Aruna Agrawal

Anticancer activity of Moringa oleifera mediated silver nanoparticles on human cervical carcinoma cells by apoptosis induction

Silver nanomaterial plays a crucial role in the growing field of nanotechnology as there is an increasing commercial demand for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) owing to their wide biological applications. The present investigation aims at developing anti-cancerous colloidal silver using Moringa olifera stem bark extract. Electron and atomic force microscopic images were taken to analyze the surface morphology of the synthesized AgNPs. The effects of synthesized AgNPs were tested against human cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa) and cell morphology was further evaluated using 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining. The efficiency of green synthesized AgNPs was studied with the help of fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) and was shown to induce apoptosis through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in HeLa cells.

Curcuminoids modulates oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction in diabetic rat brain

Diabetes exacerbates neuronal injury induced by hyperglycemia mediated oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of curcuminoids, polyphenols of Curcuma longa (L.) on oxidative stress and mitochondrial impairment in the brain of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. A marked increase in lipid peroxidation and nitrite levels with simultaneous decrease in endogenous antioxidant marker enzymes was observed in the diabetic rat brain, which was restored to normal levels on curcuminoids treatment. Down-regulation of mitochondrial complex I and IV activity caused by STZ induction was also up-regulated on oral administration of curcuminoids. Moreover, curcuminoids administration profoundly elevated the ATP level, which was earlier reduced in the diabetic brain. These results suggest that curcuminoids exhibit a protective effect by accelerating antioxidant defense mechanisms and attenuating mitochondrial dysfunction in the brain of diabetic rats. Curcuminoids thus may be used as a promising therapeutic agent in preventing and/or delaying the progression of diabetic complications in the brain.

Metaflammatory responses during obesity: Pathomechanism and treatment

Obesity induced inflammation acts as a reflex produced due to altered metabolic homeostasis in accordance to the nutrient overload on the metabolic cells. It involves up-regulation of the genes encoding for cytokines, chemokines and other inflammatory mediators through activated transcription factors - nuclear factor-kB, activator protein-1, nuclear factor of activated T cells and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3. These execute macromolecular innate immune cell sensor - inflammasome to activate caspase-1 pathway resulting in proteolytic maturation. Secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IL-6, CRP, IL-1β, etc. from the M1 macrophages of white adipose tissue is increased, whereas there occurs a steep decline in the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines like IL-10, IL-Ra, adiponectin. Not only the adipose tissue, but also the immune cells, liver, brain, muscles and pancreas suffers from the inflammatory insult during obese condition and are exaggeratedly affected. The inflammatory kinases like JNK and IKK apart from inhibiting insulin action and glucose uptake, down-regulate transcriptional process resulting in increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Macrophage-like Kupffer cells initiate the inflammatory process in the liver preceding the inflammatory signals produced by the white adipose tissue which may further lead to hepatic-necro-inflammation. The muscle-fibre is affected by the cytokines and therefore results in decreased glycogen synthesis. The triggered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis further affects the expression of inflammatory cytokines thus altering insulin homeostasis and initiating glucose intolerance. Anti-inflammatory treatment so as to curb the severity of inflammatory responses includes administration of synthetic drugs to target the actual inflammatory molecules and various therapeutic interventions.

Age dependent levels of plasma homocysteine and cognitive performance.

Elevated plasma homocysteine (hcy) levels, also known as hyperhomocysteinemia (hhcy), have been associated with cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative disorders. Hhcy has been attributed to deficiency of B vitamins which can adversely affect the brain and result in memory loss and poor attention power. Monitoring hcy levels and the use of vitamin supplementation to treat hhcy may therefore prove advantageous for the prevention and management of cognitive impairment. With this in consideration, we measured plasma hcy, folate and vitamin B12 levels in 639 subjects from different age groups in two sub-regions of India. Cognitive function was also measured using attention span and immediate and delayed memory recall tests. Depression scores were obtained using the Beck Depression Inventory-II and functional impairment was assessed using the functional activities questionnaire (FAQ) score. As hhcy has also been linked to inflammation, plasma levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were also measured. The results demonstrated significant negative correlations between hcy levels and folic acid levels, vitamin B12 levels and cognitive performance (attention span and delayed but not immediate memory recall) along with significant positive correlations between hcy levels and depression scores and hsCRP (but not IL-6) levels. A positive correlation was also observed between hcy levels and FAQ scores, however this was not found to be significant. Based on these results, folic acid and vitamin B12 intervention in people with elevated hcy levels in India could prove to be effective in lowering hcy levels and help maintain or improve cognitive function.

Androgenetic alopecia and risk of coronary artery disease.

Background: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) or male pattern baldness (MPB) has been found to be associated with the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). The well-known risk factors are family history of CAD, hypertension, increased body mass index (BMI), central obesity, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. The newer risk factors are serum lipoprotein-a (SL-a), serum homocysteine (SH), and serum adiponectin (SA). Aim: Identifying individuals at risk of CAD at an early age might help in preventing CAD and save life. Hence, a comparative study of CAD risk factors was planned in 100 males of AGA between the age of 25 and 40 years with equal number of age- and sex-matched controls. Materials and Methods: Patients of AGA grade II or more of Hamilton and Norwood (HN) Scale and controls were examined clinically and advised blood test. The reports were available for fasting blood sugar (FBS), serum total serum cholesterol (SC) in 64 cases, 64 controls; lipoproteins (high, low, very low density, HDL, LDL, VLDL), serum triglycerides (ST) in 63 cases, 63 controls; SL-a in 63 cases, 74 controls; SH in 56 cases, 74 controls; and SA in 62 cases, 74 controls. Results: In these cases family history (FH) of AGA and CAD was significantly high. The blood pressure (BP) was also found to be significantly high in the cases. The difference of mean serum HDL, LDL, VLDL, ST, SH, and SL-a in cases and controls were statistically significant and with increasing grade of AGA, the risk factors also increased. Conclusion: Patients with AGA appear to be at an increased risk of developing CAD, therefore, clinical evaluation of cases with AGA of grade II and above may be of help in preventing CAD in future.

WITHDRAWN: Assessment of serum leptin and resistin levels in association with the metabolic risk factors of pre- and post-menopausal rural women in South India

OBJECTIVES Menopausal status is related with weight gain, abnormal lipid and glucose metabolism leading to metabolic syndrome susceptibility. The aim of this study is to determine circulating serum leptin and resistin levels and to correlate these levels in relationship with the metabolic factors in pre- and post-menopausal women. METHODS A cross-sectional study has been carried out for 34 subjects who were in post-menopause and 31 subjects who had regular menstruation in south Indian rural women. Anthropometric indices, blood pressure, fasting blood sugar (FBS), fasting lipid profile, fasting leptin and resistin levels were measured. RESULTS In a total of 65 subjects, the mean age of pre-menopausal group was 38.65±6.21 and that of post-menopausal group was 55.32±6.32. Fasting serum leptin level was increased considerably in post-menopausal women when compared to pre-menopausal women (P=0.018). Resistin has no significant relationship with metabolic factors except Body Mass Index (BMI) in both the groups. Triglycerides and FBS were lower in pre-menopausal group when compared to post-menopausal group (P<0.001). Leptin was well correlated with BMI in pre-menopausal women (r(2)=0.7120, P<0.0001) as well as post-menopausal women (r(2)=0.2470, P=0.0028). Leptin also had significant correlation with FBS in both pre (r(2)=0.1373, P=0.0402) and post-menopausal women (r(2)=0.2141, P=0.0401). Systolic blood pressure was positively associated with the leptin levels in post-menopausal women (P<0.001). CONCLUSION Leptin was found to have significant association with metabolic factors when compared to resistin in pre- and post-menopausal women and there is no doubt that association of BMI and FBS elevates the level of leptin in both the category.

Antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic activities of a novel polyherbal formulation in high fat diet/streptozotocin induced diabetic rat model

Objective: To investigate the antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic activities of polyherbal formulation (PHF) containing hydroalcoholic extracts of four plants namely Salacia oblonga, Salacia roxbhurgii, Garcinia indica and Lagerstroemia parviflora in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats by administering oral doses (200 and 400 mg/kg body weight). Materials and Methods: Animals were divided into diabetic and nondiabetic groups. Rats were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) and induced with a single low dose of STZ (35 mg/kg) i.p. Diabetic rats were treated with formulation (200 and 400 mg/kg) and metformin 250 mg/kg. Blood glucose levels were measured using blood glucose test strips with ACCU CHEK glucometer. Lipid profile and gluconeogenic enzymes were determined in normal and STZ-induced diabetic rats after oral administration of the PHF for 28 days. Histopathological changes in diabetic rat organs (pancreas, liver, and kidney) were also observed after PHF treatment. Results: Treatment of diabetic rats with PHF and metformin decreased plasma glucose and lipid profile levels. Blood glucose level showed significant reduction after 28 days of treatment with formulation at 200 and 400 mg/kg and in metformin. Formulation treated rats showed significant (P < 0.001) decrease in the activities of gluconeogenic enzymes. Histological examination of various organ tissues of normal control, diabetic control, and drug-treated rats revealed significant results. Treatment with PHF reverses the most blood and tissue changes toward the normal level. Conclusion: These findings suggested the antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic properties of the PHF and thus help in preventing future complications of diabetes.

Comparative evaluation of fosinopril and herbal drug Dioscorea bulbifera in patients of diabetic nephropathy

Worldwide, diabetic nephropathy is one of the leading causes of end-stage renal failure. This hospital-based single-center prospective open-label randomized case-control interventional study was performed to evaluate and compare the native drug Dioscorea bulbifera with fosinopril in the management of diabetic nephropathy. Patients with diabetic nephropathy with proteinuria >500 mg/day or albuminuria >300 mg/ day, S Cr ≤2.5 mg/dL and hypertension controlled with a single drug were included into the study and were divided into three groups according to the interventional drugs that they were given; group A (n = 46) on fosinopril (5-40 mg/day), group B (n = 45) on Dioscorea bulbifera (500 mg BD) and group C (n = 46) on neither of these drugs. All necessary laboratory investigations needed to assess the effect of both the drugs were carried out. Patients were followed-up for six months. The study included 137 patients (M:F 2.61:1) with an age range of 19-76 years. At the sixth-month follow-up, a significant decrease in the systolic blood pressure was noted in all three groups whereas the diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly only in group B. There was significantly better control of both systolic and diastolic blood pressures in group B than in the other groups. Although fasting blood sugar was poorly controlled in the initial visit in all three groups, there was a significant decrease at the sixth-month follow-up in all three groups. Moreover, the decrease was significantly more pronounced in group B than in the other two groups. Low-density lipoprotein decreased significantly only in group B. Proteinuria, serum transforming growth factor-β, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein decreased in both group A and group B, more so in the latter, but the differences between the groups were not statistically significant. Importantly, proteinuria and serum IL-6 showed an increasing trend in group C. It can be concluded that Dioscorea bulbifera was more effective than fosinopril in controlling blood pressure, glycemia, cholesterolemia and inflammatory state in diabetic nephropathy. Both agents decreased proteinuria. However, creatinine clearance significantly decreased with both the drugs, more so with Dioscera, and thus further evaluation with a larger trial is needed.

Effects of Salacia oblonga on cardiovascular risk factors in chronic kidney disease patients: A prospective study

The present study is aimed to evaluate the effect of the herbal drug Salacia oblonga on reduction of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Sixty patients were randomized in four groups; group A1 = non-diabetic CKD given trial drug Salacia oblonga for six months, group A 2 = non-diabetic CKD intended to receive placebo, group B1 = diabetic CKD treated with Salacia oblonga for six months and group B 2 = diabetic CKD patients intended to receive placebo. Estimation of renal function tests including blood urea, serum creatinine and creatinine clearance was performed at baseline and after that at monthly intervals. Lipid profile, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured at baseline and were repeated at three months and six months. After six months of treatment, Salacia oblonga could reduce the triglyceride levels by 23.66% (P = 0.008) in non-diabetic and by 17.45% (P = 0.01) in diabetic CKD patients. In comparison with placebo, both non-diabetic and diabetic CKD patients treated with Salacia oblonga showed significant reduction in CRP levels (P = 0.002 and 0.03, respectively), while significant reduction in IL-6 (P-value = 0.0003) and serum cholesterol levels (P-value = 0.0001) was seen only in diabetic CKD patients treated with Salacia oblonga. Stabilization of creatinine clearance with Salacia oblonga was observed in both non-diabetic (P = 0.05) and diabetic CKD (P = 0.04) patients in comparison with placebo. Salacia oblonga has significant beneficial effects on lipid profile and markers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in CKD patients. Salacia oblonga also seems to have a reno-protective effect, as reflected by stabilization of creatinine clearance at six months in this study.

Quantitative analysis of heavy metals in medicinal plants collected from environmentally diverse locations in India for use in a novel phytopharmaceutical product

It is important to monitor the quality of the phytopharmaceutical product as its therapeutic potential depends on standardized delivery of active ingredients present in the botanical source. Minimal presence of toxic impurities like heavy metals (HMs) is warranted to ensure product safety and prevent hazardous health impacts. In the present study, conducted as part of the development of a novel phytopharmaceutical product, the chemical profile of 13 heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Ni, Co, Mo, V, Cr, As, Pb, Hg, and Cd) was studied in the whole plant, fruit, and rhizome of Bacopa monnieri, Hippophae rhamnoides, and Dioscorea bulbifera, respectively, from environmentally diverse regions in India. Most samples had HM profiles within permissible limits as established by regulatory authorities, with the exception of Cd and Hg in low-altitude regions. This study indicates geographical regions in India suitable for procuring raw materials to develop and manufacture phytopharmaceutical products.