Detailed approach toward the anti-hyperglycemic potential of Sterculia diversifolia G. Don against alloxan-induced in vivo hyperglycemia model.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate Sterculia diversifolia G. Don for potential anti-diabetic activity in the in vivo mouse model of alloxan-induced hyperglycemia. METHODS: Sterculia diversifolia (S. diversifolia) was subjected to extraction and isolation techniques and structural characterization of the isolated compounds were performed using spectroscopic methods. The acute toxicity test was performed by orally administering S. diversifolia in doses of 500-2000 mg/kg. For the assessment of anti-hyperglycemic activity, S. diversifolia bark and leaves extracts were administered orally in doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, along with metformin (150 mg/kg, i.p) as positive control, after confirmation of alloxan (150 mg/kg, i.p.) induced hyperglycemia in BALB/c mice. Serum biochemical parameters were monitored for the period of study. RESULTS: The phytochemical studies showed the presence of quercetin and kaempferol in S. diversifolia. The IC50 values in the in vivo acute toxicity study revealed the safety margin of S. diversifolia bark (1166.66 mg/kg) and leaves (683.34 mg/kg) extracts. A significant attenuation of alloxan induced hyperglycemia was produced by S. diversifolia extracts at 50 mg/kg (P < 0.05), 100 mg/kg (P < 0.05, < 0.01), and 150 mg/kg (P < 0.05, < 0.01, < 0.001) during 1-4 h, which was comparable to metformin (P < 0.001). Significant (P < 0.001) improvement appeared in blood hemoglobin, protein, cholesterol, triglycerides, urea, creatinine, HDL, and LDL of the stem bark and leaves extracts treated diabetic mice. CONCLUSION: These findings connote the usefulness of S. diversifolia as an anti-diabetic in traditional medicine and this might be attributed to the presence of quercetin and kaempferol, among other phytochemicals.

Recent advances of Sterculia gums uses in drug delivery systems.

Trees of the genus Sterculia produce polysaccharide-rich exudates, such as karaya gum (Sterculia urens), chicha gum (Sterculia striata), and Sterculia foetida gum. These anionic biomaterials are biodegradable, with high viscosity, low toxicity, and gelling properties in aqueous media. According to these properties, they show promising applications as a polymer matrix for use in drug delivery systems. For this application, both the chemically modified and the unmodified polysaccharide are used. This review focuses on analyzing the state of the art of recent studies on the use of Sterculia gums in a variety of pharmaceutical forms, such as tablets, hydrogels, micro/nanoparticles, and mucoadhesive films. Sterculia gums-based delivery systems have potential to be explored for new drug delivery systems.

Preventive Action of Sterculic Oil on Metabolic Syndrome Development on a Fructose-Induced Rat Model.

The metabolic syndrome (MS) underlies metabolic disorders considered risk factors for the development of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, which are major causes of morbidity and mortality in most of the world. Sterculic acid has been proposed as a potential tool for the treatment of MS since it inhibits the activity of the stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1), a central enzyme in lipid metabolism. We analyzed the effect of sterculic oil (SO) co-administration with 30% fructose in drinking water on the development of MS in male Wistar rats. After 8 weeks, 0.4% SO exerted a protective effect from MS development since parameters altered by fructose (blood pressure, insulin resistance, serum glucose and triglycerides, steatosis, and adiposity) were similar to those of control rats.

Structure and properties of poly (lactic acid)/Sterculia urens uniaxial fabric biocomposites.

Uniaxial cellulose fabric Sterculia urens reinforced poly (lactic acid) (PLA) matrix biocomposites were prepared by a two-roll mill. In order to assess the suitability of Sterculia fabric as reinforcement for PLA matrix, the PLA/Sterculia fabric biocomposites were prepared. Tensile parameters, such as maximum stress, Young's modulus and elongation-at-break, were determined using the Universal Testing Machine. The effect of alkali treatment and silane-coupling agent on the tensile properties of PLA-based biocomposites was studied. The results of thermogravimetric analysis show that uniaxial treatment of the fabric can improve the degradation temperature of the biocomposites. Moreover, morphological studies by scanning electron microscopy confirmed that better adhesion between the uniaxial fabric and the matrix was achieved. It was established that standard PLA resins are suitable for the manufacture of S. urens uniaxial fabric reinforced biocomposites with excellent engineering properties, useful for food packaging.

Preparation and properties of biodegradable films from Sterculia urens short fiber/cellulose green composites.

The development of commercially viable "green products", based on natural resources for the matrices and reinforcements, in a wide range of applications, is on the rise. The present paper focuses on Sterculia urens short fiber reinforced pure cellulose matrix composite films. The morphologies of the untreated and 5% NaOH (alkali) treated S. urens fibers were observed by SEM. The effect of 5% NaOH treated S. urens fiber (5, 10, 15 and 20% loading) on the mechanical properties and thermal stability of the composites films is discussed. This paper presents the developments made in the area of biodegradable S. urens short fiber/cellulose (SUSF/cellulose) composite films, buried in the soil and later investigated by the (POM), before and after biodegradation has taken place. SUSF/cellulose composite films have great potential in food packaging and for medical applications.

Formulation development and in-vitro/in-vivo correlation for a novel Sterculia gum-based oral colon-targeted drug delivery system of azathioprine.

The present study was aimed at designing a microflora triggered colon-targeted drug delivery system (MCDDS) based on swellable polysaccharide, Sterculia gum in combination with biodegradable polymers with a view to target azathioprine (AZA) in the colon for the treatment of IBD with reduced systemic toxicity. The microflora degradation study of gum was investigated in rat cecal medium. The polysaccharide tablet was coated to different film thicknesses with blends of chitosan/Eudragit RLPO and over coated with Eudragit L00 to provide acid and intestinal resistance. Swelling and drug release studies were carried out in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) (pH 1.2), simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) (pH 6.8) and simulated colonic fluid (SCF) (pH 7.4 under anaerobic environment), respectively. Drug release study in SCF revealed that swelling force of the gum could concurrently drive the drug out of the polysaccharide core due to the rupture of the chitosan/Eudragit coating in microflora-activated environment. Chitosan in the mixed film coat was found to be degraded by enzymatic action of the microflora in the colon. Release kinetic data revealed that, the optimized MCDDS was fitted well into first order model and apparent lag time was found to be 6 h, followed by Higuchi spherical matrix release. The degradation of chitosan was the rate-limiting factor for drug release in the colon. In-vivo study in rabbit shows delayed T(max), prolonged absorption time, decreased C(max) and absorption rate constant (Ka) indicating reduced systemic toxicity of the drug as compared to other dosage forms.

Proximate analysis and physico-chemical properties of flour from the seeds of the China chestnut, Sterculia monosperma Ventenat.

The aim of this study was to evaluate nutritional composition of China chestnut seeds, Sterculia monosperma Vent. and analyze the physico-chemical properties of flour from the seeds. The results obtained on proximate analysis of China chestnut seeds, S. monosperma, revealed that they contained mostly carbohydrate (73.7% dm), followed by fat (12.0% dm), protein (7.8% dm), fiber (5.5% dm) and ash (1.0% dm). They have a relatively high content of potassium (12.3 mg g(-1) dm) following by phosphorus (2.30 mg g(-1) dm), magnesium (1.87 mg g(-1) dm), sulfur (0.88 mg g(-1) dm) and calcium (0.14 mg g(-1) dm). The fatty acids profile was found to be composed of mainly palmitic (42%) and oleic acids (34%), with general long-chain fatty acids the other significant component by mass (13%). Glutamic acid (17.4%), aspartic acid (12.5%) and arginine (12.5%) were the three major amino acid constituents. The purified seed starch was investigated for its morphological, starch content and physico-chemical properties, such as amylose content, swelling power, solubility and pasting properties. The starch granules were quite round, about 10-15 micron diameter and composed of more than 35% (w/w) of amylose. The pasting properties of flour from the seeds of S. monosperma revealed that gelatinization began at 72.6-73.2 degrees C and the maximum viscosity in the holding period at 95 degrees C was 633 BU. Interestingly and potentially of use, was that the viscosity at the cooling period was more than two-fold higher than that in the holding period.