Sushil Middha

Emblica officinalis (Euphorbiaceae), popularly known as Indian gooseberry or "Amla" in India, is used in Ayurveda as "rejuvenating herb" since ancient times. This study was carried out to estimate toxicity, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative activities of the methanolic extract of Emblica officinalis fruit (MEO) in an animal model. Antioxidative property of MEO was assessed by in vitro assays such as phosphomolybdenum assay (total antioxidant capacity), free radical scavenging assays 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis and 3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (DPPH and ABTS method) and lipid peroxidation assay (LPO). The anti-inflammatory property was evaluated by carrageenan-induced acute inflammation in rats by measuring rat paw volume at different time intervals and toxicological analysis using mice. High performance liquid chromatography studies revealed the presence of gallic acid (2.10%), mucic acid (4.90%), ellagic acid (2.10%), quercetin (28.00%), rutin (3.89%), and β-glucogallin (1.46%). MEO showed highest antioxidant activities by using DPPH (17.33-89.00%), ABTS (23.03-94.16%), nitric oxide scavenging activity (12.94-70.16%), LPO (56.54%), and phosphomolybdenum assay (142 ± 6.09 μg/ml). The LD50 was found to be approximately 1125 mg/kg (p.o). High dose of MEO showed significant reduction (72.71%) in the inflammation after 4 h of treatment, which was comparable to diclofenac (10 mg/kg) (61.57%) treated group. Significant reduction (P < 0.05) in the inflammatory cytokine (interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α) markers were also observed (57.25% and 35.41%, respectively) in serum of MEO treated animals as compared to control. Taken together, phenolic compounds of MEO may serve as a potential herbal drug for amelioration of acute inflammation due to their modulatory action on free radicals. The methanolic extract of Emblica officinalis fruit (MEO) has potent antioxidant activity as assessed by DPPH, ABTS and LPO assaysMEO has potent anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenan induced paw edema modelThe phenolic compounds of MEO might be a potential herbal drug for amelioration of acute inflammation. Abbreviations used: ROS, reactive oxygen species; RNS, reactive nitrogen species, LPO, lipid peroxidation, NO, nitric oxide, IL, interleukin; TNF α tumor necrosis factor alpha; NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs; AA, ascorbic acid; MEO, methanolic extract of Emblica officinalis fruit; ABTS+; 2,2' azino bis 3 ethylbenzthiazoline 6 sulphonic acid; DPPH, 1,1 diphenyl 2 picrylhydrazyl; HPLC, high performance liquid chromatography; MDA, malondialdehyde; DMSO, dimethyl sulphoxide; ELISA, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

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...

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 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 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...

Type 2 diabetes is an inevitably progressive disease, with irreversible beta cell failure. Glycogen synthase kinase and Glukokinase, two important enzymes with diverse biological actions in carbohydrate metabolism, are promising targets for developing novel antidiabetic drugs. A combinatorial structure-based molecular docking and pharmacophore modelling study was performed with the compounds of Hippophae salicifolia and H. rhamnoides as inhibitors. Docking with Discovery Studio 3.5 revealed that two compounds from H. salicifolia, viz Lutein D and an analogue of Zeaxanthin, and two compounds from H. rhamnoides, viz Isorhamnetin-3-rhamnoside and Isorhamnetin-7-glucoside, bind significantly to the GSK-3 beta receptor and play a role in its inhibition; whereas in the case of Glucokinase, only one compound from both the plants, i.e. vitamin C, had good binding characteristics capable of activation. The results help to understand the type of interactions that occur between the ligands and...

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...

The specificity of drug targets is a great challenge in the pharma-proteomics field of cancer biology. To eradicate such hurdle, here we have taken a novel step to study the relation between drugs and corresponding drug target network using the advanced concepts of ...

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 ...

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 9 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. Hence, these compounds can be further investigated in vivo to optimize their formulation and concentration and to develop potential chemical entities for the prevention and treatment of cancers.

Despite several pharmacological applications of Baccaurea ramiflora Lour., studies on the influence of its polyphenol content on pharmacological activity such as anti-inflammatory properties have been scarce. Here we evaluated in vitro antioxidant activity, poyphenolics by HPLC and the anti-inflammatory potential of the methanolic leaf extract of Baccaurea ramiflora (BME) and its protective effects in carrageenan-induced paw edema model of inflammation in rats. The BME extract contained 79.06 ± 0.03 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g total polyphenols, 28.80 ± 0.01 mg quercetin equivalent (QE)/g flavonoid and 29.42 ± 0.01 μg cathechin equivalent/g proanthocyanidin respectively and rosmarinic acid (8 mg/kg) as a main component was identified by HPLC. Results demonstrate that administration of BME at the dose of 200 mg/kg can reduce paw edema by over 63%, and it exhibits a dose-response effect. Depending on concentration, the extract OPEN ACCESS Antioxidants 2014, 3 831 exerted scavenging activity on DPPH radical (IC50 36.4 μg/mL), significantly inhibited IL-1β (4.4 pg/mg protein) and TNF-α (0.21 ng/μg protein). Therefore, we conclude BME causes a substantial reduction of inflammation in in vivo models. We propose that rosmarinic acid and similar phenolic compounds may be useful in the therapy of inflammation-related injuries.

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-inflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α) in serum at the 4 th hour of λ-Carrageenan injection indicated the inhibition of cyclooxigenase-2 (Cox-2), Nitric oxide (NO) and release of prostaglandin to prevent inflammation. The study also demonstrated the decrease in malonaldehyde (MDA) concentration which revealed the lipid peroxidation inhibition potential of the plant. Our finding provides evidence for potent biological activities in tested model which is supported by its characterized bioactive compounds and ethnomedicinal relevance.

In the present investigation, the anti-hyperglycemic potentialand scientific validation of Punica granatum rind/peel, a waste material and herbal drug,from Kumauni region was assessed in alloxan-induced diabetes model.The effectsof oral administration of different doses i.e low (LP) and high (HP) (LP; 75 mg/kg and HP; 150 mg/kg body weight) of methanolicfragment of P. granatumpeel(PGPE) on blood glucose, lipid peroxidation (MDA; malondialdehyde),antioxidant enzymes (SOD; superoxide dismutase and GPx; glutathione peroxidase) were estimated and compared with glibenclamide and insulin for 45 days.Treatment with PGPE, glibenclamide and insulin resulted in a significant reduction of blood glucoselevels as compared to solvent control (p<0.05).PGPEenhanced the plasma insulin level by five fold. PGPEalso resulted in a significant decrease in MDA values (p>0.001) in kidney (LP; 16.80 and HP; 52.08%) andan increase in antioxidants level (p>0.05) such as SOD 39.68% and 75.03%, GPx 20.07% and 67.60% in plasma and SOD 44% and 66%, GPx 50% and 80% inkidney, though MDA level was not significantly decreased(p<0.05) in plasma, when compared to diabetic controls.Histopathological studies also validated our studies of interest. To conclude, PGPE supplementation leads to an increase in insulin level in experimental animals, confirming restoration of pancreatic β-cells and other parameters clearly indicating the anti-hyperglycemic and antioxidant effect of PGPE.

Dendrocalamus hamiltonii has been widely used as a traditional remedy for several ailments in India and Taiwan. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate biomembrane lipids, carbohydrate, DNA damage, biochemical constitutes and in vitro antioxidant activity of aqueous, methanolic and acetone leaf extracts of D. hamiltonii. This study shows that methanol was the most effective solvent to extract phenolic (595.22±0.06 μg GAE/g), flavonoids (827.20±0.01 μg QE/g), flavonols (9.41±0.14 μg QE/g) and proanthocynidin (233.58±0.02 μg Cathechin equivalent/g) compounds as compared to water and acetone. Ferric reducing antioxidant power was comparatively higher for methanolic extract than the other two solvents. Therefore, methanolic extract was considered for further studies. Our findings showed that extract at 30 and 80 mg/mL significantly (P<0.05) protected 65 %, 66% of the lipid peroxidation in liver homogenate, respectively. However, the extract alleviated partially the DNA and carbohydrate damage. This is perhaps the first report to provide evidence that the leaf of Dendrocalamus hamiltonii is a potential source of natural antioxidants. The protective mechanism can be partially correlated to the radical scavenging property of D. hamiltonii.

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 Lipinski9 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. Hence, these compounds can be further investigated in vivo to optimize their formulation and concentration and to develop potential chemical entities for the prevention and treatment of cancers.

Finding a cure for diseases and infections using herbal medicines are as old as mankind. The present study aimed at investigation of anti-hyperglycemic potential of methanolic extract of some indigenous ayurvedic plants used in Karnataka.There are a few explicit studies to confirm invitro hypoglycemic activity. Our work is based on the study of some indigenous plants which show inhibitory effect on glucose oxidase and are in use as hypoglycemic agents in traditional system of medicine.Syzygium cumini, Trigonella foenum graecum seed, Moringa alba leaf, Punica granatum peel, Emblica officinalis and Momordica charantia possessed highest hypoglycemic activity of varying degree. S. cumini and T. foenum had shown the better activity in neutral and basic media than others. Whereas, Alterathera ficoicka leaf, T. foenum and Momordica charantia have shown prominent result in acidic media. The result in three different media revealed that, acidic medium shows less prominent hypoglycemic activity as compared to neutral and basic medium.S. cumin, T. foenum seed and M. charantia gave the impression of being prominent candidates for drug targets for diabetes. This may be the first report using invitro approach to prove their antidiabetic properties.

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.Oral administration of PGPE (75 and 150 mg of kg body weight) for 45 days resulted in significant reduction in blood glucose levels.Supplementation 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.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.

Bamboo, the “Green Gold”, included in the non-timber forest products has both ecological and economic importance. Here is an attempt to describe a database named “Bambooinfoline” , which provides enumeration of the different species of bamboos found in North Bengal, with special emphasis on taxonomy, edible properties, chemical constituents, morphological features along with tissue culture specifications, which in turn benefits of scientific community.

Availability

The database is freely available at http://www.bamboodb.ind.in/

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal species, a “Symbiotic” relationship between tress and fungi in forest has a great ecological and economic importance. Here is an attempt to describe database named “EctomycorrhizalDB”, addressing ECM diversity of Central Himalaya (Kumaun region), with special emphasis on their characterization, physical properties and morphological features along with specifications. This database would help the scientific community to draw a better understanding of the environmental factors that affects species diversity.

Availability

The database is available for free at http://www.kubic.nic.in/ectomychorhiza

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 oviduct shows the presence of dense mass of sperms in its large lumen which confirms the process of internal fertilization in Eudrilus eugeniae. Hence, this first report is to help towards increasing breeding practices of these earthworms in these regions having good temperature and climatic conditions for ideal
growth of this organism.

Traditionally, drugs are discovered by testing compounds synthesized in time consuming multi-step processes against a battery of invivo biological screens. Promising compounds are then further studied in development, where their pharmacokinetic properties, metabolism and potential toxicity were investigated. Here, we present a study on herbal lead compounds and their potential binding affinity to the effectors molecules of major disease like Prostate Cancer. Clinical studies demonstrate a positive correlation between the extent of 5-α reductase type 2 (isoform 2) and malignant progression of precancerous lesions in prostate. Therefore, identification of effective, well-tolerated 5-α reductase inhibitors represents a rational chemo preventive strategy. This study has investigated the effects of naturally occurring nonprotein compounds berberine and monocaffeyltartaric acid that inhibits 5-α reductase type 2. Our results reveal that these compounds use less energy to bind to 5-α reductase and inhibit its activity. Their high ligand binding affinity to 5-α reductase introduces the prospect for their use in chemopreventive applications. In addition, they are freely available natural compounds that can be safely used to prevent prostate cancer.

Herbs are the base used for treatment in Ayurveda. We describe a database named Phyto-Mellitus with information on plants traditionally used for diabetes with their chemical constituents. The active principles of these plants are antioxidant and free radical scavenging.

Availability

http://www.bicmlacw.org/bt/

Background: Antioxidants have the ability to protect organisms from damage caused by free radical-induced oxidative stress. A lot of research is being carried out worldwide directed toward finding natural antioxidants of plant origin. The antioxidant activity of the methanolic extract of Bambusa vulgaris "Vittata" (BVV) leaves is reported along with screening for photochemical constituents of the Indian, wild BVV methanolic leaf extract. Materials and Methods: The antioxidant activity was tested spectrophotometrically, measuring the ability of the plant extract to scavenge a stable DPPH• free radical and the total phenolic and flavonoid contents. Results: Preliminary studies show the presence of carbohydrates, reducing sugars, flavonoids, steroids, saponins, alkaloids, tannins, anthraquinones and glycosides. The antioxidant activity of the investigated extract has a scavenging ability of hydroxyl peroxide radicals (421.74 ± 25.61 mg/ml) and DPPH• radical scavenging activity (around 95%). The high contents of total phenolic compounds (22.69 ± 0.084 mg GAE/g of dry extract) and total flavonoids (159.80 ± 0.047 mg Quercetin/g of dry extract) indicated that these compounds contribute to the antioxidative activity. Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence that the crude methanolic extract of BVV is a potential source of natural antioxidants, and this justified its uses in folkloric medicines

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 (8.71%) and HM (3.87%) in comparison with normal controls. There was a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation in liver and white blood cells (WBC) in both low and high doses [liver LM (49%), HM (57.25%)], [WBC LM (54.28%), HM (62.5%)] and increase in antioxidant enzymes SOD [liver LM (33.59%), HM (58.7%)] [WBC LM (44.9%)] HM (58.7%) and GPx [Liver LM (58.55%), HM (40.20%)], [WBC LM (55.46%), HM (56.4%)] when compared to diabetic controls.
Discussion: Potency of TFG in restoring several parameters to normal values is comparable to glibenclamide, though not as efficient as insulin, an indication of its antihyperglycemic and antioxidant effect.