Attenuation of brain mitochondria oxidative damage by Albizia julibrissin Durazz: neuroprotective and antiemetic effects.

Medicinal plants, as new drugs, are considered for treatment of insomnia, anxiety, depression, confusion, nausea, and vomiting symptoms. The current study aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective and antiemetic effects of Albizia. julibrissin Durazz. flower extract in the chickens. Emesis was induced by copper sulfate and ipecac (60 and 600 mg/kg, orally, respectively) and the methanolic extract (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.). Mitochondrial function, lipid peroxidation (LPO), protein carbonyl (PC) content, and catalase activity as biomarkers of oxidative damage were evaluated in the brain mitochondria. All doses of extract showed significant (p < 0.001) antiemetic activity against induced emesis by copper sulfate and ipecac. Brain mitochondria function (by 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg of extract) were increased 48%, 85%, and 90% against emesis induced by ipecac and 32%, 18%, and 24% against emesis induced by copper sulfate, respectively. LPO and PC contents were significantly decreased after the administration of extract in emesis induced by copper sulfate and ipecac. A significant decrease (p < 0.01) of CAT activity was observed in the extract (200 mg/kg) group in emesis induced by copper sulfate in chickens brain mitochondria. The present study suggests that the extract had antiemetic effects against emesis induced by copper sulfate and ipecac in young chickens via peripheral and central mechanisms. Neuroprotective effect of the extract could be due to the increase in bioactive compounds, plasma antioxidants, or direct free radical scavenging that could prevent lipid and protein alteration and impede the formation of oxidative damage.

Glabridin induces overexpression of two major apoptotic genes, MCA1 and NUC1, in Candida albicans.

OBJECTIVES: The growing trend in emergence of antifungal-resistant Candida strains has recently inspired researchers to design new antifungal agents with novel mechanisms of action. Glabridin is a natural substrate with multiple biological activities. In this study, the antifungal effects and possible mechanism of action of glabridin were investigated. METHODS: Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of glabridin against fluconazole (FLU)-resistant and FLU-susceptible Candida albicans strains were investigated according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. To investigate the possible mechanism of action, expression of two critical genes involved in yeast apoptosis (MCA1 and NUC1) was assayed by real-time PCR. RESULTS: FLU-susceptible and FLU-resistant C. albicans strains showed the same glabridin MICs (MIC50, 8µg/mL). Therefore, a distinct azole-independent mechanism might be responsible for the inhibitory activity of glabridin. Overexpression of MCA1 and NUC1 was observed in C. albicans cells treated with glabridin, suggesting the involvement of apoptosis signalling in C. albicans strains exposed to glabridin. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that glabridin might be considered a safe agent to fight against C. albicans strains.

Antioxidant activity of bulbs and aerial parts of Crocus caspius, impact of extraction methods.

Crocus genus (Iridaceae) is comprises approximately 80 species. In this study in vitro antioxidant activities of extracts from C. caspius bulbs and aerial parts were investigated. Ultrasonically assisted extraction (US), percolation method (PE) and polyphenolic fraction (PP) were used. Antioxidant activities were evaluated with five different tests. Aerial parts US extract with high levels of phenol and flavonoids were the most potent extract in DPPH radical scavenging than others. Aerial parts PE extract had shown very potent reducing power, which was so better than other extracts (p<0.01). Aerial parts PP fraction showed very good Fe(2+) chelating ability. Aerial parts US extract were the most potent extract in scavenging of H(2)O(2). Bulb PP fraction with IC(50)=22.8±0.7 µg ml(-1) was the most potent fraction in nitric oxide scavenging. The results improved high levels of antioxidant activities of C. caspius bulbs and aerial parts in all tested models.

Oxidative damage induced by retching; antiemetic and neuroprotective role of Sambucus ebulus L.

Nausea and vomiting are the most common symptoms in different diseases. Medicinal plants are considered as a reliable source of new drugs to control these symptoms. In this study, we evaluated the antiemetic and neuroprotective effects of the methanolic extract of Sambucus ebulus L. fruit and relationship between emesis (retching) and oxidative stress biomarkers in the mitochondria brain of young chickens. Emesis was induced by ipecac and copper sulphate (60 and 600 mg/kg, orally), respectively, and the methanolic extracts (50, 100, 200 mg/kg) were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.). The extract showed a significant antiemetic activity against ipecac and copper sulphate-induced emesis at all doses (p<0.001; percentages of retching inhibition 46, 96.5 and 83% against ipecac and 73, 79.5 and 69.2% against copper sulphate, respectively). Lipid peroxidation (LPO) was significantly decreased (p<0.001) at all doses of extract in retching induced by copper sulphate, and catalase (CAT) activity significantly increased (p<0.05) in the extract (50 mg/kg) and metoclopromide groups in retching induced by ipecac in the chickens' brain mitochondria. Protein carbonyl (PC) contents significantly (p<0.05) decreased only in extract (100 mg/kg) group in retching induced by ipecac. Mitochondria function (MTT assay) significantly increased by extract (100 mg/kg) as compared to control group in retching induced by ipecac. The results of this study suggests that the extract has protective effects, possibly by central and peripheral mechanisms, and neuroprotective effect by increasing plasma antioxidants or scavenging of free radicals induced by retching. It seems that extract could prevent protein modification and improve oxidative stress in the early stages.