Badrish Soni

Ameliorative action of cyanobacterial phycoerythrin on CCl4-induced toxicity in rats

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) is largely used as solvent in chemical industries. Carbon tetrachloride is also well known for hepatic and renal toxic actions. The in vivo metabolism of carbon tetrachloride to trichloromethyl (CCl(3)) and peroxy trichloromethyl (OOCCl(3)) radicals has been extensively reported to cause acute liver damage like cirrhosis, steatosis and necrosis. We have evaluated protective action of purified cyanobacterial phycoerythrin (C-PE) on carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic and renal toxicity in male rats. Rats were orally treated with 25 and 50mg/kg BW of C-PE along with CCl(4) (50% CCl(4), 0.5 ml/kg BW, intraperitoneally) for 28 consecutive days. Results demonstrated that C-PE dose-responsively ameliorates CCl(4)-toxicity by significantly decreasing (P<0.05) organs weight, aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase, glucose, lipid profile, creatinine, uric acid and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations with rise in body weight, food intake, hemoglobin, protein, bilirubin and FRAP values. Neither C-PE nor CCl(4) influenced on serum minerals. Hepatic and renal tissues showed significant decline (P<0.05) in malondialdehyde, lipid hydroperoxides and conjugated dienes with rise in SOD, catalase, GPx, GSH, vitamin-E and vitamin-C levels. Presently observed pharmacological effect on CCl(4) toxicity were from tetrapyrrole molecule and to some extent bilirubin biotransformations, as well as metabolic (dietary protein) actions of C-PE.

Evaluation of antioxidant and anti-atherogenic properties of Glycyrrhiza glabra root using in vitro models

The aim of present study was to evaluate antioxidant property of Glycyrrhiza glabra root extracts using in vitro models. The dose-dependent aqueous and ethanolic extracts demonstrated the scavenging activity against nitric oxide (concentration that caused 50% inhibition of nitric oxide radicals [IC50]=72 and 62.1 µg/ml, respectively), superoxide (IC50=64.2 and 38.4 µg/ml, respectively), hydroxyl (IC50=81.9 and 63 µg/ml, respectively), DPPH (IC50=43.6 and 28.3 µg/ml, respectively) and ABTS•+ (IC50=77.3 and 57.2 µg/ml, respectively) radicals. Further, both extracts showed strong reducing power and iron-chelating capacities. In the Fe2+/ascorbate system, both extracts were found to inhibit mitochondrial fraction lipid peroxidation. In copper-catalyzed human serum and low-density lipoprotein oxidation models, both extracts significantly (P<0.05) lengthened the lag phase along with a decline in the oxidation rate, conjugated dienes, lipid hydroperoxides and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance formation. In conclusion, ethanolic extract of G. glabra possess considerable antioxidant activity and protective effect against the human lipoprotein oxidative system.

Chlorophytum borivilianum as potential terminator of free radicals in various in vitro oxidation systems.

Chlorophytum borivilianum is a very popular herb in traditional Indian medicine and used as a potent “Rasayana” drug in “Ayurveda” as a rejuvenator. Currently, a large body of evidence supports the key role of free radicals in diverse pathological conditions such as aging and atherosclerosis. The present investigation essentially focuses on the comprehensive account of in vitro antioxidant activity exerted by C.borivilianum root extracts (i.e., aqueous and ethanolic), to clarify the pharmacological antagonism of chemicals/metals-mediated oxidation. Graded-dose (25 to 1000 µg/ml) of aqueous extract exhibited higher antioxidant potency as evidenced by powerful nitric oxide, superoxide, hydroxyl, DPPH and ABTS·+ radicals scavenging activity along with reducing capacity (Fe3+/ferricyanide complex and FRAP assays), metal chelating ability, as well as markedly suppressed the lipid peroxidation in mitochondrial fractions as compared to ethanolic extract. Further, aqueous extract significantly decreased (P < 0.05) copper-mediated human serum and kinetics of LDL oxidation, as demonstrated by prolongation of lag phase time with decline of oxidation rate, conjugated dienes, lipid hydroperoxides and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. In addition, the total polyphenol and flavonoid contents of aqueous extract were higher than that of ethanolic extract, which indicated a positive correlation between antioxidant activity and contents of total phenols. The IC50 values of both extracts were also compared with appropriate antioxidant standards. Overall, aqueous extract of C.borivilianum root has significant powerful antioxidant activity and may favorably affect atherosclerosis risk status by reducing LDL oxidation susceptibility.

Purified c-phycoerythrin: safety studies in rats and protective role against permanganate-mediated fibroblast-DNA damage†

We have evaluated in vitro cytotoxicity of cyanobacterial phycoerythrin (C‐PE) on three human cell lines by cell proliferation and neutral red uptake assays. No toxic effects of C‐PE were observed to any of the cell lines tested. The protective role of purified C‐PE to potassium permanganate‐mediated human fibroblast‐DNA damage was assessed by comet assay at 0 (control), 10 and 20 µg C‐PE ml−1 doses in pre‐, simultaneous and post‐mutagen exposure conditions. Significant DNA damage was detected only in post‐mutagen exposure conditions. Our findings confirmed that the C‐PE is non‐toxic and provides protection against permanganate‐mediated DNA damage. The preliminary acute (2000 mg C‐PE kg−1 body weight, b.w.) and 90 day sub‐chronic (0, 5, 15 and 25 mg C‐PE kg−1 b.w./day) oral toxicity studies of purified C‐PE in male albino rats showed no mortality or treatment‐related major clinical signs, and all the doses of C‐PE were well tolerated. The no observed adverse effect level and no observed effect level were found to be 15 and 5 mg C‐PE kg−1 b.w./day respectively. Copyright

Purified c-phycoerythrin

We have evaluated in vitro cytotoxicity of cyanobacterial phycoerythrin (C‐PE) on three human cell lines by cell proliferation and neutral red uptake assays. No toxic effects of C‐PE were observed to any of the cell lines tested. The protective role of purified C‐PE to potassium permanganate‐mediated human fibroblast‐DNA damage was assessed by comet assay at 0 (control), 10 and 20 µg C‐PE ml−1 doses in pre‐, simultaneous and post‐mutagen exposure conditions. Significant DNA damage was detected only in post‐mutagen exposure conditions. Our findings confirmed that the C‐PE is non‐toxic and provides protection against permanganate‐mediated DNA damage. The preliminary acute (2000 mg C‐PE kg−1 body weight, b.w.) and 90 day sub‐chronic (0, 5, 15 and 25 mg C‐PE kg−1 b.w./day) oral toxicity studies of purified C‐PE in male albino rats showed no mortality or treatment‐related major clinical signs, and all the doses of C‐PE were well tolerated. The no observed adverse effect level and no observed effect level were found to be 15 and 5 mg C‐PE kg−1 b.w./day respectively. Copyright