Sperm membrane modulation by Sapindus mukorossi during sperm maturation

Aim: To observe the alterations in the biochemical and biophysical changes in the sperm membrane during sperm maturation in male rats treated with the water extract of the fruit pericarp of S. mukorossi. Methods: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were gavaged the aqueous extract of the fruit pericarp of S. mukorossi at a dose of 50 mg/kg/d for 45 days. On day 46, the sperm parameters were observed in different sections of the epididymis and the sperm superoxide dismutase and the lipid peroxidation was determined and compared with the controls. The testis and epididymis were routinely prepared for histological examination under the light microscope. Results: No significant differences in the sperm number and morphology were observed between the control and treated groups. However, a significant inhibition (P<0.05-0.01) of sperm motility in the caput, corpus and cauda regions of the epididymis was seen in the treated group. No significant histopathological changes were found in the testis and epididymis. The important finding was that in the treated animals, the spermatozoa showed an abnormal distribution of the superoxide dismutase activity, being minimum in the caput and maximum in the corpus, which was just opposite to that of the controls. Conclusion: The study provides a unique observation where the plant extract alters the sperm membrane physiology without change the testicular and epididymal morphology.

Internal transcribed spacer guided multiplex PCR for species identification of Convolvulus prostratus and Evolvulus alsinoides

Shankhpushpi is a reputed drug from an Indian system of medicine for treating mental disorders and enhancing memory. Two herbs, namely Convolvulus prostratus Forssk. and Evolvulus alsinoides(L.) L., are commonly known as Shankhpushpi. Ambiguous vernacular identity can affect the scientific validity of the Shankpushpi-based herbal drug therapy. In the present investigation, a novel and sensitive multiplex PCR method based on polymorphism in the internal transcribed spacer(ITS) region was developed to establish the molecular identity of C. prostratus and E. alsinoides. DNA was isolated and the ITS region was amplified, sequenced and assembled. Sequences were aligned to identify variable nucleotides in order to develop plant-specific primers. Primers were validated in singleplex reactions and eventually a multiplex assay was developed. This assay was tested for sensitivity and validated by amplifying DNA isolated from the simulated blended powdered plant material. Primers developed for C. prostratus resulted into a 200 bp amplicon and 596 bp for E. alsinoides. The assay was found to be sensitive enough for amplification of low quantities of DNA. The method can detect 10% of the mixing of plants with each other in blended material. This PCR assay can be used for rapid botanical identification of Shankhpushpi plant materials and will improve evidence-based herbal drug therapy.

Role of mucoadhesive polymers in enhancing delivery of nimodipine microemulsion to brain via intranasal route

Intranasal drug administration is receiving increased attention as a delivery method for by-passing the blood–brain barrier and rapidly targeting therapeutics to the CNS.However,rapid mucociliary clearance in the nasal cavity is a major hurdle.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of mucoadhesive polymers in enhancing the delivery of nimodipine microemulsion to the brain via the intranasal route.The optimized mucoadhesive microemulsion was characterized,and the in vitro drug release and in vivo nasal absorption of drug from the new formulation were evaluated in rats.The optimized formulation consisted of Capmul MCM as oil,Labrasol as surfactant,and Transcutol P as co-surfactant,with a particle size of 250 nm and zeta potential value of?15 mV.In vitro and ex vivo permeation studies showed an initial burst of drug release at 30 min and sustained release up to 6 h,attributable to the presence of free drug entrapped in the mucoadhesive layer.In vivo pharmacokinetic studies in rats showed that the use of the mucoadhesive microemulsion enhanced brain and plasma concentrations of nimodipine.These results suggest that incorporation of a mucoadhesive agent in a microemulsion intranasal delivery system can increase the retention time of the formulation and enhance brain delivery of drugs.