Combination treatment of lycopene and hesperidin protect experimentally induced ulcer in laboratory rats.

AIM: Lycopene, a carotenoid and hesperidin, a flavonoid are naturally occurring in vegetables and fruits. Synergistic effect of a combination of carotenoid and flavonoid has been reported due to its antioxidant activity. Therefore, the present study was aimed to evaluate the protective effect of this combination on pylorus ligation induced ulcers in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty Wistar albino rats were divided into five groups (n = 6). Rats were fasted for 24 h before pylorus ligation. After 24 h of fasting the rats were treated with hesperidin (100 mg/kg) and lycopene (2 mg/kg) and their combination 1h prior to surgery. After an hour under ether anesthesia pylorus ligation was performed, after 5 h the animals were sacrificed, stomach was dissected, and gastric contents were collected and measured. Total acidity and pH of gastric content was estimated. Ulcer index was calculated, and macroscopic examination of the stomach was carried out. RESULTS: The sham operated rats showed a significant increase in pH, volume of gastric content and total acidity and ulcer index. The rats pretreated with lycopene and hesperidin showed significant improvement in the ulcer conditions. However, rats treated with a combination of lycopene and hesperidin showed more significant restoration of gastric function as compared to sham operated rats. Moreover, a significant difference was also noted in rats treated with a combination as compared to lycopene and hesperidin treatment alone. CONCLUSION: Thus experimentally the combination was seen to treat ulcers by anti-secretory, neutralizing, cytoprotective and mainly due to its antioxidant property.

Protective effect of diosmin against diabetic neuropathy in experimental rats.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of diosmin in diabetic neuropathy in type 2 diabetic rats. METHODS: Type 2 diabetes was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg) and high-fat diet. Four weeks after the confirmation of diabetes, diabetic rats were treated with diosmin (50 and 100 mg/kg, p.o.) for next 4 weeks. Rats were evaluated for biochemical, behavioral and oxidative stress parameters. Eddy's hot plate and tail immersion test were performed on 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th weeks of experiment to assess thermal hyperalgesia and cold allodynia respectively. Further, the walking function test was performed for assessing the motor responses at the end of the treatment schedule. RESULTS: Rats were fed with high-fat diet throughout the experiment schedule and administration of low-dose streptozotocin induced significant elevation in blood glucose level and insulin resistance which was confirmed by oral glucose tolerance test. Treatment with diosmin at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg significantly restored the reduced body weight, elevated blood sugar and lipid profiles. Further the dose-dependent improvement was observed in thermal hyperalgesia, cold allodynia and walking function in diabetic rats treated with diosmin. Elevated levels of malondialdehyde, and nitric oxide and decreased glutathione levels and superoxide dismutase activity in diabetic rats were restored significantly after the 4 weeks of diosmin treatment. CONCLUSION: Diosmin has shown beneficial effect in preventing the progression of early diabetic neuropathy in rats.

Combination of lycopene, quercetin and poloxamer 188 alleviates anxiety and depression in 3-nitropropionic acid-induced Huntington's disease in rats.

AIM: The present study investigates synergistic effect of combination treatment of lycopene, quercetin and poloxamer188 in 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP)-induced Huntington's disease (HD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anxiety and depression were induced in male Wistar rat by intra-peritoneal administration of 3-NP (10 mg/kg) for 14 days. Body weight was assessed on day 1, 7 and 14, whereas locomotion, anxiety and depression were assessed at the end of the experiment. RESULTS: Administration of 3-NP induces HD like symptoms and produced a significant decrease in body weight on day 7 (P < 0.01)and day 14 (P < 0.001), further decreased locomotion, time spent and number of entries in light area as well as increased immobility period were observed. The rats treated with lycopene and quercetin alone significantly restore the body weight and locomotion count as well as alleviate anxiety and depression. However, combination treatment of lycopene and quercetin with and without poloxamer 188 produced more significant effect on body weight compared to Huntington control rats, but no significant effect was found between the treated groups. However, significant increased on locomotion, time spent and number of entries in light area and decreased immobility period was observed in the combination treated groups when compared to single drug therapy. CONCLUSION: Combination treatment of lycopene and quercetin with and without poloxamer 188 in HD more effectively alleviate anxiety and depression than single drug therapy.

Protective effect of diosmin against diabetic neuropathy in experimental rats / 中西医结合学报

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of diosmin in diabetic neuropathy in type 2 diabetic rats.

Effects of naringenin on allodynia and hyperalgesia in rats with chronic constriction injury-induced neuropathic pain.

OBJECTIVE: To study the analgesic effects of naringenin on chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain. METHODS: After inducing of neuropathic pain by CCI, treatment with 25 and 50 mg/kg of naringenin and 10 mg/kg of pregabalin was given. Rats were evaluated for behavioral tests using Hargreaves apparatus for thermal hyperalgesia, pin prick test for tactile mechanical hyperalgesia and cold water-induced allodynia on days 0, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 21. At the end of study, oxidative stress parameters were measured. RESULTS: Naringenin showed ameliorating action against CCI-induced neuropathic pain in all the tested models. Also, naringenin attenuated the elevated levels of lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide, and restored the level of reduced glutathione. CONCLUSION: The results of the present investigation suggest that naringenin exhibits analgesic effect in sciatic nerve injury model.

Asparagus racemosus Willd (Liliaceae) ameliorates early diabetic nephropathy in STZ induced diabetic rats.

Diabetic nephropathy is a major "microvascular" complication of diabetes, differs from other causes of chronic kidney diseases in its predictability, with well-defined functional progression from hyperfiltration to micro- to macroalbuminuria to renal failure. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of Asparagus racemosus Willd (Liliaceae) on streptozotocin-induced early diabetic nephropathy. Single i.p injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg) was administered to induce early diabetic nephropathy in Wistar rats and thereafter treated orally with ethanolic extract of Asparagus racemosus (EEAR) at a dose level of 100 and 250 mg/kg daily for 4 weeks. The efficacy of extract was compared with diabetic control rats. A. racemosus treatment significantly decreased plasma glucose, creatinine, urea nitrogen, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Renal hypertrophy, polyuria, hyperfiltration, microalbuminuria and abnormal changes in the renal tissue as well as oxidative stress were effectively attenuated by EEAR treatment. Basement membrane thickening and mesangial proliferation formation without nodules were seen in diabetic rats, whereas these structural changes were reduced in EEAR treated groups. Results of this study suggested that A. racemosus has beneficial effect in the treatment of diabetic

Hepatoprotective activity of Symplocos racemosa bark on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic damage in rats.

The present study aims to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of ethanol extract of Symplocos racemosa (EESR) bark on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatic damage in rats. CCl4 with olive oil (1 : 1) (0.2 ml/kg, i.p.) was administered for ten days to induce hepatotoxicity. EESR (200 and 400 mg/kg, p.o.) and silymarin (100 mg/kg p.o.) were administered concomitantly for fourteen days. The degree of hepatoprotection was measured using serum transaminases (AST and ALT), alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, albumin, and total protein levels. Metabolic function of the liver was evaluated by thiopentone-induced sleeping time. Antioxidant activity was assessed by measuring liver malondialdehyde, glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase levels. Histopathological changes of liver sample were also observed. Significant hepatotoxicity was induced by CCl4 in experimental animals. EESR treatment showed significant dose-dependent restoration of serum enzymes, bilirubin, albumin, total proteins, and antioxidant levels. Improvements in hepatoprotection and morphological and histopathological changes were also observed in the EESR treated rats. It was therefore concluded that EESR bark is an effective hepatoprotective agent in CCl4-induced hepatic damage, and has potential clinical applications for treatment of liver diseases.

Current drug targets for antihyperlipidemic therapy.

Elevated lipid level is supposed to be one of the main risk factors of atherosclerosis and related cardiovascular diseases and stroke (and is connected to mortality and morbidity). Therefore, lipid lowering is one of the major approaches in prevention of coronary heart diseases and stroke. Though drugs of various categories acting through different mechanisms are available in the antihyperlipidemic therapy, there are still a few problems associated with the currently available lipid lowering drugs. Therefore, medicinal chemists worldwide are designing, synthesizing and evaluating a variety of new molecules for antihyperlipidemic activity to address these problems. One of the important approaches to this is identifying new drug targets for antihyperlipidemic activity. This review summarizes nineteen recently identified and currently being exploited targets for the ongoing research by researchers world over to discover novel leads as potential drugs for antihyperlipidemic therapy.