Various fractions of Hypericum x moserianum and Hypericum ericoides possess antiglycation, anti-lipid peroxidation, antioxidative activities and non-toxic effects in vitro

In the present study, two species Hypericum x moserianum and Hypericum ericoides which belong to genus Hypericum were evaluated for their potential antiglycation, antioxidant, anti lipid peroxidation and cytotoxic activities. These species are widely used in folk medicine and to the best of our knowledge there were no previous reports regarding antioxidant, anti-glycation and cytotoxicity studies of these species. Among the crude methanol extracts and fractions of both the species, the ethyl acetate fraction of H. x moserianum exhibited promising antioxidant activity against 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl [DPPH] with IC50 129.084+/-1.215µg/ml, followed by methanol extract [IC50=232.083+/-1.215µg/ml] and aqueous fraction [IC50=266.962+/-2.213µg/ml]. The ethyl acetate fraction of Hericoides exhibited IC50 value of 295.088+/-2.320µg/ml. In antiglycation assay, the ethyl acetate fraction of H.x moserianum showed 52.096% inhibition at 500µg/ml. For lipid peroxidation assay, the dichloromethane, aqueous and n-hexane fractions of H. x moserianum showed 67.241, 66.147 and 64.213% inhibition respectively, while aqueous fraction of H. ericoides exhibited 67.404% inhibition at 500µg/ml. In cytotoxicity assay, all fractions of both the species were found to be non-toxic on mouse fibroblast 3T3 cells with IC50 value greater than 30µg/ml as compared to cycloheximide with IC50 value 0.073+/-0.1µg/ml used as a st and ard. It was concluded from the study that among the two species, crude methanolic and ethyl acetate fractions were more active regarding the antioxidant, anti-glycation activities while dichloromethane, aqueous and n-hexane fractions possessed anti-lipid peroxidation activity

Antimicrobial constituents from three endophytic fungi

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the antimicrobial potential of extracts of the endophytic fungi Plectophomella sp., Physalospora sp., and Crataegus monogyna (C. monogyna) and study the tentative identification of their active constituents.@*METHODS@#Crude extracts and isolated compounds were screened for antimicrobial activity using the agar well diffusion method. Four compounds were purified from three endophytic fungi using column chromatography and their structures have been assigned based on their (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra.@*RESULTS@#Plectophomella sp., Physalospora sp., and C. monogyna extracts showed promising antifungal, antibacterial and herbicidal properties. (-)-Mycorrhizin A was isolated from Plectophomella sp. while cytochalasins E and K were isolated from Physalospora sp. Similarly radicinin was purified from the endophytic fungus C. monogyna. The ethyl acetate extract of Plectophomella sp. showed significant antifungal activity towards Ustilago violacea (U. violacea) and Eurotium repens (E. repens) and significant antibacterial activity against Bacillus megaterium. Interestingly, the ethyl acetate extracts of Physalospora sp. and C. monogyna showed strong herbicidal and antifungal activities towards Chlorella fusca, U. violacea, E. repens, Mycotypha microspora (M. microspora), Fusarium oxysporum, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus megaterium. (-)-Mycorrhizin A showed significant antifungal activity towards U. violacea and E. repens. Cytochalasins E and K showed strong antifungal activity against E. repens and M. microspora especially towards fungal Mycotypha microspora. Similarly cytochalasins E and K showed good herbicidal activity towards Chlorella fusca. Radicinin showed strong antifungal activity against E. repens and M. microspora.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Antimicrobial activities demonstrated by the extracts of the endophytic fungi Plectophomella sp., Physalospora sp., and C. monogyna and four isolated compounds clearly demonstrate that these fungi extracts and active compounds present a great potential use in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

Antimicrobial constituents from three endophytic fungi

Objective: To evaluate the antimicrobial potential of extracts of the endophytic fungi Plectophomella sp., Physalospora sp., and Crataegus monogyna (C. monogyna) and study the tentative identification of their active constituents. Methods: Crude extracts and isolated compounds were screened for antimicrobial activity using the agar well diffusion method. Four compounds were purified from three endophytic fungi using column chromatography and their structures have been assigned based on their

Comparative study of garlic powder and gemfibrozil in patients of ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus

In this study we observed the effects of garlic [Allium sativum] powder on lipid profile in hyperlipidaemic patients [fasting serum cholesterol 280 mg / 100 ml or more and / or triglyceride 180 mg / 100ml or more] suffering from ischemic heart disease [IHD] and diabetes mellitus [DM] and compared its effects with those of the standard lipid regulating drug gemfibrozil [Lopid]. Nine patients suffering from IHD and DM were put on garlic powder [6 gram / day] for a period of four weeks, six patients were put on gemfibrozil [1200 mg/day] for a period of four weeks. After completion of the treatment the lipid profile was again examined. The parameters studied were serum total lipids, cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein- cholesterol [LDL-C] and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol [HDL-C]. The reduction in the garlic treated group of patients of serum total lipids, cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-C was more marked as compared the gemfibrozil treated patients. Garlic increased the mean serum HDL-C levels very significantly. All these changes produced by garlic powder are beneficial in patients of IHD and DM which are at high risk. Serum total lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-C directly or indirectly enhance the process of atherosclerosis, while HDL-C slows this process by taking away cholesterol from arteries towards the liver for its metabolism and excretion. So garlic is very useful dietary component for slowing the process of atherosclerosis and its associated complications in high risk patients if used regularly for a long time

Effects of aspirin and indomethacin on ventricular arrhythmias- comparative study

The effects of aspirin and indomethacin on the ventricular arrhythmias produced by ligation [ischaemia] and unligation [reperfusion] of the circumflex branch of the left coronary vessel were evaluated in fifty male rabbits weighing 1.5 - 2 kg. Pretreatment of animals with aspirin [50 mg/kg i/v] suppressed all arrhythmias during ischaemia. Low dose of aspirin [12.5 mg/kg i/v] produced no mortality. Indomethacin [2.5 mg/kg] was unable to control ischaemia and reperfusion-induced ventricular arrhythamis. However, higher doses of indomethacin [50 mg/kg] suppessed ischaemia-induced arrhythamias to some extent but the mortality rate was increased [37%]. Fragment of ventricular fibrillation was zero during ischaemia after treatment with aspirin and indomethacin but reperfusion-induced ventricular fibrillation was not controlled by any of these drugs. Aspirin [12.5 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg] and indomethacin [2.5 mg/kg] significantly suppressed ischaemia - induced tachyarrhythmias while reperfusion induced tachyarrhythmias were suppressed only by aspirin. There was no significant effect on the mean arterial pressure after these drug treatments

Combined effects of aspirin and propranolol on the tachyarrhythmias

We have observed the effects of aspirin and propranolol on the adrenaline-stimulated activity of the isolated auricles of the rabbit heart as well as on the ischaemia-induced and reperfusion-induced activity of the pentobarbitone-anesthetized rabbit heart. Aspirin [25-100 uM] has suppressant effects on the adrenaline-stimulated tachyarrhythmias of the isolated auricles. Aspirin [12.5 mg/kg] also suppresses ischaemia-induced and reperfusion induced tachycardia. These effects of aspirin are similar to propranolol [5x10[-8] M - 3x10[-6] M for isolated auricles and 0.02 mg/kg for pentobarbitone-anesthetized rabbits]. Aspirin-propranolol combination showed no significant effects on the isolated auricles of the rabbit heart while ischaemia-induced and reperfusion induced tachyarrhythmias are significantly suppressed. Therefore, we conclude that aspirin and propranolol alone have marked suppressant effects on the adrenaline-stimulated activity of isolated auricles while aspirin-propranolol combination has no such effect. On the other hand, low dose of aspirin and propranolol have significant suppressant effects on the ischaemia-induced and reperfusion-induced tachyarrhythmias and the combination of aspirin and propranolol showed potentiation in this type of tachyarrhythmias