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Ficus carica Linn. (Moraceae) is commonly known as edible fig. The leaves, roots, fruits and latex of the plant are medicinally used in different diseases. The leaves are claimed to be effective in various inflammatory conditions like painful or swollen piles, insect sting and bites. However, there has been no report on anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of F. carica leaves. Therefore the aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of F. carica leaves. Our study validated the traditional claim with pharmacological data. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of the drug could be due to the presence of steroids and flavanoids, respectively, which are reported to be present in the drug. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory activity of the drug could be due to its free radical scavenging activity. Further work is also required to isolate and characterise the active constituents responsible for the anti-inflammatory activities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study was undertaken to quantify psoralen and daidzein by high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). The methanolic extract of 10 mg mL−1 concentration solution was prepared for HPTLC quantification of psoralen and daidzein. HPTLC aluminium-backed plates coated with 0.2 mm layers of silica gel 60 F254 were used as the stationary phase. The working standard solution of psoralen and daidzein was applied along with the test sample solution by means of Camag Linomat IV sample applicator. Rf values of psoralen and daidzein were found to be 0.60 and 0.88, whilst as their percentage values in methanolic extract were found to be 3.02% and 5.64% (w/w), respectively. A simple quantitative estimation method of psoralen and daidzein by HPTLC is reported that can be used for the quality control of marketed preparations containing Ficus carica. However, further study is warranted to isolate and quantify active constituents present in the leaves of F. carica by sophisticated techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new b-sitosterol esters have been isolated from the flowers of Punica granatum Linn. (Punicaceae) along with the known compounds n-tricosane (3), n-heptacosanyl n-hexanoate (4), olean-5,12-dien-3b-ol-28-oic acid (5), and olean-12-en-3b-ol-28-oic acid (6). The structures of the new phytosterols have been elucidated as stigmast-5-en- 3b-ol-3b-dodecanoate (b-sitosterol laurate, 1) and stigmast-5-en-3b-ol-3b-tetradecanoate (b-sitosterol myristate, 2) on the basis of spectral data and chemical analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a significant consequence of metabolic dysfunction, often associated with changes in the intestinal microbiota. Prebiotics and probiotics have shown promise in NAFLD management. This study evaluated a silymarin-based herbal remedy with piperine and fulvic acid, alongside a probiotic blend of Bifidobacterium adolescentis , Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus casei , and Lactobacillus rhamnosus . Using a NAFLD mouse model induced by a high-fat and high-fructose diet, we assessed biochemical parameters, liver function, glucose levels, and conducted histological analysis. Stool samples underwent 16S rRNA metagenomic analysis to explore changes in microbiota composition. Mice on the high-fat diet exhibited elevated lipids, liver enzymes, and glucose, with reduced high-density lipoprotein levels (with p value < 0.001). Treatment, particularly with F3 (silymarin-piperine-fulvic acid herbal remedy and probiotic blend), significantly reduced hepatic fat accumulation and improved gut microbiota composition. This study highlights the potential of silymarin-based therapy combined with probiotics in attenuating NAFLD progression., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Tanya Ralli reports financial support was provided by India Ministry of Science & Technology Department of Science and Technology. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Perturbations in microbial abundance or diversity in the intestinal lumen leads to intestinal inflammation and disruption of intestinal membrane which eventually facilitates the translocation of microbial metabolites or whole microbes to the liver and other organs through portal vein. This process of translocation finally leads to multitude of health disorders. In this review, we are going to focus on the mechanisms by which gut metabolites like SCFAs, tryptophan (Trp) metabolites, bile acids (BAs), ethanol, and choline can either cause the development/progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or serves as a therapeutic treatment for the disease. Alterations in some metabolites like SCFAs, Trp metabolites, etc., can serve as biomarker molecules whereas presence of specific metabolites like ethanol definitely leads to disease progression. Thus, proper understanding of these mechanisms will subsequently help in designing of microbiome-based therapeutic approaches. Furthermore, we have also focussed on the role of dysbiosis on the mucosal immune system. In addition, we would also compile up the microbiome-based clinical trials which are currently undergoing for the treatment of NAFLD and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). It has been observed that the use of microbiome-based approaches like prebiotics, probiotics, symbiotics, etc., can act as a beneficial treatment option but more research needs to be done to know how to manipulate the composition of gut microbes.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Even if with such a high mortality there is no definite treatment approved. Thus, there is a need to develop a formulation which can have multiple pharmacological activities. Herbal drugs are among the most promising compounds that act by different pharmacological actions. For increasing the bio-activity of Silymarin we had isolated five active biomarker molecules from silymarin extract (as a Phytopharmaceutical) in our previous work. It possesses lower bioavailability due to poor solubility, lesser permeability and first pass metabolism effect. Therefore, from the literature we had screened two bioavailability enhancers i.e. piperine and fulvic acid for overcoming the drawbacks associated with silymarin. Hence, in this study we had first explored the ADME-T parameters and then evaluated their in-silico activity for different enzymes involved in inflammation and fibrosis. Interestingly, it was found that besides the bioavailability enhancing property, piperine and fulvic acid also shown anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic action, particularly more activity was demonstrated by fulvic acid than piperine. Furthermore, the concentration of the bioavailability enhancers i.e. 20% FA and 10% PIP were optimized by QbD assisted solubility studies. Moreover, the percentage release and apparent permeability coefficient of the optimized formulation was found to be 95% and 90%, respectively as compared to 6.54*10 6 and 1.63*10 6 respectively by SM suspension alone. Furthermore, it was found that plain rhodamine solution penetrated only up to 10 um whereas, formulation penetrated up to 30 um. Thus, combining these three, can not only increase the bioavailability of silymarin, but might also, increase the physiological action synergistically.

Adulteration and substitution of medicinal plants have become a matter of great concern in recent years. Euphorbia tithymaloides is one such medicinal plant that has gained importance but is often confused with other plants of the same species. In order to address this issue, this study aimed to conduct a conventional and molecular pharmacognostic study for the identification of the root of E. tithymaloides . The root of the plant was studied for the macroscopic observations, and then, the root was ground into coarse powder for microscopic studies and to determine the physiochemical properties. The powder was subjected to extraction with solvents such as ethanol, ethanol/water (1:1), hexane, and ethyl acetate. The extracts were then used for qualitative and quantitative (phenol, alkaloids, and flavonoids) phytochemical analysis. The molecular study was performed with the DNA barcoding technique. The DNA was extracted from the root of the plant, and its purity was examined by gel electrophoresis (1% w/v). The DNA was then amplified using an Applied Biosystems 2720 thermal cycler for the rbcL, matK, and ITS primers. The amplified primers were sequenced with a 3130 Genetic Analyzer, and the generated sequences were searched for similarity in the GenBank Database using the nucleotide BLAST analysis. The micro- and macroscopic studies revealed the morphological and organoleptic characters as well as the presence of medullary rays, fiber, cork, sclereids, parenchymal cells, and scalariform vessels. The physiochemical properties were found within the limit. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, and alkaloids. In addition, the alkaloidal content was high in the ethanol extract (63.04 ± 3.08 mg At E/g), while the phenol content was high in the hexane extract (10.26667 ± 1.77 mg At E/g), and the flavonoid content was high in the ethyl acetate extract (41.458 ± 1.33 mg At E/g). After the BLAST analysis from the GenBank database, the rbcL, ITS, and matK primers showed a similarity percentage of 99.83, 99.84, and 100. The phylogenetic tree for the species closest to each primer was generated using the MEGA 6 software. The matK loci had the highest percentage similar to the rbcL and ITS loci, indicating that the matK loci can be used to identify the root of E. tithymaloides as a standalone. The results from this study can be used to establish a quality standard for E. tithymaloides that will ensure its quality and purity., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

From late 2019, whole world has been facing COVID-19 pandemic which is caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus. This virus primarily attacks the respiratory tract and enter host cell by binding with angiotensin 2 converting enzyme receptors present on alveoli of the lungs. Despite its binding in the lungs, many patients have reported gastrointestinal symptoms and indeed, RNA of the virus have been found in faecal sample of patients. This observation gave a clue of the involvement of gut-lung axis in this disease development and progression. From several studies reported in past two years, intestinal microbiome has shown to have bidirectional link with lungs i.e., gut dysbiosis increases the tendency of infection with COVID-19 and coronavirus can also cause perturbations in intestinal microbial composition. Thus, in this review we have tried to figure out the mechanisms by which disturbances in the gut composition can increase the susceptibility to COVID-19. Understanding these mechanisms can play a crucial role in decreasing the disease outcomes by manipulating the gut microbiome using prebiotics, probiotics, or combination of two. Even, faecal microbiota transplantation can also show better results, but intensive clinical trials need to be done first., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Background: Sida cordifolia and Sida rhombifolia are regarded as useful herbs as they have been shown to be effective, inexpensive and harmless in the prevention of diabetes, and are recognized as valuable therapeutic substances., Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of S. cordifolia and S. rhombifolia in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy using a rat model., Material and Methods: Extracts of S. cordifolia and S. rhombifolia were obtained using the Soxhlet method. The hydroalcoholic extract solvent was used in the following proportions: 70:30, 50:50 and 80:20. The 80:20 hydroalcoholic extract was observed to be the most potent. The inhibitory effects of the extract were determined using the α-amylase assay. The most potent extract also underwent total flavonoid, phenolic and free radical scavenging tests, and was incorporated into an animal study. Diabetes was induced in rats by administering nicotinamide (NAD; 230 mg/kg) and streptozotocin (STZ; 65 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. In addition to a standard control of pioglitazone, the rats received extract dosages of 100 mg/kg/day or 200 mg/kg/day. Body weight, blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum albumin, serum creatinine, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and oral glucose tolerance were assessed at various time points. The animals also underwent histopathological examination to observe alterations induced by the treatment., Results: Sida cordifolia was the most successful in lowering blood glucose and HbA1c levels. Renal function indices and antioxidant enzyme levels were regained in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, S. cordifolia (200 mg/kg/day) extract, similar to pioglitazone, inhibited the production of advanced glycation byproducts by the kidney., Conclusions: The effects of various S. cordifolia and S. rhombifolia extracts on rats with diabetic nephropathy were observed. Sida cordifolia may be further explored for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy and, due to its diverse nature, may be utilized for the treatment of a wide range of diseases, as it provided more significant findings.

Calendula officinalis Linn contains the highest quantity of lutein in the orange variety of Calendula flowers. It has several benefits like; it protects the eyes from free radicals associated with UV rays on the eye retina. In the present work, we checked the enhancement of lutein content in C. officinalis flowers by solid-state fermentation examined by using four different species of Lactobacillus ( L. rhamnosus, L. casei spp. casei, and L. plantrum ). These microorganisms were isolated and allowed to ferment over the fresh (FC) and dried (DC) petals of C. officinalis for 10 days in the incubator. The fermented and non-fermented petals were extracted by the hexane extraction method and the presence of lutein was confirmed by HPLC technique, using a reversed-phase C18 column and gradient elution with a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile and methanol (40:60), flow rate of 1.0 ml/min and the UV detection at 446 nm. The highest amount of lutein (9.92 mg/g) was found in dried orange variety Calendula petals fermented by Lactobacillus rhamnosus . However, the orange variety of FC petals showed the highest concentration (40.66 mg/g) in Lactobacillus plantarum . Experiment results concluded that 1 kg of FC petals contains 4.0% of lutein fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum and 1 kg of DC petals contains 0.99% of lutein fermented by Lactobacillus rhamnosus compared with non-fermented and commercial lutein. The non-fermented FC and DC orange flowers contain 1.1% and 0.4% of lutein and commercial lutein contains 0.2%. The process mentioned above was also carried out using ethanol as the solvent for extraction, which showed satisfactory yield, 1 kg of fresh flowers of Calendula contains 0.43% of lutein fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum and 1 kg of DC contain 0.52% of lutein fermented by Lactobacillus rhamnosus ., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare no conflict of interest., (© Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2022, Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

The study objective was to analyse the phytochemical constituents in aerial extracts of these plants using an HPTLC method and optimization by quality by design. Qualitative analysis of ephedrine in hydro-alcoholic extract was done via HPTLC, using a mobile phase of toluene-ethyl acetate-chloroform-formic acid in the ratio of 1:0.5:0.5:01 and the peaks were monitored at 366 nm. In the hydro-alcoholic aerial part extract, ephedrine was identified using the HPTLC method and the retardation factor (Rf) value was found to be 0.69 ± 0.01 and 0.69 ± 0.01, as compared with the standard sample. The extraction of plant materials was done using different concentration of water and alcohol solvents and quality by design was applied to optimize the extraction process and to find out the best extraction in an 80:20 ratio of hydro-alcoholic extract. In the hydro-alcoholic extract, the ephedrine was characterized using the HPTLC method and compared with the standard solution, and this method was used in herbal as well as academic research for the identification of ephedrine in poly herbal formulations as well as the ephedrine present in different plant extracts. Response surface methodology software was utilized to predict the path or choose the best extraction method. Sida rhombifolia and Sida cordifolia can be used as substitutes for Ephedra gerardiana based on the HPTLC profile., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Withania somnifera (L.) has long been used as a traditional rasayana herb against a variety of human ailments. This research presents a high performance thin layer chromatography based chemo profiling of Ashvagandharishta and its antidepressant activity. The in-house formulation was made using a fermentation process according to the Indian Pharmacopoeia. Physiochemical standardization of the formulation was performed using different quality control parameters such as total ash, acid insoluble ash, alcohol soluble extract value and water soluble extract value. A column chromatography and high performance thin layer chromatography method was used to isolate and estimation of withanolide-A, withaferin-A & β-sitosterol from the root of W. somnifera. In addition. The antidepressant effect of different formulations were carried out by force swimming test in albino mice. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and Glutathione (GSH) assay was used to find out the oxidative stress. W. somnifera root has been standardized macroscopically, microscopically, physico-chemically according to the guidelines of the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia. The qualitative and quantitative analysis was performed using high performance thin layer chromatography and it was performed on each formulation and found the content of withanolide-A and -sitosterol in the in-house formulation is higher while withaferin-A is rather contained in the decoction. The antidepressant effect showed that the immobility time was lowest in the case of the standard formulation followed by in house formulation, while the increase in glutathione and the reduction in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances levels revealed the antioxidant nature of the formulation. In conclusion, based on the above results, we can conclude that Ashvagandharishta could be a breakthrough for the treatment of depression in the future., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Drakshasava is one of the commercial Ayurvedic medicines from India, prepared from grapes and spices. It is believed to address health imbalances and claimed to be beneficial for weakness, bleeding disorders, and various inflammatory diseases. It has been reported to possess pharmacological activities such as diuretic, cardioprotective, and antimicrobial. Being a polyherbal mixture, it faces challenges in its standardization and quality control., Objective: The aim of the present study is to develop a validated UPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantification of 10 polyphenolic biomarkers in Drakshasava. It explores the effect of Vitis vinifera L. and additional herbs on fermentation with respect to bioactive compounds through the successive addition method., Methods: The MS methods were optimized in multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with ESI while chromatographic separation was achieved on an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column using both isocratic and gradient elution in water and acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid., Results: The developed method was validated as per ICH-Q2B guidelines and found to be within the assay variability limits. Gallic acid was found to be the most abundant marker in all the samples followed by resveratrol. The content of all the markers has been found to be increased significantly post-fermentation, compared to decoction except kaempferol. The successive addition of prashpeka drvya (minor herbs) in the formulation showed variability at different stages with respect to the selected markers and did not exhibit major changes in the chemical profiling of the final product., Conclusion: The developed method was found to be rapid, accurate, reliable, and highly sensitive for the simultaneous quantification of selected biomarkers in Drakshasava. The research is the first chemometric report on the standardization of Drakshasava by validated UPLC-MS/MS method. It may prove to be a useful tool for the development of new phytopharmaceutical drugs and further quality control of other polyherbal formulations., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

The different ailments of heart including myocardial infarction (MI) and ischemic heart diseases are the foremost trigger of high mortality across the world which is instigated by sedentary life style, chronic hyperglycaemia and atherosclerosis. Albeit strenuous exercise itself induces temporary hypoxia which causes myocardial damage and this vitiosus circulus is poorly understood and has been assumed difficult to break. Present investigation targets temporal dynamics of aerobic exercise treatment induced preconditioning against diabetes associated pre- and post- myocardial injury. The persisting high blood sugar level leads to several biochemical alterations at pre- and post-MI phase. Here, we present the assessment of temporal expression of cardiac biomarkers (CKMB, LDH, cTnI and serum nitrite/nitrate), oxidative stress (myocardial TBARS and reduced NBT), inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α and IL-10), renal biomarkers (BUN, serum creatinine and microproteinuria) and structural alterations of cardio-renal tissue. Aerobic exercise preconditioning significantly downregulate the pathological events or biomarkers and upsurge the physiological biomarkers at both pre- and post-MI phase. The attenuation or returning of pathological makers to lowest level at different time points endorses the therapeutic management of aerobic exercise against diabetic MI. Furthermore, the temporal expression of various cardio-renal biomarkers pattern elucidates that aerobic exercise preconditioning boost the strength and consolidate the cardiac muscles to work under stress. Despite the presence of traditional knowledge about health benefits of aerobic exercise, it is yet to be brought into the clinical arena. In spite of few impending challenges subjected to additional investigations, aerobic exercise preconditioning shows a high degree of promise., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Preclinical investigation is the key mark of medical research, as the major breakthroughs including treatment of devastating diseases in biomedical research have been led by animal studies. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a predominant metabolic disorder having high prevalence of morbidity worldwide which create an urgent need to understand the pathogenesis, complication and other possible influences by development of appropriate animal model. High-fat diet (HFD) fed animals (21 days) were treated with single cycle of repetitive dose (SCRD) of streptozotocin (STZ; 40, 30 and 20 mg/kg/per day in three respective group at 1st, 3rd, and 5th day) and double cycle of repetitive dose (DCRD) of streptozocin (STZ) (20, 10 and 5 mg/kg/per day in three respective group at 1st, 3rd, and 5th day in one cycle and 21st, 23rd, 25th day in second cycle of treatment) to induce late-stage diabetic complications. Induction of hyperglycemia was assessed by fasting and postprandial blood glucose, HbA1c, insulin, C-peptide, pancreatic β-cells and dyslipidaemia up to 12 weeks. Combined treatment of HFD and STZ (20 mg/kg) in the DCRD manner were significantly induced late-stage diabetic complication with sustained hyperglycaemia, no mortality, increased HbA1c and dyslipidaemia, reduced insulin, C-peptide and beta cells. Moreover, biochemical and histological assessment of micro and macrovascular tissues confirmed the significant cardio-renal injury, endothelial and hepatic damage. The study confirmed the development of chronic diabetic model in rat mimicked to clinical pathology with associated micro and macrovascular abnormalities which can further explore the molecular aspects of diseases., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Context: Saraca asoca Linn. (Caesalpiniaceae) is an important traditional remedy for gynaecological disorders and it contains lyoniside, an aryl tetralin lignan glycoside. The aglycone of lyoniside, lyoniresinol possesses structural similarity to enterolignan precursors which are established phytoestrogens., Objectives: This work illustrates biotransformation of lyoniside to lyoniresinol using Woodfordia fruticosa Kurz. (Lythraceae) flowers and simultaneous quantification of lyoniside and lyoniresinol using a validated HPTLC method., Materials and Methods: The aqueous extract prepared from S. asoca bark was fermented using W. fruticosa flowers. The substrate and fermented product both were simultaneously analyzed using solvent system:toluene:ethyl acetate:formic acid (4:3:0.4) at 254 nm. The method was validated for specificity, accuracy, precision, linearity, sensitivity and robustness as per ICH guidelines., Results: The substrate showed the presence of lyoniside, however, it decreased as the fermentation proceeded. On 3rd day, lyoniresinol starts appearing in the medium. In 8 days duration most of the lyoniside converted to lyoniresinol. The developed method was specific for lyoniside and lyoniresinol. Lyoniside and lyoniresinol showed linearity in the range of 250-3000 and 500-2500 ng. The method was accurate as resulted in 99.84% and 99.83% recovery, respectively, for lyoniside and lyoniresinol., Conclusion: Aryl tetralin lignan glycoside, lyoniside was successfully transformed into lyoniresinol using W. fruticosa flowers and their contents were simultaneously analyzed using developed validated HPTLC method.

Context: Few vegetables that are commonly consumed in India as part of diet have been claimed for their antidiabetic potential., Objective: The present study was aimed at evaluating preventive effects of cucurbit vegetables namely, Coccinia indica and Momordica balsamina belonging to family Cucurbitaceae in diabetic hyperglycemia., Materials and Methods: The fruits of M. balsamina and C. indica were extracted with chloroform and fractionated with hexane to prepare an extract rich in moderately polar components. These extracts were used for evaluating the effect of these cucurbits in nicotinamide/streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetes. Streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced diabetic animals were orally treated with chloroform extract of fruits (250 mg/kg BW) given daily for a week separately., Results: Both the extracts reduced fasting blood glucose significantly ( P < 0.05 versus diabetic control) when estimated on seventh day of treatments. Pretreatment with fruit extracts for 7 days also blunted the OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) curve. Results indicated that C. indica and M. balsamina fruits possess beneficial effects in diabetes by lowering elevated blood glucose level. Six cucurbitane-type triterpenoids were isolated from bioactive extracts of C. indica ((1-3) and M. balsamina (4-6). The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data analysis., Conclusion: The study concludes that the inclusion of C. indica and M. balsamina fruits in food can be useful for newly diagnosed diabetic patients or highrisk group of population for glycemic control., Summary: "Cucurbitane-type triterpenoids from the blood glucose-lowering extracts of Coccinia indica and M. balsamina fruit" The beneficial effects of chloroform extracts of vegetal cucurbits namely C. indica (Ivy gourd) and M. balsamina (Balsam apple) in streptozotocin-nicotinamide (STZ-NA)-induced diabetic rats has been evaluated.The isolation and characterization of six cucurbitacins from bioactive extracts of C. indica (Coccinoside A, B, and C) and M. balsamina (cucurbit-5, 7-dien-3ß-ol, cucurbita-5-en-3ß-ol-3- O -ß-d-glucopyranoside, and cucurbit-5-en-3ß-ol-3-O-ß-d-glucopyranosyl-(4'→1")- O -ß-d-glucopyranoside) have been reported for the first time.The study concludes that the inclusion of C. indica and M. balsamina fruits in food can be useful for newly diagnosed diabetic patients or high risk group of population for glycemic control. Abbreviation used: C: indica (Coccinia indica), M: balsamina (Momordica balsamina), Kbr: Potassium bromide, FTIR: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, COSY: Corelated Spectroscopy, DEPT: Distortionless Enhancement by Polarization Transfer, DMSO: Dimethyl sulfoxide, TMS: tetramethylsilane, ESI-MS: Electrospray Ionization mass spectrometry, TLC: thin layer chromatography, STZ-NA: Streptozotocin-nicotinamide, CMC: carboxy methyl cellulose, BW: body weight, ANOVA: analysis of variance, AUC: area under curve., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Context: Lyoniside is the major constituent of Saraca asoca Linn. (Caesalpiniaceae) bark. There is an immediate need to develop an efficient method to isolate its chemical constituents, since it is a therapeutically important plant., Objective: A rapid extraction method for lyoniside based on microwave-assisted extraction of S. asoca bark was developed and optimized using response surface methodology (RSM)., Materials and Methods: Lyoniside was analyzed and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). The extraction solvent ratio (%), material solvent ratio (g/ml) and extraction time (min) were optimized using Box-Behnken design (BBD) to obtain the highest extraction efficiency. The optimal conditions were the use of 1:30 material solvent ratio with 70:30 mixture of methanol:water for 10 min duration., Results: The optimized microwave-assisted extraction yielded 9.4 mg/g of lyoniside content in comparison to reflux extraction under identical conditions which yielded 4.2 mg/g of lyoniside content. Under optimum conditions, the experimental values agreed closely with the predicted values. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated a high goodness-of-fit model and the success of the RSM method for optimizing lyoniside extraction from the bark of S. asoca., Discussion: All the three variables significantly affected the lyoniside content. Increased polarity of solvent medium enhances the lyoniside yield., Conclusion: The present study shows the applicability of microwave-assisted extraction in extraction of lyoniside from S. asoca bark.

Betulinic acid (BA) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid acid obtained from the stem bark of Tecomella undulata Seem. (Bignoniaceae). Development of an efficient extraction method for the isolation of BA is important as it has a wide range of pharmacological activity. A Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used to investigate the effect of extraction variables such as temperature (30-60 °C), time (4-8 h) and solvent to drug ratio (300-500 mL/100 g) on the maximization of BA yield and its quantification using validated densitometric high performance thin layer chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection (HPTLC-VIS). A quadratic polynomial model was found to best fit the model with R² = 0.99. The optimized Soxhlet extraction yielded 2.449% w/w of BA at a temperature 53.86 °C, time 6.38 h and solvent to drug ratio 371 mL/100 g. BA in Tecomella undulata bark was detected at Rf value of 0.65 at 510 nm using the solvent system toluene-ethyl acetate-glacial acetic acid (8.5:1.5:0.02 v/v/v). The analytical method was validated and the linear regression analysis reflects good linear relationship (R² = 0.9902). Lower %RSD and SEM suggested that the developed HPTLC-VIS method was precise, accurate and robust. Therefore, these economical techniques are very efficient and promising for the extraction and quantification of pharmaceutically important BA.

The liver is the most important organ that plays an important role in maintaining various physiological processes in the body. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver and is characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. There are five main viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D, and E. These five types are of the greatest concern because of the burden of illness and death. Liver injury or liver dysfunction is a major health problem that challenges not only health care professionals but also the drug regulatory agencies and the pharmaceutical industry. Herbal medicines have been used in the treatment of liver disease for a long time. The immune system is the part of body that diagnoses the pathogen by using a specific receptor to reveal immediate response by the activation of immune components cells, chemokines, and cytokines, and also the release of the inflammatory mediator. They potentiate and modulate the immune system. The plant-derived phytoconstituents (polysaccharides, proteins and flavanoids, lignans, rotenoids, etc.) stimulate the immune system and maintained hepatic diseases. There are a number of hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory herbs that have been reported. The present review is aimed at compiling data on promising phytochemicals from hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory herbs.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Euphorbia hirta L. (Euphorbiaceae) is a pantropical medicinal rhizomatous herb, traditionally used in the treatment of diabetes, respiratory and gastro-intestinal disorders., Aim of the Study: To isolate and characterize the constituents of Euphorbia hirta and evaluate their in-vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The study is also aimed at describing structural activity relationship, type of α-glucosidase inhibition and in-vivo potential to regulate post prandial hyperglycemia in Wistar rats., Materials and Methods: Methanolic extract of whole plant was suspended in water, and sequentially fractionated with n-hexane and ethyl acetate. Further ethyl acetate fraction was subjected to medium pressure liquid chromatography (MPLC) to isolate the active molecules under the following experimental conditions, pressure (up to 5 kg/cm(2)) and flow rate (2 in./min). The structural elucidation of isolated compounds was done on the basis of detailed spectral analysis. The α-glucosidase inhibitory potential of isolated compounds was evaluated and compared with standard drug acarbose. In addition, type of inhibition was dwelled by Lineweaver-Burk plot analysis. Further, sucrose tolerance test was performed in Wistar rats pre-treated with the isolated compounds and acarbose (0.015 mM) followed by a sucrose load (2g/kg, p.o.) and blood glucose level was measured up to 120 min by the glucose oxidase method., Results: The ethyl acetate fraction afforded quercetrin (1), dimethoxy quercetrin (2), along with two new prenylated flavonosides designated as hirtacoumaroflavonoside (3) and hirtaflavonoside-B (4) characterized as 7-O-(p-coumaroyl)-5,7,4'-trihydroxy-6-(3,3-dimethyl allyl)-flavonol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(2" → 1"')-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside and 5, 7, 3', 4'-trihydroxy-6-(3, 3-dimethyl allyl)-8-(iso-butenyl)-flavonol-3-C-β-d-glucopyranoside, respectively. All the isolated compounds showed dose dependent inhibition of α-glucosidase which was found to be comparable to acarbose. Maximum α-glucosidase inhibition was achieved with compound 3 (IC50 0.022 mM) followed by 4 (IC50 0.071 mM) in comparison to acarbose (IC50 0.092 mM). The results revealed that 5,7,4'- trihydroxyflavone structure is imperative for the inhibitory activity. The prenylation in the flavonoids increase the potency and p-coumaroyl substitution at C-7 further enriched the α-glucosidase inhibition. Compound 3 exhibited non-competitive inhibition while compounds 1, 2 and 4 showed mixed non-competitive inhibitory pattern. The results of sucrose tolerance test corresponded well with the in vitro studies., Conclusion: α-Glucosidase inhibitory activity and sucrose tolerance test demonstrated by the prenylated flavonoids present in E. hirta provide credence to the ethnomedicinal use of the plant in the management of diabetes in folk medicine., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Ocimum sanctum Linn (Sanskrit: Tulasi; family: Libiaceae), popularly known as holy basil or Ocimum teinufolium, is found throughout the semitropical and tropical parts of India. In Ayurveda, Tulasi has been well known for its therapeutic potentials., Objective: To optimise and develop a standard method to quantify seven polyphenols simultaneously by HPTLC., Methods: A three-level factor Box-Behnken statistical design was used for optimisation, where extraction time (min), temperature (°C) and methanol:water ratio (% v/v) are the independent variables with polyphenols as the dependent variable. The separation was archived on a silica-gel 60 F254 HPTLC plate using toluene:ethyl acetate:formic acid:methanol (3:3:0.8:0.2 v/v) as the mobile phase. Densitometric analysis of polyphenols was carried out in the absorbance mode at 366 nm., Results: The quantification of polyphenols was carried out based on peak area with a linear calibration curve at concentration ranges of 60-240, 20-200, 100-1600, 40-200, 200-1400, 10-160, 200-1400, 100-5000 ng/band for caffeic acid, ellagic acid, rutin, kaempferol, catechin, quercetin, eupalitin and epicatechin respectively. The method was validated for peak purity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ). Method specificity was confirmed using the retention factor value and visible spectra correlation of marker compounds., Conclusions: A validated HPTLC method was newly developed for simultaneous quantification of seven polyphenols in an Ayurvedic preparation of O. sanctum. The proposed method is simple, precise, specific, accurate, cost-effective, less time consuming and has the ability to separate the polyphenols from other constituents., (Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Background: Phyllanthus maderaspatensis species (Euphorbiaceae) has been used in folk medicine of many countries as a remedy against several pathological conditions including jaundice and hepatitis. This study is an attempt to evaluate hepatoprotective activity of P. maderaspatensis against galactosamine-induced toxicity and also investigation of polyphenols in each extract., Materials and Methods: The extraction of P. maderaspatensis as per Ayurveda was simultaneously standardized and quantified for biochemical markers viz., polyphenols: Kaempferol, quercetin, catechin, rutin, and ellagic acid by high-performance thin layer chromatography. Hepatotoxicity was induced albino adult rats by intraperitoneal injection of galactosamine (400 mg/kg). The quantified aqueous, hydroalcoholic and alcoholic extract of P. maderaspatensis (200 and 400 mg/kg body weight/day) were compared for evaluation of hepatoprotective potential, which were assessed in terms of reduction in histological damage, change in serum enzymes such as aspartate amino transaminase, alanine amino transaminase and alkaline phosphatase and increase thiobarbituric acid reactive substances., Results and Discussion: The hydroalcoholic extract was found to contain comparatively high amount of kaempferol, quercetin, catechin, rutin, and ellagic acid which are responsible for hepatoprotection. Antioxidant parameters such as glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activity in liver tissues were restored toward the normalization more significantly by the hydroalcoholic extract when compared with other extracts. The biochemical observations were supplemented with histopathological examination., Conclusion: The hydroalcoholic extract standardized with respect to known biomarkers may be considered as a potent extract against hepatotoxicity.

Context: Careya arborea Roxb. (Lecythidaceae) has multiple applications in traditional medicine; it exhibits analgesic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, and protective effects. However, the effect of C. arborea on biochemical and immmunological inflammatory mediators has not been explored., Objective: The present study investigates the anti-inflammatory potential of the methanol extract of C. arborea stem bark and further assesses its possible mechanism on the modulation of inflammatory biomarkers., Materials and Methods: Anti-inflammatory activity of C. arborea methanol extract (CAME) was evaluated (100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o) using indomethacin (10 mg/kg, p.o) as the standard drug in Wistar albino rats. Inflammation was induced by injecting 0.1 ml carrageenan (1% w/v) into the left hind paw. The anti-inflammatory mechanism was studied by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA), C-reactive protein (CRP), nitric oxide (NO), myeloperoxidase (MPO), TNF-α, and IL-1β levels in both control and treated groups. A protocol has also been established to quantify quercetin and betulinic acid content in CAME using HPTLC fingerprint., Results: Careya arborea significantly (p < 0.001) decreased carrageenan-induced paw edema, showed a reduction of 48.87 and 65.53% at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Moreover, CAME significantly decreased the MDA, CRP, NO, and MPO levels, elevated by carrageenan induced inflammation. CAME also markedly down-regulated serum TNF-α and IL-1β levels. These findings were further supported by the histological study. The content of quercetin and betulinic acid in CAME was found to be 0.177 and 3.14%, respectively., Conclusion: Several mechanisms, including the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines, enzymes and mediators release, appear to account for the anti-inflammatory potential of C. arborea.

Cucurbitacins which are structurally diverse triterpenes found in the members of Cucurbitaceae and several other plant families possess immense pharmacological potential. This diverse group of compounds may prove to be important lead molecules for future research. Research focused on these unattended medicinal leads from the nature can prove to be of immense significance in generating scientifically validated data with regard to their efficacy and possible role in various diseases. This review is aimed to provide an insight into the chemical nature and medicinal potential of these compounds exploring their proposed mode of action, probable molecular targets and to have an outlook on future directions of their use as medicinal agents.

Context: Most new drugs have low water solubility and liposome is an important formulation to administer such drugs; however, it is quite unstable and has negligible systemic absorption., Objective: Aceclofenac nanovesicles were made using guggul lipid for formulating stable transdermal formulation., Materials and Methods: Guggul lipid was formulated into vesicles along with cholesterol and dicetyl phosphate using film hydration method. The formulations were analyzed for physicochemical properties and stability. Then its skin permeation and anti-inflammatory activity were determined., Results: Both categories of vesicles (PC and GL) showed optimum physicochemical properties; however, accelerated stability study showed considerable differences. GL-1 was appreciably stable for over 6 months at 4 °C. Corresponding gels (PCG-1 and GLG-1) showed C max values at 4.98 and 7.32 μg/mL along with the Tmax values at 4 and 8 hours, respectively. GLG-1 inhibited edema production by 90.81% in 6 hours. Discussion. PC liposomes are unstable at higher temperature and upon longer storage. The formulation with higher lipid content (GL-1) showed good drug retention after 24 hours and appreciable stability both at higher temperature and for longer duration. Guggul lipid being a planar molecule might be stacked in vesicle wall with cholesterol., Conclusion: The composition of the nanovesicle played an important role in stability and drug permeation. Guggul lipid is suitable for producing stable vesicles.

Unlabelled: Boerhavia diffusa (BD) is a plant of rasayana category as per ayurvedic claims. It is reported to possess antiaging, disease prevention, and life strengthening activities which hold enormous influence in disease burden and affordability/availability of healthcare in the world. Objective. This paper has been compiled to comment on the studies reported for BD to highlight its chemical and therapeutic potential along with its ethnopharmacological considerations., Methods: In the present paper, a detailed account of chemical constituents and pharmacological activities has been presented. All the findings were correlated with modern pharmacological activities to appraise the value of BD., Results: Chemical analysis of BD gives a wide variety of chemical constituents, namely, rotenoids, flavonoids, xanthones, purine nucleoside, lignans, and steroids. Various ethnopharmacological reports emphasize its role in disorders of reproductive system, gastrointestinal system, respiratory system, urinary system, hepatic system/jaundice, cardiovascular system, and cancer., Conclusions: The studies on the therapeutic activities of BD range from studies on crude extracts to isolated compounds; however some of the studies require sophistication and validated results. BD is a plant of enormous importance in the purview of its chemical and therapeutic properties.

Acanthus ilicifolius (Acanthaceae) has received considerable attention due to its wide range of secondary metabolites and its traditional usage in Indian and Chinese system of medicine. This plant is reported to be a mangrove. Mangrove survives in the most hostile environment with fluctuating tidal and saline regime. Hence, these plants are considered to be rich sources of steroids, triterpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and tannins. Present review article is an attempt to cover recent developments in phytochemical and pharmacological potential of drug. Traditionally, the plant has been used for dyspepsia, paralysis, asthsma, headache, rheumatism, and skin diseases. The plant is known as 'Krishnasaireyaka' or 'Karimkurunji', is one of the 9 plants equated to the drug 'Sahachara,' which is used in Ayurvedic medicine for rheumatic complaints. The plant has not been explored to its full potential. The review will be a good reference tool for investigators who wish to work on natural compounds with free radical scavenging activity to combat diseases associated with stress.

Two new triterpenic constituents characterized as lupenic arabinopalmitate [lup-12,20(29)-dien-3β-ol-3β-l-arabinofuranosyl-2'-hexadecanoate] (1) and lupenic palmitate [lup-12,20(29)-dien-3β-olyl hexadecanoate] (2) and an aliphatic δ-lactone [4β-(pent-2-enylolactone)-hexatriacontane] (4) have been isolated for the first time from the methanolic extract of the roots of Cichorium intybus L. (Asteraceae) along with the known compound glycery-1-stearyl-2-linolenyl phosphate 3. The structures of all these phytoconstituents have been established by spectral data analysis and chemical reactions.

The ethanolic extract of Ficus carica leaves was screened for hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity in hepatotoxic Albino rats induced via carbon tetrachloride. The degree of protection was measured by estimating biochemical parameters such as serum glutamate Oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase ( SGPT),totalprotein (TP), totalalbumin (TA), alkaline phosphatase (ALKP) and the level of total serum bilirubin. The extract in addition reduced CCl4 induced lipid peroxidation in - vivo and in - vitro. The ethanolic extract (50 mg/kg, 100mg/kg,200mg/kg)exhibited significant hepatoprotection incarbontetra chloride in toxicated rats in a dose dependant manner. The hepatoprotective effects of the extract were comparable with the standard drug silymarin 10)mg/kg body weight, IP).

The present study investigated the effects of Punica granatum aqueous extract (PgAq) on streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats by measuring fasting blood glucose, lipid profiles (atherogenic index), lipid peroxidation (LPO) and activities of both non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants. Diabetes was induced by single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (60 mg/kg) to albino Wistar rats. The increase in blood glucose level, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), LPO level with decrease in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), reduced glutathione (GSH) content and antioxidant enzymes namely, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were the salient features observed in diabetic rats. On the other hand, oral administration of PgAq at doses of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg for 21 days resulted in a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose, TC, TG, LDL-C, VLDL-C and tissue LPO levels coupled with elevation of HDL-C, GSH content and antioxidant enzymes in comparison with diabetic control group. The results suggest that PG could be used, as a dietary supplement, in the treatment of chronic diseases characterized by atherogenous lipoprotein profile, aggravated antioxidant status and impaired glucose metabolism and also in their prevention.