Pharmacological evaluation of Mallotus philippinensis (Lam.) Muell.-Arg. fruit hair extract for anti-inflammatory, analgesic and hypnotic activity.

OBJECTIVE: Recently, we observed wound healing activity of 50% ethanol extract of Mallotus philippinensis Muell. Arg (MP) fruit hairs extract (MPE). In several intestinal infections, localized inflammation is of common occurrence and hence we evaluated the anti-inflammatory, analgesic and hypnotic activity of MPE in different rat experimental models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by carrageenan (acute) and turpentine oil induced formalin (subacute) induced paw edema and while granuloma pouch (subacute) in rats. Analgesic and hypnotic activity of MPE was undertaken by tail-flick, hot-plate, and acetic acid-induced writhing tests while pentobarbitone-induced hypnotic potentiation in rats. RESULTS: MPE at a dose of 200 mg/kg at 3 h after their administration showed inhibition of formalin-induced paw edema by 41.60% (P < 0.001) and carrageenan-induced paw edema by 55.30% (P < 0.001). After 7 days of treatments, MPE showed 38.0% (P < 0.001) inhibition against formalin-induced paw edema and reduced weight of turpentine-induced granuloma pouch by 29.6% (P < 0.01) and volume of exudates by 26.1% (P < 0.01), respectively. MPE (200 mg/kg) showed dose-dependent elevation in pain threshold and peak analgesic effect at 120 min as evidenced by increased latency period in tail flick method and increased reaction time in the hot-plate test while the reduction in the number of acetic acid-induced writhes by 45.7% (P < 0.001). The pentobarbitone-induced hypnosis model showed potentiation, as defined by increased duration of sleep in treated group rats as compared to control. CONCLUSION: Thus, the study revealed MPE is effective in reducing acute and subacute inflammation and showed effective and similar analgesic activity. This seemed to be safe in the treatment of pain and inflammation.

Effects of Azardirachta indica on Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Cytokines in Diabetic Deep Wound.

A chronic, unhealed diabetic wound is one of the severe complications of diabetes mellitus. Azadirachta indica has been reported to have antidiabetic and antiapoptotic properties. The present work incorporates the healing potential of 50 % ethanol A. indica leaves extract against deep surgical wounds in streptozotocin-induced mild diabetic rats. A. indica leaves extract (500 mg/kg) was administered orally, once daily for ten days. Serum glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides as well as body weight, food, and water intake, and tissue antioxidants (catalase, superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione), free radicals (lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide), myeloperoxidase, total collagens (hydroxyproline, hexuronic acid and hexosamine), protein, vascular endothelial growth factor, and cytokines (tumor necrotic factor-α and interleukin-1ß) were estimated. Histology was done for connective tissue formation and inflammatory and healing in deep granulation tissue after A. indica leaves extract treatment. Diabetic rats showed an increase in serum glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides levels, food and water intake, and granular tissue free radicals, myeloperoxidase, and cytokines, but a decrease in body weight, total collagen, and vascular endothelial growth factor levels. A. indica leaves extract reversed the increased serum glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides, food and water intake, and tissue free radicals, myeloperoxidase and, cytokines, but increased body weight, tissue antioxidants, total collagen, and vascular endothelial growth factor contents. The results thus indicated an improvement in wound healing by A. indica leaves extract in diabetic rats through enhanced angiogenesis mediated through the inhibition of hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and down- and upregulation of inflammatory mediators and growth factor expression.

Mallotus philippinensis Muell. Arg fruit glandular hairs extract promotes wound healing on different wound model in rats.

BACKGROUND: Mallotus philippinensis Muell. Arg (MP, Euphorbiaceae) are widely distributed perennial shrub or small tree in tropical and subtropical region in outer Himalayas regions. Since, Mallotus philippinensis have been shown to have a number of medicinal values. Hence our present study was to investigate the healing potential of fruit extract in rat wound models. METHODS: The study includes acute toxicity and wound healing potential of 50% ethanol extract of MP fruit glandular hair (MPE). MPE (200 mg/kg) was administered orally, once daily for 10 days (incision and dead space wound) and 22 days (excision wound). MPE was found safe when given to rats upto 10 times of optimal effective dose. Wound breaking strength (WBS) in Incision wound and rate of contraction, period of epithelization and scar area in Excision wound were evaluated. Granulation tissue free radicals (nitric oxide and lipid peroxidation), antioxidants (catalase, superoxide dismutase, and reduced glutathione), acute inflammatory marker (myeloperoxidase), connective tissue markers (hydroxyproline, hexosamine, and hexuronic acid), and deep connective tissue histology were studied in Dead space wound. RESULTS: MPE significantly increased WBS and enhanced wound contraction, and decreased both epithelization period and scar area compared with control group. MPE was found to decrease free radicals (50.8 to 55.2%, P<0.001) and myeloperoxidase (44.0%, P<0.001) but enhanced antioxidants (41.1 to 54.5%, P<0.05 to P<0.001) and connective tissue markers (39.5 to 67.3%, P<0.05 to P<0.01). Histopathological evaluation revealed more density of collagen formation with minimal inflammatory cells in deeper tissues. CONCLUSION: Thus, the study revealed Mallotus philippinensis fruit hair extract, safe and effective in wound healing and the healing effects seemed to be due to decrease in free radical generated tissue damage, promoting effects on antioxidant status and faster collagen deposition as evidenced biochemically and histology.

Antioxidant capacity and radical scavenging effect of polyphenol rich Mallotus philippenensis fruit extract on human erythrocytes: an in vitro study.

Mallotus philippinensis is an important source of molecules with strong antioxidant activity widely used medicinal plant. Previous studies have highlighted their anticestodal, antibacterial, wound healing activities, and so forth. So, present investigation was designed to evaluate the total antioxidant activity and radical scavenging effect of 50% ethanol fruit glandular hair extract (MPE) and its role on Human Erythrocytes. MPE was tested for phytochemical test followed by its HPLC analysis. Standard antioxidant assays like DPPH, ABTS, hydroxyl, superoxide radical, nitric oxide, and lipid peroxidation assay were determined along with total phenolic and flavonoids content. Results showed that MPE contains the presence of various phytochemicals, with high total phenolic and flavonoid content. HPLC analysis showed the presence of rottlerin, a polyphenolic compound in a very rich quantity. MPE exhibits significant strong scavenging activity on DPPH and ABTS assay. Reducing power showed dose dependent increase in concentration absorption compared to standard, Quercetin. Superoxide, hydroxyl radical, lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide assay showed a comparable scavenging activity compared to its standard. Our finding further provides evidence that Mallotus fruit extract is a potential natural source of antioxidants which have a protective role on human Erythrocytes exhibiting minimum hemolytic activity and this justified its uses in folklore medicines.

Healing effects of Musa sapientum var. paradisiaca in diabetic rats with co-occurring gastric ulcer: cytokines and growth factor by PCR amplification.

BACKGROUND: The present study evaluates the effects of extract of Musa sapientum fruit (MSE) on ulcer index, blood glucose level and gastric mucosal cytokines, TNF-α and IL-1ß and growth factor, TGF-α (affected in diabetes and chronic ulcer) in acetic acid (AA)-induced gastric ulcer (GU) in diabetic (DR) rat. METHODS: MSE (100 mg/kg, oral), omeprazole (OMZ, 2.0 mg/kg, oral), insulin (INS, 4 U/kg, sc) or pentoxyphylline (PTX, 10 mg/kg, oral) were given once daily for 10 days in 14 days post-streptozotocin (60 mg/kg, intraperitoneal)-induced diabetic rats while, the normal/diabetic rats received CMC for the same period after induction of GU with AA. Ulcer index was calculated based upon the product of length and width (mm2/rat) of ulcers while, TNF-α, IL-1ß and TGF-α were estimated in the gastric mucosal homogenate from the intact/ulcer region. Phytochemical screening and HPTLC analysis of MSE was done following standard procedures. RESULTS: An increase in ulcer index, TNF-α and IL-1ß were observed in normal (NR)-AA rat compared to NR-normal saline rat, which were further increased in DR-AA rat while, treatments of DR-AA rat with MSE, OMZ, INS and PTX reversed them, more so with MSE and PTX. Significant increase in TGF-α was found in NR-AA rat which did not increase further in DR-AA rat. MSE and PTX tended to increase while, OMZ and INS showed little or no effect on TGF-α in AA-DR rat. Phytochemical screening of MSE showed the presence of saponins, flavonoids, glycosides, steroids and alkaloids and HPTLC analysis indicated the presence of eight active compounds. CONCLUSION: MSE showed antidiabetic and better ulcer healing effects compared with OMZ (antiulcer) or INS (antidiabetic) in diabetic rat and could be more effective in diabetes with concurrent gastric ulcer.