BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous". In the present study the anti-hyperglycemic and anti-oxidative potential of aqueous extract of Trigonella foenum graceum (TFG), a... more
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES "In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous". In the present study the anti-hyperglycemic and anti-oxidative potential of aqueous extract of Trigonella foenum graceum (TFG), a traditional medicinal herb was assessed in liver and WBC of alloxan induced diabetic rats. Free radicals can cause oxidative damage, which is balanced by the antioxidants. This has been implicated in aging, and diseases such as diabetes and other chronic conditions. MATERIAL AND METHODS TFG extract was administered orally [500 (LM) and 1000 mg/kg body weight (HM)] for six weeks. The effect of TFG on blood glucose were studied and the levels of lipid peroxidation [MDA (Malondialdehyde)] and antioxidant enzymes [SOD (Superoxide dismutase), GPx (Reduced Glutathione peroxidase)] were estimated and compared with standard drugs glibenclamide and insulin. RESULTS Treatment with TFG, insulin and glibenclamide resulted in significantly reduced blood glucose in LM (8....
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Punica granatum L. , ( family Lythraceae) (Pomegranate) is a shrub which attains a height of about 5-8 meters (Middha et al., 2013a). It is believed to have originated in Iran and is cultivated majorly in Meditterranean region, Indian... more
Punica granatum L. , ( family Lythraceae) (Pomegranate) is a shrub which attains a height of about 5-8 meters (Middha et al., 2013a). It is believed to have originated in Iran and is cultivated majorly in Meditterranean region, Indian subcontinent, Middle East, Central Asia, Northern Africa and tropical Africa (Akbarpour et al., 2009). The word pomegranate is derived from Latin word ‘pomum’ means ‘apple’ and ‘granatum’ means ‘seeded’. It is variously named thoroughout the globe like grenadine or grantapfel in German, granatapple in Swedish, grenade in French, granda in Spanish and dadim/dadima in India. Pomegranate is used widely in domestic as well as industrial purposes such as cooking, preparation of juice, baking, making of wine and other alcoholic beverages. The fruit is round consisting a crown in the base rendered from the calyx. The texture of the peel is stringy and sturdy, with the colour ranging between yellow to red
Department of Biochemistry, Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College For Women, Malleswaram, Bangalore 560012, India * Corresponding author : Sushil Kumar Middha; Kumaun University, Bhimtal Campus, Nainital, Uttrakhand-263136, India; E-mail:... more
Department of Biochemistry, Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College For Women, Malleswaram, Bangalore 560012, India * Corresponding author : Sushil Kumar Middha; Kumaun University, Bhimtal Campus, Nainital, Uttrakhand-263136, India; E-mail: sushil.middha@gmail.com; Phone: (+91)(01594)2248042, Fax: (+91)(01594)2248042 Dear Editor, Diabetes is a major epidemic chronic metabolic ailment worldwide (WHO, 2008). It is characterized by insufficiency of insulin secretion and/or action, insulin resistance, and ab-normal metabolism of glucose, lipid and protein (WHO, 2008; Middha et al., 2011). Today, diabetes has become a pandemic affecting approximately 5 % of people in both developed and developing countries. Globally, diabetes causes high mortality and is the second most common cause of death after cancer (Middha et al., 2012). According to the diabetes atlas, in 2025 India, China and the United States would gain region-wise emphasis as top three coun-tries with people suffering from diabetes (A...
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Drug Repurposing (DR) is an alternative to the traditional drug discovery process. It is cost and time effective,with high returns and low-risk process that can tackle the increasing need for interventions for varied diseases and new... more
Drug Repurposing (DR) is an alternative to the traditional drug discovery process. It is cost and time effective,with high returns and low-risk process that can tackle the increasing need for interventions for varied diseases and new outbreaks. Repurposing of old drugs for other diseases has gained wider attention, as there have been several old drugs approved by the FDA for new diseases. In the global emergency of COVID-19 pandemic, this is one of the strategies implemented in the repurposing of old anti-infective, anti-rheumatic and anti-thrombotic drugs. The goal of the current review is to elaborate the process of DR, its advantages, repurposed drugs for a plethora of disorders, and the evolution of related academic publications. Further, detailed are the computational approaches: literature mining and semantic inference, network-based drug repositioning, signature matching, retrospective clinical analysis, molecular docking and experimental phenotypic screening. We discuss the ...
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Introduction: Myrica nagi Thunb. (family Myricaceae) are actinorhizal plants showing symbiotic interaction with Frankia. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme is known to be significant in preventing inflammation and in... more
Introduction: Myrica nagi Thunb. (family Myricaceae) are actinorhizal plants showing symbiotic interaction with Frankia. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme is known to be significant in preventing inflammation and in therapeutics. Objectives: Our principal focus was to identify COX-2 enzyme inhibitors, safer and natural anti-inflammatory compounds from M. nagi. Protein–ligand interaction has a significant role in structure-based drug design. Materials and Methods: Sixty-eight phytochemicals were therefore screened and evaluated for their binding energies with COX-2. These phytoconstituents were screened and analyzed for drug Likeliness along with Lipinski's rule of five. The X-ray crystallographic structure of the target COX-2 (protein data bank [PDB] ID: 4PH9), obtained from PDB, was docked with PubChem structures of phytochemicals using AutoDock 4.2 that uses Lamarckian genetic algorithm. Further, myricetin was subjected to in vitro anti-inflammatory assay using RAW-264.7 cell lines and inhibitory concentration (IC50) value was also determined. Results: The myricetin, myricitrin, and corchoionoside-C inhibited COX-2 with − 6.52, −4.94, and − 4.94 Kcal/mol binding energies, respectively, comparable to ibuprofen. Eventually, bioactivity score and absorption distribution metabolism excretion-toxicity properties showed considerable biological activities as G protein-coupled receptor, nuclear receptor, protease inhibitor, and enzyme inhibitors for myricetin, myricitrin, and corchoionoside-C phytochemicals. Molecular docking revealed hydrophobic interactions followed by four, nine, and four numbers of hydrogen bonds between myricetin, myricitrin, and corchoionoside-C, respectively, within the binding site of COX-2. Flavonol myricetin showed 112 μg/mL as IC50 value when it was subjected to in vitro cytotoxicity assay. These results clearly demonstrated that myricetin, myricitrin, and corchoionoside-C could act as highly potential COX-2 inhibitors. Therefore, in silico and in vitro studies revealed that of three best phytochemicals, myricetin could be promising candidate.
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Efficacy of several plant extracts in the clinical research for modulating oxidative stress correlated with diabetes mellitus (DM) is well documented. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro antioxidant activity, toxicity, and... more
Efficacy of several plant extracts in the clinical research for modulating oxidative stress correlated with diabetes mellitus (DM) is well documented. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro antioxidant activity, toxicity, and anti-diabetic activity of methanolic extract of Hippophae salicifolia leaves in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic wistar rats. H. salicifolia leaves were found to be rich in antioxidants. The acute toxicity test of methanolic extract of H. salicifolia leaves revealed that the median lethal dose (LD50) was found to be 3.92 g/kg body weight in mice. Administration of H. salicifolia leaves at 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg in alloxan-induced diabetic rats illustrated significant reduction (22% and 39%, respectively) in fasting blood glucose compared to diabetic control. Both the doses were found to be effective when compared to diabetic rats. The Hippophae-treated diabetic rats showed significant increase in the endogenous antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (50% and 74%, respectively), glutathione peroxidase (57% and 41%, respectively) and decrease in malondialdehyde (33% and 15%, respectively) levels. These results suggested that the methanolic leaf extract of H. salicifolia enhanced the antioxidant defence against reactive oxygen species produced under hyperglycaemic conditions.
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Latest evaluation and validation of cancer drugs and their targets has demonstrated the lack and inadequate development of new and better drugs, based on available protocols. Even though the specificity of drug targets is a great... more
Latest evaluation and validation of cancer drugs and their targets has demonstrated the lack and inadequate development of new and better drugs, based on available protocols. Even though the specificity of drug targets is a great challenge in the pharmaco-proteomics field of cancer biology, for eradicating such hurdles and paving the way for the drugs of future, a novel step has been envisaged here to study the relation between drug target network and the corresponding drug network using the advanced concepts of proteomics and network biology. The literature mining was done for the collection of receptors and the ligands. About 1000 natural compounds were collected and out of those 300 molecules showed anti-cancer activity against colon cancer. Ligand Vs multiple receptor docking was done using the software Quantum 3.3.0; the results were further used for the designing of a well connected Protein Ligand Interaction (PLI) network of colon cancer. The obtained network is then extrapol...
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The nutgrass, Cyperus rotundus L. (Family: Cyperaceae), is a colonial, perennial herb considered to have originated in India 2000 years ago and widely used in Ayurveda to treat several ailments. In addition to its prehistoric uses, it is... more
The nutgrass, Cyperus rotundus L. (Family: Cyperaceae), is a colonial, perennial herb considered to have originated in India 2000 years ago and widely used in Ayurveda to treat several ailments. In addition to its prehistoric uses, it is used in several systems of medicine for treating variety of diseases. The synergistic actions of the Cyperus’ compounds have added advantage over that of a single constituent. In the past decade, numerous studies proved analgesic, anti-allergic, anti-arthritic, anti-candida, anti-cariogenic, anti-convulsant, anti-diarrheal, anti-emetic, anti-helminthic, anti-histamine, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-malarial, anti-obesity, antioxidant, anti-platelet, anti-pyretic, anti-ulcer, anti-viral, cardioprotective, cytoprotective, cytotoxic, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, ovicidal, and larvicidal, wound healing and inhibition of brain Na+ K+ ATPase activities of C. rotundus and its chemical constituents. However, the exact the mechanism of action is not very clear and requires further evaluation. These properties strongly suggest an extensive use of C. rotundus for clinical applications. In this review, we attempted to provide information about the pharmacological effects of Cyperus and its proposed mechanisms of actions.
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L. (family Cyperaceae), native to India, is a multivalent medicinal plant widely used in conventional medicine. The research reports on bioactive components from L. are scanty. The objective of the study was to optimize the best solvent... more
L. (family Cyperaceae), native to India, is a multivalent medicinal plant widely used in conventional medicine. The research reports on bioactive components from L. are scanty. The objective of the study was to optimize the best solvent system and bioprospect the possible phytochemicals in L. rhizome (CRR). The phytochemicals were extracted from the rhizomes of L. by successive Soxhlet technique with solvents of increasing polarity. The resultant extracts were analyzed for their total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenolic content (TPC), total proanthocyanidin content (TPAC), antioxidant potential, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. The 70% acetone extract of CRR was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for probable phytochemicals. The TPC, TFC, and TPAC estimates ranged from 0.036 ± 0.002 to 118.924 ± 5.946 μg/mg extract, 7.196 ± 0.359 to 200.654 ± 10.032 μg/mg extract, and 13.115 ± 0.656 to 45.901 ± 2.295 μg/mg extract, respectively. The quantities of TP...
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Computer aided drug designing (CADD) has gained a wide popularity among biologists and chemists as a part of interdisciplinary drug discovery approach. It plays a vital role in the discovery, design and analysis of drugs in pharmaceutical... more
Computer aided drug designing (CADD) has gained a wide popularity among biologists and chemists as a part of interdisciplinary drug discovery approach. It plays a vital role in the discovery, design and analysis of drugs in pharmaceutical industry. It is extensively used to reduce cost, time and speed up the early stage development of biologically new active molecules. In the current review we presented a brief review of CADD, merits and demerits, DNA, protein and enzyme as targets, types of CADD: Structure based drug designing (SBDD), ligand based drug designing (LBDD), Pharmacophore based drug designing (PBDD) and fragment based drug designing (FBDD), theory behind the types of CADD and their applications. The review also focuses on the in-silico pharmokinetic, pharmacodynamic and toxicity filters or predictions that play a major role in identifying the drug like molecules. Currently in pharmaceutical sciences computational tools and software are exhibiting imperative role in the ...
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The main aim of this scientific report was to investigate a series of phytochemicals in silico and the pharmacology of four plants found at higher altitude in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae (incl. Costaceae) from North-East India,... more
The main aim of this scientific report was to investigate a series of phytochemicals in silico and the pharmacology of four plants found at higher altitude in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae (incl. Costaceae) from North-East India, particularly Sikkim. First, the goal was to determine the biological activities of the four herbs (used under Zingiberaceae family) using antioxidant assays to identify the best species. Second, previously reported compounds in litero were subsequently screened for their anticancerous activities using in silico methods. Using the methanolic extracts of herbs, quantitative detection of phytochemicals such as total phenols and total flavonoids was detected, and the free radical scavenging activity was also studied using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Docking process was studied, using Discovery Studio version 3.5, to identify suitable molecules at the protein-binding sites through annealing and genetic simulation algorithms. Grids centered on...
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With about 136 species, India is one among the richest countries in bamboo resources that help mankind in more than 1500 diverse ways. Although the utilization of juvenile shoots of bamboo in tribal diet of Northeast India is a very old... more
With about 136 species, India is one among the richest countries in bamboo resources that help mankind in more than 1500 diverse ways. Although the utilization of juvenile shoots of bamboo in tribal diet of Northeast India is a very old observable fact, its numerous health benefits and potentiality remains uncharted. Apart from being delicious, the bamboo shoots are also rich in minerals and nutrient components such as carbohydrates, proteins, fiber and are low in fat and sugar which could be helpful in mitigating the problem of malnutrition. Few studies also revealed the health benefits of bamboo shoots for the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, weight loss and to improve digestion. Over and above the nutritional values of different species of bamboo shoots, the increasing inclinations towards health awareness among the consumers have emphasized its utilization in modern diet as a health food for boosting the nutritional security. Thus, in the present review, the nutraceutical potentiality of bamboo shoots is explored alongside its various qualities.
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The G-coupled receptors seen on the cell surface are composites with a lipid bilayer. The chemokines are kind of G-coupled receptor which majorly involved in the activation and downstream signalling of the cell. In general, many G-coupled... more
The G-coupled receptors seen on the cell surface are composites with a lipid bilayer. The chemokines are kind of G-coupled receptor which majorly involved in the activation and downstream signalling of the cell. In general, many G-coupled receptors are lack of its 3D structure that become a hurdle in the drug designing process. In this study, comparative modelling of the CXCR3 receptor was carried out, structure evaluation was done using various tools and software's. Additionally, molecular dynamics and docking were performed to prove the structural quality and architecture. Interestingly, the studies like toggle switch mechanism, lipid dynamics, virtual screening were carried out to find the potent antagonist for the CXCR3 receptor. During virtual screening 14303 similar molecules were retrieved among them only four compounds have an ability to interact with a crucial amino acid residue of an antagonist. Hence, these screened compounds can serve as a drug candidate for a CXCR3 ...
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Hodgsonia heteroclita is an important medicinal plant that has been associated with the life of different tribes of North east India over years. In view of its varied traditional use of medicine, it has been the subjected to scientific... more
Hodgsonia heteroclita is an important medicinal plant that has been associated with the life of different tribes of North east India over years. In view of its varied traditional use of medicine, it has been the subjected to scientific validation. The present study was aimed to evaluate the presence of various phytochemicals and estimate the total phenol, flavonoid and flavonol of the 70% methanolic extract of pulp, peel and rind of H. heteroclita fruit. The results revealed the presence of various phytochemicals like carbohydrates, reducing sugars, tannins, saponnins, flavonoids, steroids, alkaloids, anthraquinones, glycosides. The total phenol and flavonol content was found to be highest in rind while the pulp had the highest flavonoid. Thus it can be ascertain that H. heteroclita fruit can be used potentially as a readily available source of natural antioxidants and as a possible pharmaceutical supplement.
The process of inflammation is associated with several disorders such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and arthritis. Cyclooxygenase (COX) receptors play an important role in inflammation. COX-2 is an endogenous enzyme which catalyses... more
The process of inflammation is associated with several disorders such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and arthritis. Cyclooxygenase (COX) receptors play an important role in inflammation. COX-2 is an endogenous enzyme which catalyses and converts arachidonic acid to prostaglandins and thromboxanes. The prediction of the docking of small molecules at the active site, i.e. receptor binding site, and the projection of the binding affinity of the complex is a crucial part of computer-aided drug design. The current study evaluates the COX-2 inhibitory activity of compounds detected in Myrica nagi, an actinorhizal plant, using an in-silico approach. Liquid chromatography (LC-MS) studies of M. nagi leaf extract revealed the presence of 21 compounds. The known COX-2 inhibitor Celecoxib was used as reference. Silico docking studies were carried out using iGemdock and verified by discovery studio and autodock software. Three important parameters—binding energy, inhibition constant and intermolecular energy—were determined. The results showed that all selected compounds showed binding energies between −28.19 kcal/mol to −63.13 kcal/mol in iGEMDOCK. Myricetin (−63.13 kcal/mol) showed the best binding energy compared with the Celecoxib reference (−62.35 kcal/mol). Discovery studio and autodock also calculated the same patterns of binding energy. All selected compounds displayed COX inhibitory activity, probably due to their structural parameters. These molecular docking analyses may lead to the further development of potent COX inhibitors for the treatment of inflammation.
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The evergreen and versatile plant, bamboo, is intricately associated with humans since decades. It is the fastest growing plant and is estimated to cover 8.96 million ha of the total 63.3 million ha forest of India. The North-East India... more
The evergreen and versatile plant, bamboo, is intricately associated with humans since decades. It is the fastest growing plant and is estimated to cover 8.96 million ha of the total 63.3 million ha forest of India. The North-East India harbors about 43% of the total bamboo wealth of India. Especially in the rural areas it plays a key role in the life of the people. The utilization of juvenile shoots of bamboo as health food is a lesser known fact as compared to its industrial usage. The shoots having high nutritional and therapeutic values can be opted to make up the deficiencies of nutrients in the diet and utilized to feed the ever increasing human population. Bamboo, the precious gift of nature to mankind, enriches the socio-economic condition of the common people of North-East region of the India. Because of the growth habits and biological characteristics, bamboo is not only an ideal economic investment which can be used in various way but also have enormous capacity for mitigating many ecological problems faced by the world at present. The present review gives an insight into the role of bamboo in the North-East India along with future prospects in view of food security, economic prosperity and ecological security .
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Leptadenia reticulata was reported to be used for several medicinal purposes. The present study was undertaken to evaluate anti-inflammatory, analgesic and lipid peroxidation inhibition activities of L. reticulata. The anti-inflammatory... more
Leptadenia reticulata was reported to be used for several medicinal purposes. The present study was undertaken to evaluate anti-inflammatory, analgesic and lipid peroxidation inhibition activities of L. reticulata. The anti-inflammatory assay was performed by λ-carrageenan and formalin induced paw edema test. Pro inflammatory mediators (IL2, IL6, TNF-α) in serum of treated and control organism were analyzed by quantitative ELISA. Lipid peroxidation inhibition was measured by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay. Analysis of the most active fraction revealed the presence of one phenolic compound (p-coumaric acid), two flavonoids (rutin and quercetin) which also determined quantitatively. The ethyl acetate fraction at 600 mg/Kg significantly inhibited λ-carrageenan and formalin induced paw edema by 60.59% and 59.24% respectively. Notable reduction in percentage of writhing (76.25%), induced by acetic acid signifies the potent analgesic activity. Lower level of pro-inf...
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Earthworms are soil dwelling organisms involved in the process of soil formation and organic matter decomposition. Eudrilus eugeniae (Kinberg) is the commonly type of earthworms used for vermicomposting in tropical and subtropical... more
Earthworms are soil dwelling organisms involved in the process of soil formation and organic matter decomposition. Eudrilus eugeniae (Kinberg) is the commonly type of earthworms used for vermicomposting in tropical and subtropical countries 1. Vermicomposting, a mesophilic process carried out by earthworms, involves ingestion, digestion, and absorption of organic waste followed by excretion of castings through the worm's metabolic system, enhancing the levels of plant-nutrients of organic waste during their biological activities 2. It grows well at a temperature of more than 25 0 C but best at 30 0 C 4 , attaining maximum weight, length and number of segments in about 15 to 20 weeks 5 .Size of the worms may depend on habitat and ranges in from about 10cm in length to huge specimens of over 12cm 6. The total number of segments in Eudrilus eugeniae varies from about 80 to over 100 with the location of a thick cylindrical collar – the clitellum between segments 13 – 20 7. It has a ...
Three major types of influenza virus viz. influenza virus A, influenza virus B and influenza virus C have been reported on the basis of internal antigen (matrix protein which remains bound to ribonucleoprotein of the genome). Influenza... more
Three major types of influenza virus viz. influenza virus A, influenza virus B and influenza virus C have been reported on the basis of internal antigen (matrix protein which remains bound to ribonucleoprotein of the genome). Influenza virus A was found to have pandemic potential. The 16 H and 9 N subtypes of it were determined on the basis of surface antigens (hemagglutinin and neuraminidase). The H5N1 genome was found to have eight segments of ribonucleoprotein of ssRNA. Each segment codes different protein. A major problem is faced in vaccine development against surface antigens because the virus has very rapid mutation rate. The PB2 gene of segment 1 seems to give an insight to develop a peptide based vaccine for the treatment of bird flu because of a significant mutation at 627 position which has changed the Lys (K) of H1N1 to Glu (E) in H5N1 i.e. K627E mutation.
Identification of protein-ligand interaction networks on a proteome scale is crucial to address a wide range of biological problems such as correlating molecular functions to physiological processes and designing safe and efficient... more
Identification of protein-ligand interaction networks on a proteome scale is crucial to address a wide range of biological problems such as correlating molecular functions to physiological processes and designing safe and efficient therapeutics. In this study we have developed a novel computational strategy to identify ligand binding profiles of proteins across gene families and applied it to predicting protein functions, elucidating molecular mechanisms of drug adverse effects, and repositioning safe pharmaceuticals to treat different diseases The resultant network is then extrapolated to proteomics level to sort out the genes only expressed in the specific cancer types. The network is statistically analyzed and represented by the graphical interpretation to encounter the hub nodes. The objective of developing a biological networking is for the evaluation and validation of cancer drugs and their targets. In the field of cancer biology, the drug and their targets holds a role of par...
Efficacy of several plant extracts in the clinical research for modulating oxidative stress correlated with diabetes mellitus (DM) is well documented. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro antioxidant activity, toxicity, and... more
Efficacy of several plant extracts in the clinical research for modulating oxidative stress correlated with diabetes mellitus (DM) is well documented. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro antioxidant activity, toxicity, and anti-diabetic activity of methanolic extract of Hippophae salicifolia leaves in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic wistar rats. H. salicifolia leaves were found to be rich in antioxidants. The acute toxicity test of methanolic extract of H. salicifolia leaves revealed that the median lethal dose (LD50) was found to be 3.92 g/kg body weight in mice. Administration of H. salicifolia leaves at 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg in alloxan-induced diabetic rats illustrated significant reduction (22% and 39%, respectively) in fasting blood glucose compared to diabetic control. Both the doses were found to be effective when compared to diabetic rats. The Hippophae-treated diabetic rats showed significant increase in the endogenous antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (50% and 74%, respectively), glutathione peroxidase (57% and 41%, respectively) and decrease in malondialdehyde (33% and 15%, respectively) levels. These results suggested that the methanolic leaf extract of H. salicifolia enhanced the antioxidant defence against reactive oxygen species produced under hyperglycaemic conditions.
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Earthworm is a potential contributor in organic waste disposal or vermicomposting. Eudrilus eugeniae collected from moist subsurface soil and under stones in the University of Agriculture Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore, India, were studied. E.... more
Earthworm is a potential contributor in organic waste disposal or vermicomposting. Eudrilus eugeniae collected from moist subsurface soil and under stones in the University of Agriculture Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore, India, were studied. E. eugeniae can also be utilized for protein source in animal feed. The external features, growth, reproductive morphology and histology were investigated. The Indian E. eugeniae has higher bodyweight as compared to the African counterparts, in spite of comparable lengths. Morphology of the reproductive parts and histology of the ovary and oviduct of these worms are elucidated by histological staining methods. There have been no previous reports about these clitellar earthworms from the Indian subcontinent. The histological details of the ovary reveals the presence of larger follicles towards the periphery which shows degenerative changes, while the smaller primary follicles and oocyte are concentrated in the center. Further, the posterior part of the...
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BACKGROUND: Keeping adverse effects of antidiabetic drugs in mind scientists have now diverted towards identification of plant-based novel drugs with more potential and lesser side effects which in turn will reduce economic and clinical... more
BACKGROUND: Keeping adverse effects of antidiabetic drugs in mind scientists have now diverted towards identification of plant-based novel drugs with more potential and lesser side effects which in turn will reduce economic and clinical toll of Diabetes. OBJECTIVE: Upgradation of Phytomellitus database includes introductory details of Diabetes mellitus and its future statistical aspect, along with details of Ayurvedic world or its traditional medicines. It also gives the option of Home,s previous manuscripts 1,2. RESULTS: Up-gradation was needed to maintain and incorporate new data and chemical composition of the plants including their structural views. Older version of the Phyto Mellitus includes 31% were whole plants, 26% leaves, 11% seeds, 10% roots, and 9% fruits from the collected data 1. New version includes more than 250 number of ethnobotanical information than the previous one. In upgraded version, chemical structures of the plants with their IUPAC nomenclature author have ...
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Iron is an essential nutrient for a number of cellular activities. However, excess cellular iron can be toxic by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide anion (O(2) (-)) and hydroxyl radical (HO(·)) that damage... more
Iron is an essential nutrient for a number of cellular activities. However, excess cellular iron can be toxic by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide anion (O(2) (-)) and hydroxyl radical (HO(·)) that damage proteins, lipids and DNA. Mutagenic and genotoxic end products of lipid peroxidation can induce the decline of mitochondrial respiration and are associated with various human ailments including aging, neurodegenerative disorders, cancer etc. Zingiber officinale Roscoe (ginger) is a widely used spice around the world. The protective effect of aqueous ethanol extract of Z. officinale against ROS-induced in vitro lipid peroxidation and DNA damage was evaluated in this study. The lipid peroxidation was induced by hydroxyl radical generated from Fenton's reaction in rat liver and brain homogenates and mitochondrial fraction (isolated from rat liver). The DNA protection was evaluated using H(2)O(2)-induced changes in pBR-322 plasmid and Fenton reaction-induce...
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Punica granatum (family: Lythraceae) is mainly found in Iran, which is considered to be its primary centre of origin. Studies on pomegranate peel have revealed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti- angiogenesis activities, with prevention... more
Punica granatum (family: Lythraceae) is mainly found in Iran, which is considered to be its primary centre of origin. Studies on pomegranate peel have revealed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti- angiogenesis activities, with prevention of premature aging and reducing inflammation. In addition to this it is also useful in treating various diseases like diabetes, maintaining blood pressure and treatment of neoplasms such as prostate and breast cancer. In this study we identified anti-cancer targets of active compounds like corilagin (tannins), quercetin (flavonoids) and pseudopelletierine (alkaloids) present in pomegranate peel by employing dual reverse screening and binding analysis. The potent targets of the pomegranate peel were annotated by the PharmMapper and ReverseScreen 3D, then compared with targets identified from different Bioassay databases (NPACT and HIT's). Docking was then further employed using AutoDock pyrx and validated through discovery studio for studying mo...
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Actinorhizal plants contain numerous antioxidants that may play a crucial role in preventing the formation of tumors. H-Ras p21, a member of the Ras-GTPase family, is a promising target to treat various kinds of cancers. An in silico... more
Actinorhizal plants contain numerous antioxidants that may play a crucial role in preventing the formation of tumors. H-Ras p21, a member of the Ras-GTPase family, is a promising target to treat various kinds of cancers. An in silico docking study was carried out to identify the inhibitory potential of compounds of these plants against H-Ras by using Discovery Studio 3.5 and by using Autodock 4.2. Docking studies revealed that four compounds, isorhamnetin-7-rhamnoside, quercetin-3-glucoside-7-rhamnoside (present in H. rhamnoides), zeaxanthin, and translutein (present in H. salicifolia) significantly bind with binding energies -17.1534, -14.7936, -10.2105 and -17.2217 Kcal/mol, respectively, even though they slightly deviate from Lipinski's rule. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADME/tox) analyses of these compounds and their stereoisomers showed that they were less toxic and non-mutagenic. Amongst them, isorhamntein-7-rhamnoside showed hepatotoxicity...
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ABSTRACT Objective The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of Punica granatum peel methanolic extract (PGPE) on cerebral cortex (CC) and Hippocampus (HC) brain antioxidant defense system and markers of lipid and... more
ABSTRACT Objective The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of Punica granatum peel methanolic extract (PGPE) on cerebral cortex (CC) and Hippocampus (HC) brain antioxidant defense system and markers of lipid and protein oxidation in alloxan induced diabetic rats.Methods Oral administration of PGPE (75 and 150 mg of kg body weight) for 45 days resulted in significant reduction in blood glucose levels.ResultsSupplementation of diabetic rats with PGPE showed increased activities of SOD and GPx with concomitant decrease in MDA and PC content. Region-specific changes were more evident in the HC when compared to CC.Conclusions The present study indicated that PGPE can ameliorate brain oxidative stress in alloxan induced diabetic rats by up regulating antioxidant defense mechanism by attenuating lipid and protein oxidation. PGPE thus may be used as a potential therapeutic agent in preventing diabetic complications in the brain.
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Background and Aim. Despite tangible progress in recent years, substantial therapeutic challenges remain unexplored in nephropathy, particularly in diabetic patient. Addressing these challenges requires identification of novel drugs and... more
Background and Aim. Despite tangible progress in recent years, substantial therapeutic challenges remain unexplored in nephropathy, particularly in diabetic patient. Addressing these challenges requires identification of novel drugs and development of noninvasive and cost-effective methods to select the most appropriate therapeutic option for the disease. Angiopathic nephropathy is one of the complications of diabetes mellitus and is becoming the single most important reason for end-stage renal disease in the western world. This study has investigated the inhibitory effect of a library naturally occurring nonprotein compounds that inhibit angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE).Materials and Methods. Docking studies of ACE protein with natural compounds and synthetic commercial drug perindopril were done using AutoDock, FlexX, and Hex. Toxicity predictions were carried out using OpenTox. Quantum mechanical properties were studied using GAMESS.Results. Pelargonidin-3-glucoside could be u...