Xanthine oxidase inhibitors in ischaemic heart disease

Increased uric acid levels are correlated with cardiovascular disease, particularly with ischaemic heart disease. Xanthine oxidase inhibitors, especially allopurinol, lower the risk of ischaemic heart disease due to their effects on reactive oxygen species and endothelial function. In chronic stable angina pectoris, allopurinol increases the median time to ST depression, time to chest pain, and total exercise time. On the other hand, it has been reported that allopurinol has a beneficial effect on ischaemic patients referred for angioplasty, but there are insufficient data regarding its effect on acute myocardial infarction patients. Moreover, other important actions of allopurinol are regression of left ventricular hypertrophy and improvement in the results of cardiac rehabilitation. The efficacy of allopurinol has recently been acknowledged by the European Society of Cardiology guidelines for stable angina pectoris, but the particular role of allopurinol in ischaemic heart disease patients is not fully established.

Potential antioxidant phenolic metabolites from doum palm leaves

The antioxidant activity of the aqueous ethanolic extract of doum leaves, Hyphaene thebaica L.(Palmae) was studied. Data obtained showed that the extract can inhibit reactive oxygen species attack on salicylic acid (IC50 = 1602 µg/ml) in a dose dependant manner using xanthine/hypoxanthine oxidase assay. Four major flavonoidal compounds were identified by LC/SEI as; Quercetin glucoside, Kaempferol rhamnoglucoside and Dimethyoxyquercetin rhamnoglucoside. While, further in-depth phytochemical investigation of this extract lead to the isolation and identification of fourteen compounds; their structures were elucidated based upon the interpretation of their spectral data (UV, 1H, 13C NMR and ESI/MS) as; 8-C--D-glucopyranosyl-5, 7, 4`-trihydroxyflavone (vitexin) 1, 6-C--D-glucopyranosyl-5, 7, 4`-trihydroxyflavone (iso-vitexin) 2, quercetin 3-O--4C1-D-glucopyranoside 3, gallic acid 4, quercetin 7-O--4C1-D-glucoside 5, luteolin 7-O--4C1-D-glucoside 6, tricin 5 O--4C1-D-glucoside 7, 7, 3` dimethoxy quercetin 3-O-[6''-O--L-rhamnopyranosyl]--D-gluco-pyranoside (Rhamnazin 3-O-rutinoside) 8 kaempferol-3-O-[6''-O--L-rhamnopyranosyl]--D-glucopyranoside (nicotiflorin) 9, apigenin 10, luteolin 11, tricin 12, quercetin 13 and kaempferol 14