Neuropharmacological evaluation of methanolic extract of Costus speciosus Linn. rhizome in Swiss albino mice

Objective: To evaluate the neuropharmacological properties of Costus speciosus(C. speciosus) rhizome using different experimental mouse models. Methods: The anxiolytic effect was investigated by hole-board test, elevated plus maze and light/dark test, while central nervous system(CNS) depressant effect was evaluated by thiopental sodium-induced sleep test. Finally, antidepressant effect was evaluated by forced swimming test and tail suspension test. Results: In both elevated plus maze and hole board test, 400 mg/kg C. speciosus showed more significant CNS depressant effect than 1 mg/kg diazepam. Both 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg C. speciosus extract produced a significant dose-dependent decrease in onset of sleep. In forced swimming test, C. speciosus rhizome showed a decrease in duration of immobility in a dose-dependent manner. Imipramine(10 mg/kg) and C. speciosus extract at 400 mg/kg dose exhibited a significant reduction in duration of immobility in tail suspension test which provided additional evidence of antidepressant effect of C. speciosus rhizome. Conclusions: Our study indicates that C. speciosus rhizome possesses CNS depressant, anxiolytic and antidepressant-like activities. Further studies are warranted determine the exact phytoconstituents and mechanism of action responsible for the neuropharmacological effect.

In vitro antioxidant capacity and free radical scavenging evaluation of standardized extract of Costus afer leaf

Absolute methanol extract leaf of Costus afer was comprehensively investigated for free radical scavenging activities and antioxidant activities using battery of testing:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH)scavenging,hydroxyl radical scavenging,hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging,2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)(ABTS)scavenging,nitric oxide inhibition,anti-lipid peroxidation,ferrous chelating potential,reducing power potential,total antioxidant capacity,cupric reducing antioxidant capacity CUPRAC and ferric reducing antioxidant power(FRAP).The content of phenol,flavonoid,cupric,anthocyanin were also investigated.The results suggest that the antioxidant potentials of the extract may be responsible for its medicinal potentials.Cell viability assay revealed that up to12g/ml of the extract is safe for Chang liver cell and no sign of toxicity was observed after the extract treatment of 2000 mg/kg in albino rats.

pharmacognostical study and establishment of quality parameters of aerial parts of Costus speciosus-a well known tropical folklore medicine

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic pharmacognostical characters of Costus speciosus(aerial parts)along with their physico-chemical parameters and fluorosence analysis.Method:The pharmacognostical characters were determined in terms of macroscopy,microscopy,powder microscopy,leaf constant,fluorescence analysis and preliminary phytochemical investigation.Results:The findings of macroscopy revealed that leaves elliptic to oblong or oblong-lancoelate,thick,spirally arranged,with stem clasping sheaths up to 4 cm,flowers large,white,conelike terminal spikes,with bright red bracts.Transverse section of leaflet showed the presence of cuticularised epidermis with polygonal cells on adaxial surface and bluntly angled cells on abaxial surface of lamina,mesophyll cells differentiated in to single layered palisade cells on each surface and 2-3 layered spongy parenchyma,unicellular and uniseriate multicellular covering trichomes,paracytic stomata and vascular bundles surrounded by sclerenchymatous multicellular sheath.Preliminary phytochemical screening exhibited the presence of various phytochemical groups like alkaloids,glycosides,steroids,phenolic constituents.Further,the leaf constants,powder microscopy and fluorescence characteristics indicated outstanding results from this investigation Conclusions:Various pharmacognostical and physico-chemical parameters have pivotal roles in identification,authentication and establishment of quality parameters of the species.

Essential oil from Saussurea costus inhibits proliferation and migration of Eca109 cells via mitochondrial apoptosis and STAT3 signaling

Objective:To investigate the effect and its underlying molecular mechanisms of essential oil from Saussurea costus in esophageal cancer cell line Eca109.Methods:The chemical composition of essential oil from Saussurea costus was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS).The anti-proliferative,anti-migrative,and apoptotic effects of essential oil from Saussurea costus against Eca109 cells were analyzed.Moreover,the expression of proteins associated with cell cycle,metastasis,and apoptosis was determined.Results:GC-MS analysis showed that essential oil from Saussurea costus was predominantly comprised of sesquiterpenes.Saussurea costus essential oil inhibited the viability of Eca109 cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner with IC_(50) values of(24.29±1.49),(19.16±2.27)and(6.97±0.86)μg/mL at 12,24,and 48 h,respectively.The expression levels of target proteins in the cell cycle(phase G_(1)/S),including cyclin D1,p21,and p53,were affected by Saussurea costus essential oil.The essential oil also downregulated the expression of metastasis-related proteins MMP-9 and MMP-2.Moreover,it induced apoptosis of Eca109 cells through the mitochondrial pathway,as well as inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation.Conclusions:The essential oil from Saussurea costus exhibited anti-proliferative,anti-migrative,and apoptotic effects on Eca109 cells,and could be further explored as a potential anti-esophageal cancer agent.

Investigatory Study of Long Term Doses of <i>Costus afer</i>, Snail Slime, and Their Combination with a Standard Pharmaceutical Drug on Blood Glucose Level of Alloxan Induced Swiss Albino Rat

The Plant, Costus afer Ker Gawl. belongs to the family of Costaceae and has various uses where they exist. Their use in folk medicine and phytomedicine is in the treatment and management of variety of human ailment, like diabetes mellitus, abdominal problems etc. The search for new antidiabetic therapies has become increasingly urgent due to the development of adverse effects and resistance by the chemically synthesized drugs on one hand and effectiveness with low cost of the plant materials on the other hand. The investigations carried out is to determine the long term effects of Costus afer leaf methanol extract, snail slime and the combined Costus afer and snail slime extracts on blood glucose levels of alloxan induced diabetic Swiss albino rats treated orally for 21 days on graded dose of (100 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg). From the determination, the snail slime showed positive effect on blood glucose lowering level but less effective when compared with similar dose of the Costus afer leaf methanol extract. The investigation indicated that there was 103 mg/dL and 87 mg/dL blood glucose reduction for the low dose of Costus afer and Snail slime respectively while the standard hypoglycemic drug (Glibenclamide, 5 mg/kg) used for comparison yielded a blood glucose level reduction of 103 mg/dL. Similarly, the high dose used in the study gave a blood glucose reduction of 99 mg/dL and 95 mg/dL for Costus afer leaf methanol extract and Snail slime respectively. The results obtained when alloxan induced rats was treated with C. afer leaf methanol extract, Snail slime extract, and combined C. afer and snail slime extracts was analysed using Statistix 8.0 American version. The result showed a dose dependent fashion and the difference obtained from the compared results was statistically significant at p 1]. Still to that, medicinal and pharmacological activities of medicinal plants are often attributed to the presence of the so called secondary plant metabolites. Hence this regenerative capacity of snail slime and the fact that diabetes is characterized by damage of the pancreatic beta cells, may give credit to the hypoglycaemic effect observed in Costus afer methanol leaf extract and snail slime for possible drug formulation for anti-diabetic remedy. Our findings may approve snail slime which is insoluble in both acid and alkaline medium, to act as a carrier of chemical and biological nanoparticles for medical and pharmaceutical use.

Comparative Study of Antioxidant and Catalytic Activity of Silver and Gold Nanoparticles Synthesized From Costus pictus Leaf Extract

Biological synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles using Costus pictus leaf extract （CPLE） and their potential in vitro antioxidant and catalytic activities were reported here. Formation of Costus pictus silver （CPAgNPs） and gold （CPAuNPs） nanoparticles was confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy and their spherical shape by scanning electron microscopy. The synthesized nanoparticles gave strong signals for silver and gold in energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The CPAgNPs and CPAuNPs had an average size of 46.7 and 37.2 nm, respectively, as determined by dynamic light scattering particle size analyzer. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR） analysis indicated involvement of amine and carbonyl groups in the formation of CPAgNPs and CPAuNPs. Thermal stability of synthesized nanoparticles was assessed by thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry. CPAgNPs, CPAuNPs and CPLE exhibited tremendous antioxidant activity when being assessed by various in vitro assays, and their activity was comparable to standard antioxidants. CPAgNPs, CPAuNPs and CPLE also caused degradation of dyes like methylene blue and methyl red. While CPAgNPs, CPAuNPs and CPLE caused respective 85%, 42% and 30% degradation of methylene blue, they showed less activity against methyl red. These observations signify that such green methods open up new avenues in nanobiotechnology for the synthesis of nanoparticles with extensive industrial and biomedical applications.

Antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic activity of Costus speciosus against atherogenic diet-induced hyperlipidemia in rabbits

Objective: An extract of Costus speciosus(CSE), a herb widely used in folk medicine, was evaluated for its antioxidant, antihyperlipidemic and ameliorating effects on histopathological changes in atherogenic rabbits.Methods: Twenty-four male rabbits(Oryctolagus cuniculus) were divided into 4 groups. Three groups were fed a diet containing 3% saturated fat and 1.3% cholesterol for 40 d. One of these was sacrificed on the 40 th day and was called the pathogenic(P) group; the other two groups received treatment for another 30 d as follows: one received 0.8 g/(kgád) of CSE and the other was given 0.01 g/(kgád) of simvastatin. The normal group was sacrificed on the 70 th day and used as a control.Results: CSE showed radical-scavenging ability. Administration of CSE for a 30-day period resulted in a significant decrease in total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, low-density lipoprotein and aspartate aminotransferase compared to the P group, while levels of hemoglobin, packed corpuscular volume and red blood cells were elevated. With respect to studies performed on the heart, a decrease in malondialdehyde and an increase in reduced glutathione were noted. Total protein increased in the liver, heart and aorta after treatment with CSE and also a marked improvement in histopathological parameters was demonstrated.Conclusion: The present findings indicate that the C. speciosus rhizome possesses antiatherogenic and antioxidant properties which may provide protective effects against oxidative stress in atherosclerotic rabbits.

Evaluation of Costus afer Ker Gawl.in vitro anti-inflammatory activity and its chemical constituents identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis

Objective:To evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of a tropical African medicinal plant,Costus afer(C.afer)Ker Gawl.in vitro and identify the chemical constituents in the most active fraction.Methods:Hexane,ethyl acetate,n-butanol and aqueous fractions obtained through successive solvent partitioning of 70%methanolic leaf or stem extracts of C.afer were subjected to in vitro anti-inflammatory screening assays viz.anti-denaturation of protein,stabilization of human red blood cell(HRBC)membrane against hypotonicity-induced hemolysis and anti-proteinase activities.Diclofenac sodium was used as a standard drug.The chemical compounds in the most active fraction were determined using quantitative phytochemical and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC/MS)analytical methods,comparing the mass spectra of the GC/MS identified compounds with those of the National Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST)database library.Results:The hexane fraction of C.afer leaf(HFCAL)with an IC50 of 33.36μg/mL,33μg/mL and 212.77μg/mL exhibited the highest anti-denaturation of protein,stabilization of HRBC membrane and anti-proteinase activities respectively when compared with other test fractions.The GC/MS identified compounds in HFCAL known to possess anti-inflammatory property were terpenoids(naphthalene 1,6-dimethyl-;naphthalene 2,3-dimethyl-;phytol),phenol[phenol 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)],coumaran[2(4H)-benzofuranone,5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-4,4,7atrimethyl and fatty acids(pentadecanoic acid;hexadecanoic acid;n-hexadecanoic acid;9,12-octadecanoic acid-methyl ester;9,12,15 octadecatrienoic acid and cis-vaccenic acid)].Conclusion:Therefore,HFCAL could be considered as a potential source of anti-inflammatory agents for herbal formulation or pharmaceutical drug production.