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The premise of the study was to investigate the effect of Acetyl-11-Keto-β-Boswellic acid (AKBA) on pro- inflammatory cytokines in inflamed rat knee joint. AKBA showed a significant dose dependent decrease in expression of TNF-α in in vitro.study on LPS activated rat neutrophils that were followed by study on its effect on pro-inflammatory cytokines produced in the synovial fluid in the knee joints of rat as a result of inflammatory effect-induced by intra-articular injection of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). AKBA at 4 and 8 mg/kg oral dose suppressed the pro-inflammatory cytokines in synovial fluid (in vitro), thereby showing potent inhibitory properties and usefulness in the treatment of inflammation and associated diseases as these cytokines play a major role in furthering the ill effects associated with inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trans-tetracos-15-enoic acid (TCA), a bioactive constituent isolated from the plant Indigofera tinctoria (Papilionaceae) is used in indigenous system of medicine in India for the treatment of epilepsy, nervous disorder and bronchitis. In this study, TCA was used to study its immunomodulatory potential, as a good number of the constituents from medicinal plants have been effective in diseases that are associated with the immune status of the individual. TCA decreased the clearance of carbon particles from the reticuloendothelial system and the rate of phagocytosis thereby showing a reduced responsiveness of macrophages. It reduced the CD4+ T - cell and CD8+ T- cells count at dose levels of 1, 2 and 4 mg/kg p.o. Suppression of IFN-gamma and IL-4 expression was also determined by flowcytometric analysis. Inhibition of B cell mediated humoral response in a dose dependent manner as evidenced by the decrease in the haemagglutination antibody titre was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune regulation involves homeostasis between T-helper 1 (Th1) and T helper 2 (Th2) activity. Th1 cells drive the type-1 pathway to fight viruses and other intracellular pathogens whereas the Th2 cells activate the type-2 pathway regulating and activating antibody production to fight extracellular organisms. The type 2 dominance is also credited with tolerance of xenografts and of the fetus during pregnancy. Overactivation of either pattern can cause disease, and either pathway can down-regulate the other reactions. The objective of the present study was to investigate the possible effect of aqueous extract of L. pumila (A003) on immune status in pregnant rats. Drug treatment showed no considerable change in CD4+ and CD8+ T- cells population and IFN-gamma and IL-4 expression when compared to untreated pregnant females. All studied animals had successful pregnancies and normal Th2 response was maintained but Cortisol, a major stress hormone decreased significantly in case of the pregnant rats treated with graded doses of A003. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Immense interest has been generated in recent years for the development of drugs of herbal origin for the mitigation of deleterious effects of environmental pollutants like ionizing radiation, mainly to protect against radiation leakages resulting from mishaps in nuclear reactors, deliberate use of dirty bombs, etc. Method: The radio modifying effects of a fractionated extract of the high-altitude Himalayan plant species Rhodiola imbricata, along with its electron-donation potential, super-oxide ion scavenging (IC50 ≤ 0.025 mg/ml), nitric oxide (NO) scavenging potential (IC50 = 0.5 mg/ml), and antihemolytic activity were evaluated in the present study. Reducing power, superoxide ion (O•-2 ), and nitric oxide scavenging ability of the fractionated extract increased in a dose-dependent manner. Rhodiola imbricata also exhibited antihemolytic potential preventing radiation-induced membrane degeneration of human erythrocytes. Conclusion: Thus, it can be stated that Rhodiola imbricata provides protection against gamma radiation via multifarious mechanisms that act in a synergistic manner. Rhodiola imbricata is widely used as a nutraceutical supplement in the trans-Himalayan region nations, and the current study shows that Rhodiola has immense potential for alleviation of biological damage in a radiation environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medicinal plant, Nothapodytes foetida, contains a number of important alkaloids like camptothecin (an anticancer drug molecule), but its concentration is less to meet the existing demand of this important molecule, in an effort for accessible availability of camptothecin. An endophyte (designated ZP5SE) was isolated from the seed of Nothapodytes foetida and was examined as a potential source of anticancer drug lead compound, i.e., camptothecin, when grown in Sabouraud liquid culture media under shake flask conditions. The presence of an anticancer compound (camptothecin) in this fungus was confirmed by chromatographic and spectroscopic methods in comparison with authentic camptothecin. Isolated endophyte ( Neurospora crassa) producing camptothecin may become an easily accessible source for the production of a precursor anticancer drug molecule in the future at a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twigs (young and old) from Nothapodytes foetida growing in the Jammu and Mahabaleshwar regions in India were used for the isolation of 52 strains of endophytic fungi and were tested for their ability to produce the anticancer alkaloid camptothecin. One of the isolates from the inner bark tissue of the N. foetida plant growing in the Jammu region of J&K state, India, was found to produce detectable quantities of camptothecin and its derivatives when grown in a semi-synthetic liquid medium. Camptothecin was identified by physicochemical analysis and further confirmed by spectroscopic studies. No camptothecin was detected in zero time cultures or in uninoculated culture broth. The maximum yield of camptothecin was 0.575 ± 0.031 mg/100 g of dry cell mass in 96 h in shake flasks, whereas 4.96 ± 0.73 mg/100 g of dry mass was recorded in 48 h in a bioreactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrodistillation of the aerial parts of Mentha pulegium L., collected from the wild and recorded for the first time from different locations in the higher Himalayas, Jammu and Kashmir, India, provided refreshing pale-coloured essential oils with a characteristic minty flavour. Essential oils from different locations were qualitatively similar and were found to be a complex mixture of at least 45 compounds, of which 24 were identified. Eight compounds accounted for about 87-98% of the oil and were characterized as pulegone (65.9-83.1%), menthone (8.3-8.7%), isomenthone (3.8-4.0%), neo-menthol (0.7-1.3%), pulegol acetate (0.1-1.2%), piperitone (1.3-3.2%), γ-terpinene (0.9-1.2%), β-caryophyllene (0.1-0.9%) and β-caryophyllene oxide (0.3-1.9%) by capillary GC, GC-MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phylogenetic relationships among the three species of Tinospora found in India are poorly understood. Morphology does not fully help to resolve the phylogeny and therefore a fast approach using molecular analysis was explored. Two molecular approaches viz Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay and restriction digestion of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA (PCR-RFLP) were used to evaluate the genetic similarities between 40 different accessions belonging to three species. Of the 38 random primers used only six generated the polymorphism, while as three out of 11 restriction enzymes used gave polymorphic restriction patterns. The average proportion of polymorphic markers across primers was 95%, however restriction endonucleases showed 92% polymorphism. RAPD alone was found suitable for the species diversions. In contrast PCR- RFLP showed bias in detecting exact species variation. The correlation between the two markers was performed by Jaccard's coefficient of similarity. A significant (r= 0.574) but not very high correlation was obtained. Further to authenticate the results obtained by two markers, sequence analysis of ITS region of ribosomal DNA (ITS1 and ITS2, including 5.8S rDNA) was performed. Three independent clones of each species T. cordifolia, T. malabarica and T. crispa were sequenced. Phylogenetic relationship inferred from ITS sequences is in agreement with RAPD data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]