Chemically characterised extract of Saraca asoca improves the sexual function in male Wistar rats.

In this study, methanolic extract of Saraca asoca bark was evaluated for its aphrodisiac potential using male and female Wistar albino rats. Male rats were dosed daily for 54 days at a dose of 100 mg/kg p.o. Sexual activity of male rats was assessed after 14, 28, 42 and 54 days of the study. Male rats were placed in a glass chamber lit with a dim red light (10W) followed by the introduction of sexually receptive female rats in a ratio of 1:1. Improvement in sexual behaviour of male rats was characterised by an increase in both mount frequency and intromission frequency and decrease or reduction in mount latency and intromission latency compared to normal control. After completion of the study, the effect of the S. asoca extract on sperm count, sperm motility and sperm morphology was also assessed. The extract of S. asoca bark was found to be safe as it did not affect these sperm parameters. From this study, it was found that methanolic extract of S. asoca bark plays a role in enhancing sexual behaviour and potential without causing reproductive toxicity.

Beneficial Role of Hydro-alcoholic Seed Extract of Trigonella foenum graecum on Bone Structure and Strength in Menopause Induced Osteopenia.

BACKGROUND: The current strategies to prevent and treat menopausal osteoporosis are hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, the long-term use of hormone replacement therapy is limited due to its side-effects. Alternately, use of phytoestrogens has been implicated. Trigonella foenum graecum (TFG) seeds are rich in phytoestrogen and known traditional medicine to treat menopause induced hyperlipidemia. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the role of dietary TFG seed extract on bone structure and mechanical properties in ovariectomized rats. METHODS: Twenty four female Wistar rats were randomly allocated into four groups; 1) control, 2) ovariectomized, 3) ovariectomized + TFG seed extract and 4) ovariectomized + 17ß-estradiol. TFG seed extract/17ß-estradiol was administered for 30 days, 14 days after ovariectomy. After the treatment, right femora were collected to measure the length and biomechanical properties, and left femora were gathered to study the micro architectural changes while tibia were collected to measure the dry weight. RESULTS: Maximum flexor load to break femur bone was significantly low in ovariectomized rats in comparison with control rats (P<0.05). Supplementation with TFG significantly improved the maximum flexor load (P<0.05) and tibia dry weight (P<0.01) compared to ovariectomized untreated rats. TFG administration also significantly preserved the trabecular (P<0.01) and cortical bone (P<0.05) thickness compared to ovariectomized rats. CONCLUSION: This study found that dietary intake of TFG seeds can improve the bone structure and biomechanical properties in ovariectomized rats indicating that TFG may be an alternative treatment strategy to prevent the menopause induced osteopenia.

Pyrazolone incorporating bipyridyl metallointercalators as effective DNA, protein and lung cancer targets: Synthesis, characterization and in vitro biocidal evaluation.

Pyrazolone based metal complexes have strong bio-activity but the anti-cancer mechanism of these derivatives is not fully understood. In recent years, Cu(II) complexes have attracted the interest of researchers increasingly because of their high antitumor activities that are usually related to DNA binding. The reaction of three different derivatives (I) PPMP [3-methyl-1-phenyl-4-propionyl-1H-pyrazol-5(4H)-one], (II) TMCPMP [1-(3-chlorophenyl)-3-methyl-4-(4-methylbenzoyl)-1H-pyrazol-5(4H)-one] and (III) PPTPMP [3-methyl-4-propionyl-1-p-tolyl-1H-pyrazol-5(4H)-one] of 3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-5(4H)-one and 2.2' bipyridyl along with Cu(NO3)2·3H2O under methanolic condition allowed us to isolate and characterize a series of new mixed ligand complexes [Cu(TMCPMP) (Bipy)NCS] (1) [Cu(PPMP) (Bipy)NCS] (2) and [Cu(PPTPMP) (Bipy)NCS] (3). All complexes are well characterized by elemental analysis, metal estimation, molar conductivity, FT-IR and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The molecular geometry of these complexes has been determined by single crystal X-ray study. The single-crystal X-ray structures of complexes 1 and 2 exhibit square pyramidal geometry, while complex 3 revealed slightly distorted square-pyramidal geometry. The DNA binding of these compounds with Calf-Thymus DNA (CT-DNA) has been explored by emission titration methods, which revealed that 1-3 could interact with CT-DNA through intercalation mode. The complexes also exhibited a strong binding with Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) over the ligands. Complexes were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxic activities against lung cancer cell lines (A549) as well as noncancerous rat cardiomyocytes (H9C2) cell lines, which showed that all three complexes exhibited substantial cytotoxic activity with minimum effect on noncancerous cells. Complex 1 with more hydrophobic environment exhibited relatively high cytotoxic activity towards A549 cells. In summary, this new series of compounds belongs to a class of copper-pyrazolonate complexes that target many biochemical sites and with potential anti-cancer activity. All these results collectively suggested that complexes could serve as promising pharmacologically active substance against lung cancer.

Effect of short photoperiod on organ growth kinetics and serum hormone profile in pullets of domestic fowl, Gallus gallus domesticus.

Effect of short photoperiod (SP; LD 6:18) treatment on serum hormone profile and growth rate of adrenal, thyroid, ovary, oviduct, liver and lymphoid organ was studied in rearing pullets (RIR breed) of 1 to day 90 old. Body weight and growth index of SP pullets were lesser as compared to pullets reared under LD 12:12. Except for ovary (recorded marginal increment), weights and growth indices of thyroid, adrenal and oviduct decreased under SP. Weight of liver and lymphoid organs was higher at 30 and 90 days, in SP pullets as compared to LD 12:12. Histometric data suggested that the transition from small to big follicles was slow in ovary of SP pullets, and also reduced follicular atresia was noted in SP pullets. Except for higher corticosterone level at 30 days and higher progesterone level at 30 and 60 days, relative levels of all the hormones at all other ages were lower in SP pullets. In general, the present observations suggested intraovarian changes in pullets exposed to SP.

Effect of dexamethasone and corticosterone on activity levels of ATPase, phosphomonoesterases and phosphodiesterase in liver, muscle and testis of post-hatched White Leghorn chicks.

Muscle ATPase activity did not show much change with any of the treatments, while hepatic total and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase activities were decreased with low dose of dexamethasone (DXM(L) and enzyme activity in general was increased with both high dose of DXM(H) and corticosterone. Total and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPases were increased in testis of corticosterone treated chicks. Acid phosphatase activity of testis was increased with DXM(H) and decreased with DXM(L) while the enzyme activity in all the three tissues was increased with corticosterone. Muscle alkaline phosphatase activity was decreased with DXM treatments while that of testis was decreased with both DXM(H) and corticosterone treatments. Hepatic PDE activity was decreased with DXM and increased with corticosterone while muscle PDE activity was decreased under both DXM(H) and corticosterone treatments. The results suggest that both hypo. and hypercorticalism can induce tissue specific differential alterations in phosphomonoesterases, ATPases and PDE during early phases of post-natal development of chicks.