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OBJECTIVE@#The present study explored the effects of the combined herbal therapy consisting of curcumin (CUR) and Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (FLL) on aspects of bone regeneration.@*METHODS@#Prior to analyzing the ability of this novel combined herbal therapy to promote aspects of bone regeneration, its cytotoxicity was determined using MC3T3-E1 cells (pre-osteoblast model). Cell proliferation was evaluated using phase-contrast microscopy and cell differentiation was estimated using alkaline phosphatase activity. The effect of the combined herbal therapy (CUR + FLL) was also assessed in terms of mineralization in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of cultured cells. Further, to explore the molecular mechanisms of bone formation, time-dependent expression of bone-regulating protein biomarkers was also evaluated.@*RESULTS@#Combined herbal therapy (CUR + FLL) significantly upregulated the viability, proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells compared to the monotherapy of CUR or FLL. The magnitude of ECM mineralization (calcium deposition) was also higher in MC3T3-E1 cells treated with combined therapy. The time-dependent expression of bone-forming protein biomarkers revealed that the tendency of expression of these bone-regulating proteins was remarkably higher in cells treated with combined therapy.@*CONCLUSION@#The co-administration of CUR and FLL had superior promotion of elements of bone regeneration in cultured cells, thus could be a promising alternative herbal therapy for the management of bone erosive disorders such as osteoporosis.
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Medicinal plants of Moraceae family have been well-recognized traditionally due to their versatile applications in various fields including agriculture, cosmetic and food as well as in pharmaceutical industries. Their biomedical and medicinal importance is reflected from their broad range of pharmacological activities for treatment of various inflammatory conditions, cancer, infectious diseases, and gastrointestinal disorders. The present review was aimed to summarize and critically discuss the biomedical implications of Morus species, their bioactive compounds, and phytochemicals. Bioactivity guided fractionation of these medicinal plants revealed that different types of bioactive phytochemicals and secondary metabolites such as steroids, saponins, alkaloids, glycosides and phenolic compounds including terpenoids, flavonoids, anthocyanins and tannins were present. The critical analysis of the literature revealed that the aqueous, methanolic, and ethanolic extracts of Morus species and their bioactive compounds exhibit remarkable anti-oxidative, anti-diabetic, anti-stress, nephroprotective, antimicrobial, anti-mutagenic, anticancer, anxiolytic, hepatoprotective, anthelmintic, antimicrobial, immune-modulatory and cholesterol lowering effects. Based on the literature review and bioactivity guided investigation of Morus species and their phytomedicinal effects, we anticipate that these herbal products hold excellent potential for future research.
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OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the hepatoprotective efficacy of cranberry extract (CBE) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl)-induced hepatic injury using in-vivo animal model.@*METHODS@#The hepatoprotective efficacy of CBE (200 and 400 mg/kg) was investigated against CCl (4 mL/kg)-induced hepatotoxicity, elevated liver enzymes [ALT (alanine aminotransferase), AST (aspartate aminotransferase), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)], and total protein (TP) contents in the serum. Moreover, CBE-aided antioxidant defense against hepatotoxic insult of CCl was measured by evaluating a number of anti-oxidative biomarkers including reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the serum by using spectrophotometric analyses.@*RESULTS@#Results showed that the exposure of experimental animals to CCl did induce significant hepatotoxicity compared to the non-induced (untreated) group. The oral administration of CBE demonstrated a significant dose-dependent alleviation in the liver enzymes (AST, ALT, and ALP), increased antioxidant defense (GSH, SOD, and CAT), and reduced MDA levels in the serum of treated animals compared to the animals without treatment. The resulting data showed that the administration of CBE decreased the serum levels of ALT, AST, and ALP compared to the CCl-induced group.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The resulting data evidenced that CBE exhibits promising hepatoprotective potential against the chemical induced hepatotoxicity, maintains homeostasis in liver enzymes, and can provide significant antioxidant defense against free radicals-induced oxidative stress.
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Objective To investigate the hepatoprotective efficacy of cranberry extract (CBE) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl
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Background: Fall from height is a tragedy, largely avertable, often leading to death or morbidity. Apart from the physical dimension, it also has important medico-legal implications. There is a dearth of serious study to document the overall fall from height cases in the metropolis of Karachi or to formulate suggestions to improve the situation. The current study has been undertaken in this direction
Objective: To assess and document the incidence of medico-legally relevant cases of fall from height in the metropolis of Karachi and to suggest ways to minimize this mishap
Methods: Descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional study of medico-legally relevant cases of falls from height in Karachi registered from 1st January, 2007 to 31st December, 2011; the data having been retrieved from the three medico-legal sections of Karachi located at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Jinnah Post-graduate Medical Centre and Civil Hospital and from the Police Surgeon's Office, Karachi. Findings were expressed in numbers and percentages
Results: The total number of registered medico-legal cases of fall from height in Karachi during the study period was 1029. Of these 49.17% [n=506] were reported at ASH, followed by 28.67% [n=295] at CHK and 22.16% [n=228] at JPMC. Of the total number of fall cases, 86.01% [n=885] were non-fatal and 13.99 [n=144] proved fatal. Further, 51.41% [n=455] of the non-fatal cases were referred to ASH while 28.59% [n=253] went to CHK and 20% [n=177] to JPMC. Most of the referrals to ASH were due to location of the hospital
Conclusion: Fall from height is one of the leading causes of medico-legal cases in Karachi with a high morbidity rate as well as mortality with about 15% of them being fatal in the five year period 2007-2011. Despite the incidence, most of these mishaps are preventable. As majority of these cases involve the construction industry, a multi-pronged team effort is required to improve the situation
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A 55 years old Saudi female presented with vague abdominal pain. Ultrasound showed 2.0 x 2.2 cm echogenic lesion in left lobe of liver as an incidental finding. CT upper abdomen, both unenhanced and enhanced, was done which showed non enhancing fatty lesion [Density 50 H.U.] suggestive of lipoma. Hepatic lipomas have no risk of degeneration; so only follow up ultrasound was suggested