Antioxidant and antiaging effect of traditional Thai rejuvenation medicines in Caenorhabditis elegans / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#This study explored the rejuvenation mechanisms of Thai polyherbal medicines using different approaches, including in vitro methods, as well as a well-defined nematode model, Caenorhabditis elegans.@*METHODS@#THP-R-SR012 decoction was selected from 23 polyherbal medicines, based on metal-chelating and chain-breaking antioxidant capacities. The influences of this extract on the survival and some stress biomarkers of C. elegans under paraquat-induced oxidative stress were evaluated. Furthermore, lifespan analysis and levels of lipofuscin accumulation were examined in senescent nematodes. The phytochemical profile of THP-R-SR012 was analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Supplementation with THP-R-SR012 decoction significantly increased the mean lifespan and reduced the oxidative damage to C. elegans under oxidative stress conditions. Further, THP-R-SR012 supplementation slightly influenced the lifespan and the level of lipofuscin accumulation during adulthood. Antioxidant-related phytochemical constituents of THP-R-SR012 decoction were rutin, naringenin, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, gallic acid, glycyrrhizic acid, demethoxycurcumin and 18α-glycyrrhetinic acid.@*CONCLUSION@#The antioxidant potential of THP-R-SR012 was due to its scavenging properties, its enhancement of antioxidant-related enzyme activities, and the presence of the antioxidant-related compound. These results support the traditional use of THP-R-SR012 decoction as a tonic for nourishing and strengthening the whole body.

Synergistic effects of ethnomedicinal plants of Apocynaceae family and antibiotics against clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the efficacy of 17 ethnomedicinal plants belonging to Apocynaceae family used in combination with 16 conventional antibiotics against non-multidrug resistant-, multidrug resistant (MDR)-, and extensive drug resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii).@*METHODS@#Antibacterial activity and resistance modifying ability of 272 combinations were determined by growth inhibition assays and further confirmed by time-kill assay.@*RESULTS@#Among the combinations of the antibiotics with Apocynaceae ethanol extracts on this pathogen, 15 (5%) had synergistic effects, 23 (8%) had partial synergistic effects and 234 (86%) had no effects. Synergistic activity was observed mostly when the Apocynaceae extracts were combined with rifampicin or cefazolin. Interestingly, 10 out of 17 combinations between the extracts and rifampicin displayed synergistic or partial synergistic behaviors. Holarrhena antidysenterica extract was additionally tested to restore rifampicin activity against clinical isolates of MDR and XDR A. baumannii. With respect to total or partial synergy, 70% was XDR A. baumannii isolates and 66% was MDR A. baumannii isolates.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Holarrhena antidysenterica extract clearly demonstrated the ability to restore rifampicin activity against both A. baumannii ATCC19606 and clinically isolated A. baumannii. Additional studies examining its active principles as well as mechanisms of actions such as the effects on efflux pumps and outer membrane permeability alterations are recommended.