Weight losing, antihyperlipidemic and cardioprotective effects of the alkaloid fraction of Hunteria umbellata seed extract on normal and triton-induced hyperlipidemic rats

Objective: To investigate the weight losing, antihyperlipidemic and cardioprotective effects of the alkaloid fraction of Hunteria umbellata(H. umbellata) seed.Methods: Adult female Wistar rats(weight range: 120-150 g) were randomly divided into 4 and 5 treatment groups in the normal and triton-induced hyperlipidemic models, respectively. and were daily treated for 14 d before they were humanely sacrificed under inhaled diethyl ether anesthesia. About 5 mL of whole blood was obtained by cardiac puncture from each treated rat, from which serum for lipids assay was subsequently separated. Tissue samples of livers of treated rats were harvested and processed for histopathological analysis.Results: Repeated daily oral treatments of normal rats with 25 and 50 mg/kg/day of alkaloid fraction of H. umbellata resulted in significant(P<0.05 and P<0.001) and dose-dependent weight loss, and decreases in the serum triglyceride, total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, while significantly(P<0.001) increased the serum levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol fraction. Similarly, oral pre-treatments with 25 and 50 mg/kg/day of alkaloid fraction of H. umbellata for 14 d before induction of hyperlipidemia with triton WR-1339 significantly(P<0.01, P<0.001) and dose-dependently attenuated increases in the average body weights, serum levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol while also significantly(P<0.01, P<0.001) and dose-dependently attenuated significant(P<0.001) decrease in the serum high-density lipoproteincholesterol levels when compared to the untreated control values. However, the results obtained for 50 mg/kg of alkaloid fraction of H. umbellata in both normal and triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemic rats were comparable to that recorded for 20 mg/kg of simvastatin. Similarly, oral pretreatments with 25 and 50 mg/kg/day of alkaloid fraction of H. umbellata significantly improved the histological lesions of fatty hepatic degeneration induced by triton WR-1339 treatment.Conclusions: Overall, results of this study showed that repeated oral treatments with 25 and 50 mg/kg/day of alkaloid fraction of H. umbellata elicited weight losing, antihyperlipidemic and cardioprotective effects in triton WR-1339 induced hyperlipidemic rats that were mediated via de novo cholesterol biosynthesis inhibition.

Mechanisms of action of aqueous extract from the Hunteria umbellata seed and metformin in diabetes

The plant kingdom is an important potential source of effective treatment for various diseases.Most herbs have long been used for medicinal purposes,and plant metabolites with their derivatives had been used in ethnomedicine.However,concerns exist about the quality and safety of herbal medicine products,particularly relating to safety,dosage,and mechanism of action.This mini review reveals some insights about the Hunteria umbellate seed,which is similar to that of insulin secretagogue metformin.Studies have validated its beneficial role in hyperglycemic,insulin resistance and obesity conditions,which are components of metabolic syndrome.However,none of these studies evaluated the mechanisms by which this plant extract performs its antihyperglycemic,insulin resistance and anti-obesity actions in metabolic syndrome.This understanding would provide considerable progress toward drug design using this plant material.Hence the need for this awareness to sensitize the researchers in this field who are passionate about drug design to consider the pathways discussed below for Hunteria umbellata seeds.Hunteria umbellata seed extract may represent a new therapeutic strategy for type-2 diabetes in place of metformin if it is well-studied.

仔榄树的化学成分

采用硅胶柱层析、ODS和Sephadex LH-20等色谱技术,从仔榄树叶体积分数为95%乙醇提取物的正丁醇萃取部位分离得到11个化合物;通过理化性质和波谱数据分析,鉴定它们的结构分别为(±)-赤-3-甲氧基-4-羟基苯基丙三醇(1)、(±)-苏-3-甲氧基-4-羟基苯基丙三醇(2)、(+)-syringaresinol-4,4'-O-bis-β-D-glucopyranoside(3)、1,3,5-三甲氧基苯(4)、丁香酸葡萄糖苷(5)、2,6-二甲氧基-4-羟基-1-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖苷(6)、3,5-二甲氧基-苄醇-4-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖苷(7)、(2E,6S)-8-(α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1″fwdarw6')-β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-2,6-dimethyloct-2-eno-1,2″-lactone(8)、山奈酚-3-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖苷(9)、2-甲胺基苯甲酸(10)、D-1-O-methyl-myo-in-ositol(11).化合物1～11均为首次从该植物中分离得到.

Jatonik polyherbal mixture induced rat liver MMPT pore opening in normal Wistar rat:In vitro and in vivo studies

Objective:To assess acute toxicity,the in vitro and in vivo effects of methanol and ethyl acetate extracts(JME and JEE)of Jatonik polyherbal mixture on some mitochondria-related parameters and their effect on the activity of some liver enzymes.Methods:Acute toxicity of JME and JEE was determined using Lorke’s method.In vitro and in vivo opening of the mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore(MMPT pore)was spectrophotometrically assayed.Production of malondialdehyde(MDA)as an index of lipid peroxidation and the activity of mitochondrial ATPase was evaluated in vitro and in vivo and the effect of JME and JEE on the activity of liver enzymes such as alkaline phosphatase(ALP),aspartate and alanine aminotransferase(AST and ALT)and gamma-glutamyl transferase(GGT)was also investigated.Results:JME had an LD_(50) of 3808 mg/kg b.w whereas JEE had an LD_(50) greater than 5000 mg/kg b.w.of rats.After the rats have been fed with both extracts,a photomicrograph of a piece of liver tissue showed no apparent symptoms of toxicity.From the in vitro and in vivo studies,both extracts prompted intact mitochondria to open their MMPT pores.When compared to the control,lipid peroxide product release and ATPase activity were significantly increased(P<0.05)in vitro and in vivo.The activities of AST,ALT,and GGT were all reduced at 50 mg/kg when treated with JME,but the activity of AST was considerably enhanced when treated with JEE(P<0.05).The results revealed that both JME and JEE of the Jatonik polyherbal mixture had low toxicity,profound MMPTpore induction,and enhanced ATPase activity,but an increased MDA production.Conclusion:Jatonik extracts may be a promising target for drug development in diseases where there is dysregulation of apoptosis,however,further studies are needed to better clarify the molecular mechanism involved in these phenomena.