Protective effect of Tetracera scandens L.leaf extract against CCl_4-induced acute liver injury in rats

Objective:To investigate the protective potential of ethanolic extracts of Tetracera scandens L.(T.scandens) against CCl_4 induced oxidative stress in liver tissues.Methods:Dried leaf powder of T.scandens was extracted with ethanol and concentrated to yield a dry residue.Rats were administered with 100 mg/kg of ethanolic extracts orally once daily for one week.Animals were subsequently administered with a single dose of CCl_4(I mL/kg body weight,intraperitoneal injection).Various assays,such as serum levels of alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,lipid peroxidation,protein oxidation(carbonyl protein group),tumor necrosis factor alpha,catalase,superoxide dismutase,and glutathione peroxidase,were used to assess damage caused by CCl_4 and the protective effects of the ethanol extract on liver tissues.Results:Hepatotoxicity induced by CCl_4 was evidenced by a significant increase in serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase level,lipid peroxidation,protein carbonyl group,and tumor necrosis factor alpha,as well as decreased activity of the hepatic antioxidant enzymes(catalase.superoxide dismutase.and glutathione peroxidase).Treatment with ethanolic T.scandens extracts prevented all of these typically observed changes in CCl_4-treated rats.Conclusions:Our findings indicate that T.scandens has a significant protective effect against CCl_4 induced hepatotoxicity in rat.which may be due to its antioxidant properties.

Xanthine oxidase inhibitors from Archidendron clypearia(Jack.) I.C. Nielsen: Results from systematic screening of Vietnamese medicinal plants

Objective: To screen Vietnamese medicinal plants for xanthine oxidase(XO) inhibitory activity and to isolate XO inhibitor(s) from the most active plant. Methods: The plants materials were extracted by methanol. The active plant materials were fractionated using different organic solvents, including n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. Bioassay-guided fractionation and column chromatography were used to isolate compounds. The compounds structures were elucidated by analysis of spectroscopic data, including IR, MS, and NMR. Results: Three hundreds and eleven methanol extracts(CME) belonging to 301 Vietnamese herbs were screened for XO inhibitory activity. Among these plants, 57 extracts displayed XO inhibitory activity at 100 μg/m L with inhibition rates of over 50%. The extracts of Archidendron clypearia, Smilax poilanei, Linociera ramiflora and Passiflora foetida exhibited the greatest potency with IC_(50) values below 30 μg/m L. Chemical study performed on the extract of Archidendron clypearia resulted in the isolation of six compounds, including 1-octacosanol, docosenoic acid, daucosterol, methyl gallate, quercitrin and(-)-7-O-galloyltricetiflavan. The compound(-)-7-O-galloyltricetiflavan showed the most potent XO inhibitory activity with an IC_(50) value of 25.5 μmol/L. Conclusions: From this investigation, four Vietnamese medicinal plants were identified to have XO inhibitory effects with IC_(50) values of the methanol extracts below 30 μg/m L. Compound(-)-7-O-galloyltricetiflavan was identified as an XO inhibitor from Archidendron clypearia with IC_(50) value of 25.5 μmol/L.

Ethanol extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis protect against lipopolysaccharide-induced acute liver injury in mice

Objective: To investigated the protective potential of ethanol extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis(S. baicalensis) against lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced liver injury. Methods: Dried roots of S. baicalensis were extracted with ethanol and concentrated to yield a dry residue. Mice were administered 200 mg/kg of the ethanol extracts orally once daily for one week. Animals were subsequently administered a single dose of LPS(5 mg/kg of body weight, intraperitoneal injection). Both protein and m RNA levels of cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6 in liver tissues were evaluated by ELISA assay and quantitative PCR. C yclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and nuclear factor-κB protein levels in liver tissues were analyzed by western blotting. Results: Liver injury induced by LPS signifi cantly increased necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and nuclear factor-κB in liver tissues. Treatment with ethanol extracts of S. baicalensis prevented all of these observed changes associated with LPS-induced injury in liver mice.Conclusions: Our study showed that S. baicalensis is potentially protective against LPS-induced liver injury in mice.

Anticancer effects of saponin and saponin–phospholipid complex of Panax notoginseng grown in Vietnam

Objective:To evaluate the antitumor activity both in vitro and in vivo of saponin–phospholipid complex of Panax notoginseng.Methods:The in vitro cytotoxic effect of saponins extract and saponin–phospholipid complex against human lung cancer NCI-H460 and breast cancer cell lines BT474 was examined using MTS assay.For in vivo evaluation of antitumor potential,saponin and saponin–phospholipid complex were administered orally in rats induced mammary carcinogenesis by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene,for 30 days.Results:Our data showed that saponin–phospholipid complex had stronger anticancer effect compared to saponin extract.The IC50 values of saponin–phospholipid complex and saponin extract for NCI-H460 cell lines were 28.47 mg/m L and 47.97 mg/mL,respectively and these values for BT474 cells were 53.18 mg/mL and 86.24 mg/mL,respectively.In vivo experiments,administration of saponin,saponin–phospholipid complex and paclitaxel(positive control) effectively suppressed 7,12-dimethylbenz(a) anthracene-induced breast cancer evidenced by a decrease in tumor volume,the reduction of lipid peroxidation level and increase in the body weight,and elevated the enzymatic antioxidant activities of superoxide dismutase,catalase,glutathione peroxidase in rat breast tissue.Conclusions:Our study suggests that saponin extract from Panax notoginseng and saponin–phospholipid complex have potential to prevent cancer,especially breast cancer.

Anti-inflammatory effects of alkaloid enriched extract from roots of Eurycoma longifolia Jack

Objective: To examine the in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory effects of the alkaloid enriched extract(ELA) from the roots of Eurycoma longifolia. Methods: The in vitro antiinflammatory effects of ELA were evaluated by examining its inhibitory activities against nitric oxide(NO) production and inducible nitric oxide synthase(iN OS) and cyclooxygenase2(COX-2) expressions in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The level of NO produced in the culture media was determined by Griess method. The i NOS and COX-2 protein expressions were analyzed by Western blot. The in vivo effect of ELA was evaluated on LPS-induced septic shock in mice model. Mice mortality was monitored for5 days after injection of LPS. The chemical contents of the ELA were determined by using various chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. Results: The ELA was found to exhibit a significant anti-inflammatory effect in both in vitro and in vivo models. The results demonstrated that ELA dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced NO production as well as the protein iN OS and COX-2 expressions. In the septic shock model, ELA dose-dependently protected mice from LPS-induced mortality. Further study on the isolated components of ELA indicated that 9,10-dimethoxycanthin-6-one may contribute significantly to the antiinflammatory effects of the extract. Conclusions: These results suggest that ELA exhibits the anti-inflammatory activity via suppression of pro-inflammatory mediators such as NO, iN OS,and COX-2 and protects mice from LPS-induced mortality in septic shock model.

Application of D-Optimal Study Design with Contour Surface Response for Designing Sustained Release Gliclazide Matrix Tablets

An optimized formulation of a sustained release tablet of Gliclazide was developed. The use of Doptimal design with a polynomial statistical model to analyze dissolution data reduced the number of laboratory tests required to obtain an optimal dosage form. The final formulation contained 22 mg of Methocel&regE15LV, 16.5 mg Methocel&regE15 and 10.0 mg of Dibasic Calcium Phosphate per 30 mg Gliclazide sustained release tablet. Dissolution studies performed on tablets from 5000 tablet test batches released greater than 90 percent of loaded drug in eight hours. Drug release from the optimized tablets followed a pattern more closely similar to zero-order than other mechanisms of drug release tested. Storage of tablets in accelerated and ambient conditions for 6 and 12 months respectively did not alter any of the physico-chemical properties, drug release or the drug release rate compared to initial observations and dissolution data of the prepared tablets. The addition of potassium phosphate and monosodium phosphate to the tablet reduced the effect pH has on Gliclazide dissolution compared to the commercially available product.

Formulation Optimization Utilizing D-Optimal Experimental Design of Oral Capsules Containing Enteric-Coated Pellets of Lansoprazole and<i>in vivo </i>Bioequivalence

An optimized formulation of capsules containing Lansoprazole enteric-coated pellets using D-Optimal design with a polynomial statistical model were prepared by using Eudragit?L100 as an enteric coated polymer to provide resistance to simulated gastric acid dissolution in buffer media. D-Optimal experimental design was used to determine the optimal level for three coating layers that were applied to formulate the enteric-coated pellets including a drug loading layer, a sub-coating, and an outer enteric coating. Dissolution studies were performed on the prepared Lansoprazole capsules. Less than 5 percent of Lansoprazole was released in 60 minutes in an acidic dissolution medium (pH 1.2) and greater than 90 percent of active ingredient was released in the next 60 minutes in a buffer dissolution medium (pH 6.8). The Lansoprazole capsules were stable with no observable change in physico-chemical properties in accelerated and normal storage conditions for 6 and 18 months, respectively. The pharmacokinetic parameters Cmax, Tmax, AUC0-t, and AUC0-∞ were determined after administration of the D-Optimal design optimized capsules of LPZ to healthy beagle dogs and were statistically compared to Gastevin? capsules as a reference (KRKA, Slovenia) using the non-compartmental method with the aid of WinNonlin 5.2 software. The analysis of variance showed that the two formulations did not demonstrate bioequivalence using a 90% confidence interval range (80% - 120%) of Cmax, AUC0-t, and AUC0-∞. No significant difference in Tmax was found at the 0.95 significance level using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. D-Optimal Experimental Design provided definitive direction for an optimal formulation of capsules containing enteric-coated pellets of lansoprazole loaded within the coating of pellets that provided similar bioequivalence to Gastevin.

Adiponectin restores the obesity-induced impaired immunomodulatory function of mesenchymal stromal cells via glycolytic reprogramming

Obesity has been known to negatively modulate the life-span and immunosuppressive potential of mesenchymal stromal cells(MSC).However,it remains unclear what drives the compromised potency of obese MSC.In this study,we examined the involvement of adiponectin,an adipose tissuederived hormone,in obesity-induced impaired therapeutic function of MSC.Diet-induced obesity leads to a decrease in serum adiponectin,accompanied by impairment of survival and immunomodulatory effects of adipose-derived MSC(ADSC).Interestingly,priming with globular adiponectin(gAcrp)improved the immunomodulatory potential of obese ADSC.Similar effects were also observed in lean ADSC.In addition,gAcrp potentiated the therapeutic effectiveness of ADSC in a mouse model of DSS-induced colitis.Mechanistically,while obesity inhibited the glycolytic capacity of MSC,gAcrp treatment induced a metabolic shift toward glycolysis through activation of adiponectin receptor type 1/p38 MAPK/hypoxia inducible factor-1a axis.These findings suggest that activation of adiponectin signaling is a promising strategy for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of MSC against immune-mediated disorders.

New oligomeric neolignans from the leaves of Magnolia officinalis var. biloba

Six new oligomeric neolignans including two trimeric neolignans(1 and 2)and four dimeric neolignans(3–6)were isolated from the leaves of Magnolia officinalis var.biloba.Their structures were determined based on HR-ESIMS and NMR data,as well as electronic circular dichroism(ECD)calculations.Compound 1 is formed from two obovatol moieties directly linked to an aromatic ring of the remaining obovatol moiety,which is an unprecedented type of linkage between monomers.All isolates were assessed for their inhibitory effects on NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells.Compounds 1 and 3 showed significantly inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 6.04 and 3.26μmol·L^(−1),respectively.