Farah Gul

Anti-inflammatory activities of Taxusabietane A isolated from Taxus wallichiana Zucc.

Current study was conducted to identify constituents of Taxus wallichiana Zucc. that might be responsible for its folk use in anti-inflammatory conditions. Taxusabietane A was isolated from the bark extract of Taxus wallichiana Zucc. Taxusabietane A was analyzed for in-vitro and in-vivo anti-inflammatory activities using Lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibition assay and carrageenan-induced paw edema model. Taxusabietane A revealed considerable LOX inhibitory activity with the IC(50) value being 57 ± 0.31. Standard compound Baicalein showed the IC(50) value being 22.1 ± 0.03 μM. Taxusabietane A also showed significant (5 and 10 mg/kg) anti-inflammatory activity induced by carrageenan. However, this study highlighted the potential of Taxusabietane A to be further explored as a new lead compound for management of conditions associated with inflammation.

Assessment of potential toxicity of a smokeless tobacco product (naswar) available on the Pakistani market

Background ‘Naswar’ is a smokeless tobacco product (STP) widely used in Pakistan. It has been correlated with oral and oesophageal cancer in recent clinical studies. The toxic effects associated with STPs have been associated with trace level contaminants present in these products. The toxin levels of Pakistani naswar are reported for the first time in this study. Methods A total of 30 Pakistani brands of naswar were tested for a variety of toxic constituents and carcinogens such as cadmium, arsenic, lead and other carcinogenic metals, nitrite and nitrate, and nicotine and pH. Results The average values of all the toxins studied were well above their allowable limits, making the product a health risk for consumers. Calculated lifetime cancer risk from cadmium and lead was 1 lac (100000) to 10 lac (1000000) times higher than the minimum 10E_4 (0.00001) to 10E_6 (0.000001), which is the ‘target range’ for potentially hazardous substances, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Similarly, the level of arsenic was in the range of 0.15 to 14.04 μg/g, the average being 1.25 μg/g. The estimated average bioavailable concentration of arsenic is 0.125–0.25 μg/g, which is higher than the allowable standard of 0.01 μg/g. Similarly, the average minimum daily intake of chromium and nickel was 126.97 μg and 122.01 μg, as compared to allowable 30–35 μg and 35 μg, respectively; a 4–5 times higher exposure. However, beryllium was not detected in any of the brands studied. The pH was highly basic, averaging 8.56, which favours the formation of tobacco specific amines thus making the product potentially toxic. This study validates clinical studies correlating incidence of cancer with naswar use in Pakistan. Conclusions This study shows that the production, packaging, sale and consumption of naswar should be regulated so as to protect the public from the health hazards associated with its consumption.

Anti-inflammatory activity of Heliotropium strigosum in animal models

The current project was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of crude extract of Heliotropium strigosum and its subsequent solvent fractions in post carrageenan-induced edema and post xylene-induced ear edema at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg intraperitoneally. The results revealed marked attenuation of edema induced by carrageenan injection in a dose-dependent manner. The ethyl acetate fraction was most dominant with 73.33% inhibition followed by hexane fraction (70.66%). When the extracts were challenged against xylene-induced ear edema, again ethyl acetate and hexane fractions were most impressive with 38.21 and 35.77% inhibition, respectively. It is concluded that various extracts of H. strigosum possessed strong anti-inflammatory activity in animal models.

Lipoxygenase and urease inhibition of the aerial parts of the Polygonatum verticillatum

Over expression of lipoxygenase (LOX) and urease has already contributed to the pathology of different human disease. Targeting the inhibition of these enzymes has proved great clinical utility. The aim of the present study was to scrutinised the inhibitory profile of the aerial parts of the Polygonatum verticillatum enzyme against LOX, urease, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) using standard experimental protocols. When checked against lipoxygenase, the extracts revealed significant attenuation. Of the tested extracts, the ethyl acetate fraction was the most potent (half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50): 97 µg/mL) followed by aqueous fraction IC50: 109 µg/mL). Regarding urease inhibition, n-butanol was the most potent fraction (IC50: 97 µg/mL). However, the extracts did not show significant inhibition on AChE and BChE. In the preliminary phytochemical tests, the aerial parts of the plant showed the presence of saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, tannins and terpenoids. The current findings could be attributed to these groups of compounds.

Analgesic and antiinflammatory activities of taxoids from Taxus wallichiana Zucc.

A study was conducted to identify constituents that might be responsible for analgesic and antiinflammatory conditions. Tasumatrol B, 1,13‐diacetyl‐10‐deacetylbaccatin III (10‐DAD) and 4‐deacetylbaccatin III (4‐DAB) were isolated from the bark extract of Taxus wallichiana Zucc. All the compounds were assessed for analgesic and antiinflammatory activities using an acetic acid‐induced writhing model, a hot‐plate test, a carrageenan‐induced paw oedema model, a cotton‐pellet oedema model and in vitro lipoxygenase inhibitory assay. All the compounds, especially tasumatrol B, revealed significant analgesic activity in comparison to a saline group based on an acetic acid‐induced model. Similarly all of the test compounds, particularly tasumatrol B, showed significant antiinflammatory activity. However, all the compounds failed to exhibit any considerable activity in of the hot‐plate test and the in vitro lipoxygenase inhibitory assay. This study has highlighted the potential of tasumatrol B to be further explored as a new lead compound for the management of pain and inflammation, one that has been discovered by scientific validation of the traditional medicinal use of T. wallichiana Zucc. Copyright

Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of a new metabolite from Quercus incana

Abstract Phytochemical investigations of Quercus incana led to the isolation of a new catechin derivative quercuschin (1), along with six known compounds: quercetin (2), methyl gallate (3), gallic acid (4), betulinic acid (5), (Z)-9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester (6) and β-sitosterol glucoside (7) from the ethyl acetate fraction of methanolic extract of the bark. Compound 1 was screened for its antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant potential. Antibacterial and antifungal activities of the compound were tested against different bacterial and fungal strains, employing the agar well diffusion methods. The antibacterial activity was the highest against Streptococcus pyogenes with 80.0% inhibition, while the antifungal activity of the compound was the highest against Candida glabrata with 80.5% inhibition. The results of the antioxidant activity indicated that the compound exhibited antioxidant activity comparable to that of standard, butylated hydroxyanisole (51.2 μg/10 μl versus 45.9 μg/10 μl).