"GC-MS profiling, sub-acute toxicity study and total phenolic and flavonoid content analysis of methanolic leaf extract of Schima wallichii (D.C.) Korth-a traditional antidiabetic medicinal plant".

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Schima wallichii (D.C.) Korth is traditionally used in Manipur, India for treatment of diabetes and hypertension. However, there is no data reported regarding safety profile of this medicinal plant upon repeated per oral administration over a period of time. AIM OF THE STUDY: In the current study phytochemical profile, toxicological profile and total phenolic and flavonoid compound content of Schima wallichii leaves extract were evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was performed for chemical profiling by using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS), Shimadzu, TQ8040 system. A 28 days sub-acute toxicity study was carried out using albino Wistar rats by administering 3 different doses (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg body weight per oral) of methanol leaves extract. Changes in body weights were recorded weekly. Serum biochemical parameters were estimated as well as blood-cell count was done to check the effect of extract on haematopoietic system. Histopathology of vital organs viz. kidney, heart, brain, liver was performed to find any pathological indications. Since, liver is main the site for xenobiotic metabolism, estimation of the level of glutathione, catalase and lipid peroxidation were done. Further, total phenolic and flavonoid compound content estimation was performed for the leaves extract. RESULTS: GC-MS revealed 14 major compounds with area percentage >1% of which quinic acid, n-Hexadecanoic acid, 9,12,15-Octadecatrienoic acid, (Z,Z,Z)-, Octatriacontyl trifluoroacetate, are three major compounds. No mortality was observed after the treatment with extract. Blood-cell count and biochemical parameters didn't show significant deviation as compared to control group. Histopathology study of vital organs viz. (liver, kidney, heart and brain) showed normal cellular construction comparing to control group. There was no sign of membrane lipid peroxidation, depletion of catalase level and glutathione level in liver. The result demonstrates that NOAEL (no-observed-adverse-effect levels) in the sub-acute toxicity was above 800 mg/kg. The leaves extract showed significant total phenol and flavonoid content. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that Schima wallichii possessed important bioactive compounds with therapeutic values. The plant was safe for consumption after repeated high doses administration in rats and possesses significant amount of total phenol and flavonoid content.

Procyanidin A2, an anti-diabetic condensed tannin extracted from Wendlandia glabrata, reduces elevated G-6-Pase and mRNA levels in diabetic mice and increases glucose uptake in CC1 hepatocytes and C1C12 myoblast cells.

To reduce the global burden of diabetes in an affordable way great attention has been paid to the search for functional foods and herbal remedies. One of the most popularly used functional foods in the North Eastern region of India is tender shoots of Wendlandia glabrata DC. In the current study identification of active anti-diabetic constituent of the tender shoots of W. glabrata was guided through α-glucosidase inhibition and procyanidin A2 was identified with IC50 0.27 ± 0.01 µg mL-1 making it potential source for postprandial management of DM type 2. The study has also demonstrated procyanidin A2 as a potent anti-diabetic agent that exhibits significant glucose-6-phosphatase inhibitory activities and downregulated mRNA level in diabetic mice as well as increases glucose uptake in hepatocytes and myoblast cells. This study revealed that easily available tender shoots of W. glabrata could be used to make specific dietary recommendations for consumption for affordable management of diabetes.

Microwave assisted synthesis of dihydrobenzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ones; synthesis, in vitro antimicrobial and anticancer activities of novel coumarin substituted dihydrobenzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ones.

The present article describes the synthesis of dihydrobenzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-one (2a-h) under microwave irradiation. The product was obtained in excellent yield (74-94%) in a shorter reaction time (2 min). These molecules (2a, b) further reacted with various substituted 4-bromomethylcoumarins (3a-f) to yield a new series of coumarin substituted dihydrobenzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ones (4a-h). The structure of all the synthesized compounds were confirmed by spectral studies and screened for their in vitro antibacterial activity against three Gram-positive bacteria viz., Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus mutans and three Gram-negative bacteria viz., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and antifungal activity against Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium chrysogenum and anticancer activity against Dalton's Ascitic Lymphoma (DAL) cell line. In general, all the compounds possessed better antifungal properties than antibacterial properties. The coumarin substituted dihydrobenzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-one (4g) (R = i-Pr, R1 = 6-Cl) was found to be the most potent cytotoxic compound (88%) against Dalton's Ascitic Lymphoma cell line at the concentration of 100 µg/mL.