the ethanolic leaf extract of Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. in Wistar rats with loperamide-induced constipation

A.O.T Ashafa — Tue,18 Oct 2011

A.O.T Ashafa, TO Sunmonu, AA Abass, AA Ogbe

Journal of Natural Pharmaceuticals 2011 2(3):158-162

Background: Constipation is a highly prevalent and often chronic functional gastrointestinal disorder affecting humans irrespective of race and color exposing victims to colorectal cancer. The present study evaluated the efficacy of the ethanolic leaf extract of Aloe vera against loperamide-induced constipation in rats. Materials and Methods: Rats were constipation induced by the oral administration of loperamide (3 mg/kg body weight) while the control animals received normal saline. Constipated rats were treated with 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight/day of the ethanolic leaf extract for 7 days during which the feeding characteristics, body weight, fecal properties, and gastrointestinal transit ratio were monitored. Results: Treatment of constipated rats with the extract at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight for 7 days improved intestinal motility, increased fecal volume, and normalized body weight in the constipated rats. These are indications of the laxative property of the herb with the 200 mg/kg body weight of the extract showing the best efficacy. Conclusion: The effect of the extract compares favorably well with Gaviscon, a standard laxative drug. These findings have therefore lent scientific support to the use of the herb as a laxative agent in Nigerian folkloric medicine.

Development of the HPLC method to determine the metabolites of isomajdine isolated from Vinca herbacea Waldst. et Kit. growing in Georgia

Natia Gagua — Tue,18 Oct 2011

Natia Gagua, C Aubert, Valentina Vachnadze, Aliosha Bakuridze

Journal of Natural Pharmaceuticals 2011 2(3):163-165

Background: It was decided to develop a reliable HPLC method coupled with ultraviolet detection for simultaneous determination of isomajdine and its metabolites in in vitro experiment. Methods: A liquid liquid extraction was used to extract the compounds from plasma. The analysis was carried out on a ZorbaxC18 column (250mmx4.6mm, 5μm). The mobile phase consisted of water (A) and acetonitril (B) (16:84, V/V) used in gradient mode: 16 (B) for 10 min, 71 (B) for 55 minute, 16 (B) 62 minutes, pumped at 1ml/min. Results: 4 metabolites have been detected and separeted. tha linearity was invetigated. Conclusion: The calibration curves showed good linearity with correlation coefficient greater that 0.996 for the analytes in the investigated range.So the HPLC method is precise, accurate and simple.