Hypolipidemic effect of triphala in experimentally induced hypercholesteremic rats.

Hypercholesteremia is one of the risk factors for coronary artery disease. The present study highlights the efficacy of Ayurvedic herbal formulation Triphala (Terminalia chebula, Terminalia belerica, and Emblica officinalis) on total cholesterol, Low density lipoprotein (LDL), Very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), High density lipoprotein (HDL) and free fatty acid in experimentally induced hypercholesteremic rats. Four groups of rats were employed namely control, Triphala treated, hypercholesterolemia rats (4% Cholesterol + 1% cholic acid + egg yolk) and Triphala pre-treatment in hypercholesteremic rats. Results showed significant increase in the total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, and free fatty acid in hypercholesteremic rats were significantly reduced in Triphala treated hypercholesteremic rats. The data demonstrated that Triphala formulation was associated with hypolipidemic effects on the experimentally induced hypercholesteremic rats.

Effects of chronic noise stress on spatial memory of rats in relation to neuronal dendritic alteration and free radical-imbalance in hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex.

Spatial memory is coordinated with different brain regions especially hippocampus (HIP) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Influence of noise stress on working and reference memory error in rats was evaluated by radial eight-arm maze experiment. Changes in the dendritic count were observed in the brain regions such as CA1, CA3 regions of HIP and layers II, III of mPFC. In order to understand the possible mechanism behind noise stress-induced changes, free radical status and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in HIP and mPFC were evaluated. Plasma corticosterone level was also evaluated. Results obtained in this study showed that after noise-stress exposure, 100 dBA/4h per day for 30 days, working and reference memory error increased significantly (P < 0.05) when compared to control animals. Neuronal dendritic count in the HIP was reduced in the 2nd and 3rd order dendrites but not in the mPFC. Superoxide dismutase, lipid peroxidation, plasma corticosterone level and AChE activity were significantly increased in the 1 day, 15 days and 30 days stress groups animal significantly. Catalase and glutathione peroxidase activity were increased in the 1 day and 15 days noise-stress groups but decreased in the 30 days noise-stress group and GSH level was decreased in all the stress exposed animals. In conclusion, oxidative stress, increased AChE activity, reduced dendritic count in HIP, mPFC regions and elevated plasma corticosterone level which develops in long-term noise-stress exposed rats, might have caused the impairment of spatial memory.

Protective effect of Acorus calamus LINN on free radical scavengers and lipid peroxidation in discrete regions of brain against noise stress exposed rat.

Exposure to continuous loud noise is a serious health problem due to excess production of oxygen free radicals. In medical research, more attention is paid to the antioxidant properties of medicinal plants to minimize the harmful effects of radicals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of both ethyl acetate and methanolic extract of Acorus calamus LINN against noise stress (30 d, 100 dBA/4h/d) induced changes in the rat brain. We measured the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), vitamin C, vitamin E, protein thiols and lipid peroxidation (LPO) for the evaluation of oxidative stress status in discrete regions of the rat brain like cerebral cortex, cerebellum, pons-medulla, midbrain, hippocampus and hypothalamus. The results indicated that during exposure of noisy environment ROS generation led to increase in corticosterone, LPO and SOD, but decrease in CAT, GPx, GSH, protein thiols, vitamins C and E levels. Both the ethyl acetate and methanolic extract of Acorus calamus protected most of the changes in the rat brain induced by noise-stress.

Immunomodulatory activity of triphala on neutrophil functions.

Immune activation is an effective as well as protective approach against emerging infectious diseases. The immunomodulatory activities of Triphala (Terminalia chebula, Terminalia belerica and Emblica officinalis) were assessed by testing the various neutrophil functions like adherence, phagocytosis (phagocytic index (P.I) and avidity index (A.I)) and nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction in albino rats. In recent years much attention is being focused on the immunological changes occur during stress. Noise (100 dB) stress for 4 h/d for 15 d, was employed to alter the neutrophil functions. The neutrophil function tests and corticosterone levels were carried out in eight different groups of animals, namely control, Triphala, noise-stress, Triphala noise-stress, and corresponding immunized groups were used. Sheep red blood cells (SRBC 5 x 10(9) cells per ml) were used for immunizing the animals that belongs to immunized groups. In Triphala administration (1 g/kg/d for 48 d), A.I was found to be significantly enhanced in the Triphala group, while the remaining neutrophil functions and steroid levels were not altered significantly. However the neutrophil functions were significantly enhanced in the Triphala immunized group with a significant decrease in corticosterone level was observed. Upon exposure to the noise-stress, the neutrophil functions were significantly suppressed and followed by a significant increase in the corticosterone levels were observed in both the noise-stress and the noise-stress immunized groups. These noise-stress-induced changes were significantly prevented by Triphala administration in both the Triphala noise-stress and the Triphala noise-stress immunized groups. Hence our study has divulged that oral administration of Triphala appears to stimulate the neutrophil functions in the immunized rats and stress induced suppression in the neutrophil functions were significantly prevented by Triphala.