Purple grape juices prevent pentylenetetrazol-induced oxidative damage in the liver and serum of Wistar rats.

Oxidative damages in hepatocytes may be caused by epilepsy and/or anticonvulsant drugs. Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, characterized by recurrent seizures, which may increase the content of reactive oxygen species. Organic and conventional grape juices are rich in polyphenols, compounds with important antioxidant activity. It is hypothesized that organic and conventional purple grape juices may have protective effect against oxidative damage induced by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) (a standard convulsant drug) in the liver and serum of Wistar rats. Animals (n = 16 in each group) received, by gavage, saline, organic grape juice or conventional grape juice (10 µL/g of body weight) for 17 days. Subsequently, half of the rats in each group received PTZ (60 mg/kg). After 30 minutes, the animals were euthanized by decapitation. Liver and blood samples were isolated to evaluate oxidative parameters (lipid and protein oxidation, nitric oxide metabolite content, antioxidant defenses, and protein sulfhydryl content). The results of this study showed that although organic juice contains higher polyphenol content than conventional juice, both juices conferred protection against lipid and protein oxidative damage and limited the increase in PTZ-induced nitric oxide metabolite content in the liver and serum. In addition, both juices inhibited the PTZ-induced reduction in enzymatic antioxidant defenses (superoxide dismutase and catalase activities) and sulfhydryl protein content in the liver and serum. In summary, both organic and conventional grape juices were able to reduce oxidative damage induced by PTZ in the liver and serum of Wistar rats.

Counterfeit Cialis and Viagra fingerprinting by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy with chemometry: can the same pharmaceutical powder mixture be used to falsify two medicines?

This paper proposes a direct and efficient method to discriminate between counterfeit and authentic Cialis and Viagra samples by combining attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy with multivariate techniques. The chemical profile of 53 commercial samples (Viagra(®), Cialis(®)) and 104 counterfeit samples (Viagra and Cialis) from distinct seizures were obtained from ATR-FTIR data derived from 10mg of crushed core tablets. Principal component analysis (PCA) technique was employed to classify samples based on the fingerprint region mid-infrared spectra (1800-525 cm(-1)) using OMNIC v.7.2 software; PCA enabled categorizing samples in groups with different chemical profiles, successfully distinguishing between authentic and counterfeits samples in forensic routine. The existence of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and technological adjuvant others than specified on the medicine package were also detected in counterfeit samples. In addition, we applied the similarity match (SM) method to demonstrate that a mixture of pharmaceutical powders deriving from a common origin may have been used to manufacture both counterfeit Cialis and Viagra tablets from distinct seizures.

Anticonvulsant, neuroprotective and behavioral effects of organic and conventional yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.) on pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures in Wistar rats.

Epilepsy, which is one of the most common neurological disorders, involves the occurrence of spontaneous and recurrent seizures that alter the performance of the brain and affect several sensory and behavioral functions. Oxidative damage has been associated with post-seizure neuronal injury, thereby increasing an individual's susceptibility to the occurrence of neurodegenerative disorders. The present study investigated the possible anticonvulsive and neuroprotective effects of organic and conventional yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis), a plant rich in polyphenols, on pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures in Wistar rats. The behavioral and polyphenolic profiles of the yerba mate samples were also evaluated. Infusions of yerba mate (50mg/kg) or distilled water were given to rats for fifteen days by oral gavage. On the 15th day the animals were subjected to open field test, and exploratory behavior was assessed. Subsequently, 60mg/kg PTZ (i.p.) was administered, and animals were observed for the appearance of convulsions for 30min. Latency for the first seizure, tonic-clonic and generalized seizures time, frequency of seizures and mortality induced by PTZ were recorded. The animals were then sacrificed, and the cerebellum, cerebral cortex and hippocampus were quickly removed and frozen to study the neuroprotective effects of yerba mate. The oxidative damage in lipids and proteins, nitric oxide levels, the activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (Sod) and catalase (Cat) and non-enzymatic cellular defense (sulfhydryl protein) were quantified in all the tissues. The results showed that organic and conventional yerba mate infusions were able to reduce the frequency of seizures when compared to the PTZ group. Besides, organic yerba mate infusion decreases the tonic-clonic seizures time in relation to the PTZ group. It was also shown that organic and conventional yerba mate infusions reduced the oxidative damage in lipids and proteins and nitric oxide levels and prevented the decrease in Sod and Cat activities and sulfhydryl protein content when compared to the PTZ group in all the CNS tissues assayed. Organic and conventional yerba mate commercial samples did not change the behavior (locomotion, exploration or anxiety) of the treated animals. In both organic and conventional infusions, the presence of the polyphenols rutin, chlorogenic acid and their acyl derivatives were detected, which could be associated with the biological effects observed. These data indicate that yerba mate may provide new perspectives for the development of therapeutic approaches with natural compounds in the pharmaceutical area, both to reduce the convulsions' frequency and to minimize the neuronal damage associated with recurrent seizures.

Neuroprotective and anticonvulsant effects of organic and conventional purple grape juices on seizures in Wistar rats induced by pentylenetetrazole.

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder worldwide. Studies have shown that recurrent seizures may increase the concentration of reactive oxygen species, which can lead to oxidative stress and neuronal damage. These seizures result in substantial deleterious effects on an individual's health. Organic and conventional grape juices are rich in polyphenols, compounds with important antioxidant activity. However, these juices could have differences in their polyphenol content. The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective and anticonvulsant effects of organic and conventional grape juice treatments in Wistar rats against pentylenetetrazole (a convulsant drug)-induced damage. In addition, we evaluated potential behavioral changes in rats treated with the juices and the polyphenolic profile of those samples. Animals (n=16 in each group) received treatment with saline, organic or conventional grape juice for 17 days. On the eighteenth day, behavioral changes were evaluated by an open field test. Afterwards, half of the rats from each group received pentylenetetrazole and were observed for 30 min to evaluate possible seizure characteristics. The animals were subsequently killed by decapitation and their hippocampus, cerebellum and cerebral cortex tissues were isolated. The results of this study showed that neither organic nor conventional grape juice altered the behavior parameters, and no statistical differences were observed in the seizure characteristics of the groups. Nevertheless, both juice types were able to protect from lipid and protein oxidative damage, decrease nitric oxide content and increase enzymatic (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and non-enzymatic (sulfhydryl protein) antioxidant defenses in brain tissues following pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures. In general, organic juice showed superior results in each test, probably due to its higher polyphenol content relative to conventional juice. These results indicate that grape juices can provide further insight into natural neuroprotective compounds and may lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies for epileptic patients.