ABSTRACT
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, wherein a progressive loss of cholinergic synapses occurs in hippocampus and neocortex. Decreased concentration of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine (ACh), appears to be critical element in the development of dementia, and the most appropriate therapeutic approach to treat AD and other form of dementia is to restore acetylcholine levels by inhibiting both major form of cholinesterase: Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Consequently, researches have focused their attention towards finding cholinesterase inhibitors from natural products. A large number of such inhibitors have been isolated from medicinal plants. This review presents a comprehensive account of the advances in field of cholinesterase inhibitor phytoconstituents. The structures of some important phytoconstituents (collected through www.Chemspider.com) are also presented and the scope for future research is discussed.
ABSTRACT
Analysis of pharmaceutical and natural compounds and newer drugs is commonly used in all the stages of drug discovery and development process. High-performance thin layer chromatography is one of the sophisticated instrumental techniques based on the full capabilities of thin layer chromatography. The advantages of automation, scanning, full optimization, selective detection principle, minimum sample preparation, hyphenation, and so on enable it to be a powerful analytical tool for chromatographic information of complex mixtures of pharmaceuticals, natural products, clinical samples, food stuffs, and so on.
ABSTRACT
The alcoholic extract of the latex obtained from Calotropis procera (Asclepidaceae) was evaluated for protection against isoproterenol (20 mg/100 g body wt., s.c.)-induced myocardial infarction in albino rats. The heart damage induced by isoproterenol was indicated by elevated levels of the marker enzymes such as Creatine Kinase-isoenzyme (CK-MB), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Serum Glutamate Oxaloacetic Transaminase (SGOT) and Serum Glutamate Pyruvate Transaminase (SGPT) in serum with increased lipid peroxide and reduced glutathione content in heart homogenates. Microscopical examination (histopathology) was also performed on the myocardial tissue. Pretreatment with an ethanolic latex extract of Calotropis procera at a dose of 300 mg/kg body wt., administered orally thrice a day for 30 days, reduced significantly (p < 0.01) the elevated marker enzyme levels in serum and heart homogenates in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction. Histopathological observation revealed a marked protection by the extract in myocardial necrotic damage.
Subject(s)
Calotropis , Cardiotonic Agents/pharmacology , Myocardial Infarction/prevention & control , Phytotherapy , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Administration, Oral , Alanine Transaminase/blood , Animals , Aspartate Aminotransferases/blood , Cardiotonic Agents/administration & dosage , Cardiotonic Agents/therapeutic use , Creatine Kinase/blood , Creatine Kinase, MB Form , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Female , Isoenzymes/blood , Isoproterenol , L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/blood , Male , Myocardial Infarction/chemically induced , Myocardial Infarction/pathology , Plant Extracts/administration & dosage , Plant Extracts/therapeutic use , RatsABSTRACT
Modern information technologies and world wide communications through the Internet play a significant role in medicinal plant research across the globe. The phenomenal growth in Internet usage is largely due to the success of World Wide Web. Various useful websites and databases on phytopharmacology are already in the "Net" and many more are being added constantly. The future of phytopharmacological research is handling the existing information in proper way. In this review of the Internet, compilation of important websites is expected to stimulate, instruct and update academicians and researchers involved in phytopharmacological research.
