Biomedical and hormonal aspects of apple vinegar

Apple vinegar was used for controlling body weight and high cholesterol level. Based on the data, the uptake of apple vinegar in two doses [5 ml each] daily by healthy control and hypercholesterolemic volunteers of varying ages, for five weeks led to a nonsignificant decrease in the body weight. A significant decrease in serum cholesterol level was observed only in middle aged hypercholesterolemic patients. Serum triglycerides level showed a nonsignificant decrease in all the studied subjects. There was a nonsignificant change in blood hemoglobin level in all subjects before and after treatment with apple vinegar. Apple vinegar could increase the serum insulin level significantly in hypercholesterolemic patients by increasing second-phase insulin secretion. Serum triiodothyronine [T3] revealed a significant increase after treatment with apple vinegar in both healthy control and hypercholesterolemic patients, while thyroxine [T4] showed a nonsignificant increase. In in vitro studies, apple vinegar showed a marked antibacterial action and some antifungal effects

Hypoglycemic effect of a herbal formulation in alloxan induced diabetic rats

An aqueous extract, prepared from five Egyptian herbs used to treat diabetes, was tested for its effect on glucose and insulin levels in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. At the end of the 10-day treatment period, all the diabetic rats [n=60] exhibited normal glucose levels which were maintained until the rats were sacrificed for histopathological examination 21 days after initial treatment. These medicinal plants when administered collectively were more effective in lowering blood glucose levels in the diabetic rats than Rhustyphina plant which is known for its hypoglycemic activity. At the end of treatments 1 and 2, the mean serum insulin level of alloxan diabetic rats increased. GOT and GPT levels were restored to normal ranges after the treatment with the herbal formulation. Lowered alkaline phosphatase levels in the diabetic rats also returned to the normal values. The observed changes in serum glucose and insulin levels as well as pathological data suggest that the herbal formulation used in this study may represent an effective treatment for alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus rats

Hypoglycemic and hyperinsulinemic effects of some Egyptian herbs used for the treatement of diabetes mellitus [Type II] in rats

A group of 25 medicinal herbs, belonging to 13 different families, were assessed for their hypoglycemic and hyperinsulinemic action on alloxan diabetic rats. A dose of 1.5 ml of herb suspension/100 g b. wt. was orally administrated to alloxan diabetic rats for intervals of 4, 8 and 16 days. The results revealed that Lactuca virosa L. [Lebbein], Aloe perryi Baker [Sabir], Ambrosia maritima L. [Demissa], Artemisia arborescens L., [Shagaret mariam], Geranium robertianum L., [Requemoya], Cymbopogon proximus, [Half barr], Portulaca oleracea L., [Rigla], and Zygophyllum coccineum L., [Kammun karmani] exerted hypoglycemic effects after treatment for 16 days, and the results recorded were: 167, 193, 192, 189, 195, 198, 194, and 189 mg%, respectively. Some of these herbs exerted an increase in the level of serum insulin of diabetic rats especially Lactuca virosa L. [Lebbein], Petroselinum crispum, [Bagdouneas], Ambrosia maritima L., [Demissa], Geranium robertianum L. [Requemoya], Acacia nilotica L. [Sant], Lupinus albus L. [termes] and Portulaca oleracea L. [Rigla] after treatment for 16 days, and the results recorded were: 9.3, 8.9, 8.9, 10.2, 13.0, 8.9 and 10.4 muIU/ml, respectively. To identify the turnover for these herbs and to assess their physiological capability several investigations have been undertaken in the present work

Hypoglycemic effect of citrullus colocynthis seeds [L schrader] on alloxan diabetic rats

Using two experimental models, the hypoglycemic effect of different fractions of Citrullus colocynthis [L. Schrader] extracts on alloxan- diabetic rats been assessed. Oral administration of either one of the extract fractions A, B or D of Schrader seeds to both the control group [non diabetic group] and alloxan diabetic rats once a day for a period of 10 days has lowered the glycemic response for the diabetic rats without affecting their insulin response. Also, the cholesterol and triglycerides levels in the rats serum have been significantly decreased [p <0.01]. Fractions A, B or D insignificantly affected the glucose, iuslin, cholesterol and triglycerids levels in the control group. However, the water soluble fraction C exerted insignificant effect with regards to glucose, insulin, cholesterol and triglycerides levels in diabetic rats possibly through extra-pancreatic action and impaired intestinal glucose absorption but independent of insulin excretion. The results of Schrader extracts were compared with those results achieved for the reference group which was treated with metformin

effect of substituent on the ultra-violet absorption spectra of some sultam-compounds and their correlation with hammett equation

The ultra-violet absorption spectra of some saturated sultam rings five or six membered exhibit a maximum absorption b and at 204-211 mm assinged for the vibrational structure of the sultamyl group [n-sigma* transition], in addition to another b and at 230-233 nm assigned for n-pi* transition. Sultamyl group whether five or six membered ring causes bathochromic shift for b and II of benzene ring and their substituent and also for n-pi* transition. Hypsochromic shift for n-pi* transition takes place if the obsorption spectra of some sultam compounds compared with the absorption spectra of benzophenone. Quantitative treatment of Hammett equation on the displacement of b and s is verified exhibiting a linear correlation between the displacement of b and delta lambda and delta sigma. Another linear correlation between the transition energy ET and lambda is also obtained