Protective effect of aqueous extract of Bombax malabaricum DC on experimental models of inflammatory bowel disease in rats and mice.

There is little evidence regarding role of B. malabaricum in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); though it is clinically employed as a constituent of a polyherbal preparation for IBD. To establish its role as a monotherapy for IBD, preliminary phytochemical screening of aqueous extract of B. malabaricum (AEBM) was undertaken. Subsequently, its protective effect in indomethacin and iodoacetamide induced colitis in rats (45, 90, 180, 270 mg/kg) and acetic acid induced colitis in mice (65, 130, 250, 500 mg/kg) was assessed. AEBM (270 mg/kg) in indomethacin and iodoacetamide induced colitis significantly reduced the ulcer score and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity. AEBM/500 mg/kg dose/significantly reduced the ulcer score and MPO activity in acetic acid induced colitis. The extract (270 mg/kg in rats and 500 mg/kg in mice) was found to be comparable with prednisolone (10 mg/kg) and 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) (100 mg/kg) used as standard treatments. AEBM provided reduction in edema of the intestinal tissues, ulcer protection and lowering of MPO activity in a dose dependent manner. AEBM (500 mg/kg) significantly reduced colonic and serum TNF-alpha level when compared with the positive control in acetic acid induced colitis model. The results suggest a protective role of AEBM in IBD.

Effect of polyherbal formulation on experimental models of inflammatory bowel diseases.

A polyherbal ayurvedic formulation from an ancient authentic classical text of ayurveda was evaluated for its activity against inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The polyherbal formulation contained four different drugs viz., Bilwa (Aegle marmeloes), Dhanyak (Coriandrum sativum), Musta (Cyperus rotundus) and Vala (Vetiveria zinzanioids). The formulation has been tried before in clinical practice and was found to be useful in certain number of cases of IBD (ulcerative colitis), so was tried in the same form i.e., decoction (aqueous extract) in experimental animals to revalidate the claims of the same. The formulation was tried on two different experimental animal models of inflammatory bowel disease, which are acetic acid-induced colitis in mice and indomethacin-induced enterocolitis in rats. Prednisolone was used as the standard drug for comparison. The formulation showed significant inhibitory activity against inflammatory bowel disease induced in these experimental animal models. The activity was comparable with the standard drug prednisolone. The results obtained established the efficacy of this polyherbal formulation against inflammatory bowel diseases.

Studies on the immunomodulatory activity of flavonoidal fraction of Tephrosia purpurea.

The flavonoid fraction of Tephrosia purpurea (FFTP) was studied for its effect on cellular and humoral functions and on macrophage phagocytosis in mice. Oral administration of FFTP (10-40 mg/kg) significantly inhibited sheep red blood cells (SRBC)-induced delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions. It also produced a significant, dose-related decrease in sheep erythrocyte-specific haemagglutination antibody titre. However, the fraction failed to show a significant change in the macrophage phagocytic activity. The results obtained indicate the ability of the flavonoidal fraction of T. purpurea to modulate both the cell-mediated and the humoral components of the immune system.

Studies on the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of Cedrus deodara (Roxb.) Loud. wood oil.

The volatile oil extracted by steam distillation of the wood of Cedrus deodara was examined for its oral anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity at the doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight. It produced significant inhibition of carrageenan-induced rat paw edema and of both exudative-proliferative and chronic phases of inflammation in adjuvant arthritic rats at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight. The oil at both tested doses was found to possess analgesic activity against acetic acid-induced writhing and hot plate reaction in mice.

Mast cell stabilizing and lipoxygenase inhibitory activity of Cedrus deodara (Roxb.) Loud. wood oil.

Volatile oil of C. deodara, administered orally at the doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight, significantly inhibited the pedal edema induced by compound 48/80 in rats. The oil significantly inhibited compound 48/80 induced degranulation of isolated rat peritoneal mast cells at concentrations ranging from 25-200 micrograms/ml. C. deodara wood oil also significantly inhibited the enzyme lipoxygenase at a concentration of 200 micrograms/ml. Thus, the anti-inflammatory activity of C. deodara wood oil could be attributed to its mast cell stabilizing activity and the inhibition of leukotriene synthesis.

TFPACD, a novel bifunctional reagent for reacting with DCCD sites in proteins: studies using Escherichia coli ATP synthase.

A novel cross-linker, 1-[6-(4-azido-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzamido)hexyl]-3-cyclohexylc arbodiimide (TFPACD), has been synthesized and tested by reaction with the Escherichia coli ATP Synthase (ECF1F0). The reagent has a carbodiimide as one reactive group, which is shown to react with ECF1F0 in a similar way to 1,3-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) and modify the beta subunit of the ECF1 part and the c subunit of the F0 part. Reaction with both the ECF1 and F0 parts of the complex inhibited ATPase activity. The second reactive group in the reagent is the photoactivatable tetrafluorophenylazide moiety. Subsequent UV photolysis of TFPACD--modified ECF1 and ECF1F0 led to generation of cross-linked products in significant yields, one between beta and alpha subunits; the second, dimers of the c subunit of the F0 part.