Sabariah Ismail

In Vitro antioxidant and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities of methanolic Swietenia mahagoni seed extracts.

This study examines the in vitro antioxidant activities of the methanol extract of Swietenia mahagoni seeds (SMCM seed extract). The extract was screened for possible antioxidant activities by free radical scavenging activity (DPPH), xanthine oxidase inhibition (XOI), hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity (HPSA) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also determined. The extract exhibits antioxidant activity of 23.29% with an IC50 value of 2.3 mg/mL in the DPPH radical scavenging method, 47.2% in the XOI assay, 49.5% by the HPSA method, and 0.728 mmol/Fe(II)g in the FRAP method at the concentration tested. The amount of total phenolics and flavonoid contents was 70.83 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) and 2.5 ± 0.15 mg of catechin equivalent per gram of dry extract, respectively. High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) screening indicates the presence of phenolic compounds in the SMCM seed extract. The results indicate that the extract has both high free radical scavenging and xanthine oxidase inhibition activity. The antioxidant activity of SMCM seed extract is comparable with that of other Malaysian tropical fruits and herbal plants.

Evaluation of antioxidant and antibacterial activities of aqueous, methanolic and alkaloid extracts from Mitragyna Speciosa (Rubiaceae family) leaves.

Studies on the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Mitragyna speciosa leaf extracts are lacking. In this study the antioxidant properties of water, methanolic and alkaloid M. speciosa leaf extracts were evaluated using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging method. The amount of total phenolics and flavanoid contents were also estimated. The DPPH IC50 values of the aqueous, alkaloid and methanolic extracts were 213.4, 104.81 and 37.08 μg/mL, respectively. The total phenolic content of the aqueous, alkaloid and methanolic extracts were 66.0 mg, 88.4, 105.6 mg GAE/g, respectively, while the total flavanoid were 28.2, 20.0 and 91.1 mg CAE/g respectively. The antioxidant activities were correlated with the total phenolic content. This result suggests that the relatively high antioxidant activity of the methanolic extract compared to aqueous and alkaloid extract could be possibly be due to its high phenolic content. The aqueous, alkaloid and methanolic extracts were screened for antimicrobial activity. The extracts showed antimicrobial activity against Salmonella typhi and Bacillus subtilis. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of extracts determined by the broth dilution method ranged from 3.12 to 6.25 mg/mL. The alkaloid extract was found to be most effective against all of the tested organisms.

Evaluation of the antinociceptive activity and acute oral toxicity of standardized ethanolic extract of the rhizome of Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb.

Ethanolic extract of Curcuma xanthorrhiza was used to evaluate the analgesic and toxicity effects in vivo. The extract was standardized using GC-MS, which showed that 1 mg of Curcuma xanthorrhiza ethanolic extract contains 0.1238 mg of xanthorrhizol. The analgesic activity was studied in rats using three different models, namely the hot plate test, tail flick test and formalin-induced pain test. The acute oral toxicity was examined by the oral administration of standardized Curcuma xanthorrhiza ethanolic extract in mice at doses ranging from 300–5,000 mg/kg and observation for 14 days. Standardized Curcuma xanthorrhiza ethanolic extract did not show significant analgesic effect in the hot plate and tail flick tests. However, in the formalin-induced pain test, Curcuma xanthorrhiza ethanolic extract significantly (P < 0.05) suppressed the paw licking time of rats in both early and late phases at doses 200 and 400 mg/kg of the extract, respectively. In the acute oral toxicity study, Curcuma xanthorrhiza ethanolic extract did not show any toxic effects in mice at 5 g/kg. These experimental results suggest that the standardized Curcuma xanthorrhiza ethanolic extract showed peripheral and central antinociceptive activity associated with neurogenic pain as well as a relative absence of toxic effects which could compromise the medicinal use of this plant in folk medicine.

In Vitro and in Vivo Effects of Three Different Mitragyna speciosa Korth Leaf Extracts on Phase II Drug Metabolizing Enzymes—Glutathione Transferases (GSTs)

In the present study, we investigate the effects of three different Mitragyna speciosa extracts, namely methanolic, aqueous and total alkaloid extracts, on glutathione transferase-specific activity in male Sprague Dawley rat liver cytosol in vitro and in vivo. In the in vitro study, the effect of Mitragyna speciosa extracts (0.01 to 750 µg/mL) against the specific activity of glutathione transferases was examined in rat liver cytosolic fraction from untreated rats. Our data show concentration dependent inhibition of cytosolic GSTs when Mitragyna speciosa extract was added into the reaction mixture. At the highest concentration used, the methanolic extract showed the highest GSTs specific activity inhibition (61%), followed by aqueous (50%) and total alkaloid extract (43%), respectively. In in vivo study, three different dosages; 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg for methanolic and aqueous extracts and 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg for total alkaloid extract were given orally for 14 days. An increase in GST specific activity was generally observed. However, only Mitragyna speciosa aqueous extract with a dosage of 100 mg/kg showed significant results: 129% compared to control.

An antimicrobial compound isolated from Cinnamomum iners leaves with activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

This study was designed to investigate the antimicrobial activity of Cinnamomum iners standardized leave methanolic extract (CSLE), its fractions and isolated compounds. CSLE and fractions were subjected to disc diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) tests using different Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria and yeast. Within the series of fractions tested, the ethyl acetate fraction was the most active, particularly against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Escherichia coli, with MIC values of 100 and 200 µg/mL, respectively. The active compound in this fraction was isolated and identified as xanthorrhizol [5-(1, 5-dimethyl-4-hexenyl)-2-methylphenol] by various spectroscopic techniques. The overall results of this study provide evidence that Cinnamomum iners leaves extract as well as the isolated compound xanthorrhizol exhibit antimicrobial activity for both Gram negative and Gram positive pathogens, especially against MRSA strains.

Brine shrimp lethality and acute oral toxicity studies on Swietenia mahagoni (Linn.) Jacq. seed methanolic extract

Background: The seeds of Swietenia mahagoni have been applied in folk medicine for the treatment of hypertension, diabetes, malaria, amoebiasis, cough, chest pain, and intestinal parasitism. Here we are the first to report on the toxicity of the Swietenia mahagoni crude methanolic (SMCM) seed extract. Methods: SMCM seed extract has been studied for its brine shrimp lethality and acute oral toxicity, in mice. Results: The brine shrimp lethality bioassay shows a moderate cytotoxicity at high concentration. The LC50 for the extract is 0.68 mg/ml at 24 hours of exposure. The LD50 of the SMCM seed extract for acute oral toxicity in mice is greater than 5000 mg/kg. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that Swietenia mahagoni crude methanolic seed extract may contain bioactive compounds of potential therapeutic significance which are relatively safe from toxic effects, and can compromise the medicinal use of this plant in folk medicine.

Activity of Eurycoma longifolia root extract against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro

ZusammenfassungDie natürliche Heimat von Eurycoma longifolia Jack, einem schlanken Baum, sind Urwälder in Malaysien und Indonesien. Die Pflanze gehört zur Familie Simirubaceae und enthält Quassinoide mit anabolischer, plasmodizider und zytostatischer Aktivität. In dieser, 2008 in Mae Sot, Thailand, durchgeführten Studie wurde ein standardisierter Extrakt aus E. longifolia im Vergleich mit Artemisinin auf seine Wirkung gegen Plasmodium falciparum untersucht. Der Extrakt enthielt drei Quassinoide, nämlich (1) Eurycomanon, (2) 13,21-dihydro-eurycomanon und (3) 13α(21)-epoxyeurycomanon. Die Hemmung der Schizontenreifung wurde an 38 frischen Parasitenisolaten ermittelt. Die IC50, IC90 und IC99 Werte für Artemisinin beliefen sich auf 4,30, 45,48 und 310,97 μg/l, jene für den E. longifolia Wurzelextrakt auf 14,72, 139,65 und 874,15 μg/l. Die geometrische Mittelkonzentration für vollständige Hemmung der Schizontenreifung (GMCOC) lag für Artemisinin bei 337,81 μg/l, für den E. longifolia Extrakt bei 807,41 μg/l. Die log-Konzentration Probit Regressionen waren parallel. Die Hemmwirkung des Extrakts war höher als von den drei darin enthaltenen Inhaltsstoffen her zu erwarten, was auf Synergismus zwischen den Quassinoiden oder auf die Anwesenheit weiterer, bisher noch nicht bekannter Stoffe hinweist.SummaryThe habitats of Eurycoma longifolia Jack, a slender tree, are jungles in Malaysia and Indonesia. It belongs to the family Simaroubaceae and is a source of quassinoids with anabolic, antimalarial and cytostatic activity. In this study, conducted during 2008 in Mae Sot, Thailand, a standardized extract of E. longifolia containing three major quassinoids, eurycomanone (1), 13,21-dihydroeurycomanone (2) and 13α(21)-epoxyeurycomanone (3) was evaluated for antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum and its activity has been compared with that of artemisinin, using 38 fresh parasite isolates and assessment of inhibition of schizont maturation. The IC50, IC90 and IC99 values for artemisinin were 4.30, 45.48 and 310.97 μg/l, and those for the root extract from E. longifolia 14.72, 139.65 and 874.15 μg/l respectively. The GMCOC for artemisinin was 337.81 μg/l, and for the plant extract it was 807.41 μg/l. The log-concentration probit regressions were parallel. The inhibitory activity of the E. longifolia extract was higher than that expected from the three quassinoids isolated from the plant, suggesting synergism between the quassinoids or the presence of other unidentified compounds.

Analgesic activity, toxicity study and phytochemical screening of standardized Cinnomomum iners leaves methanolic extract.

Cinnomomum iners standardized leaves methanolic extract (CSLE) was subjected to analgesic, toxicity and phytochemical studies. The analgesic activity of CSLE was evaluated using formalin, hot plate and tail flick tests at doses of 100, 200 and 500 mg/kg. CSLE showed significant activity (P < 0.05) in the formalin model (late phase) on the rats at doses of 200 and 500 mg/kg. However, CSLE did not show activity in the hot plate and tail flick tests. The results obtained suggest that CSLE acts peripherally to relieve pain. For the toxicity study, CSLE was orally administered to the Swiss albino mice according to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) guideline 423. There was no lethality or toxic symptoms observed for all the tested doses throughout the 14-day period. Phytochemical screening of CSLE showed the presence of cardiac glycoside, flavonoid, polyphenol, saponin, sugar, tannin and terpenoid.

Evaluation of the hepatoprotective activity of standardized ethanolic extract of Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb .

Curcuma xanthorrhiza is widely used in Indonesia folk medicine to treat liver disorders. This study has evaluated the hepatoprotective activity of standardized ethanolic extract of C. xanthorrhiza. The extract was standardized using GC-MS. The hepatoprotective activity of this extract was studied using ethanolinduced liver toxicity in rats. This respective activity was assessed through monitoring liver function tests through the measurement of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and protein content. Further, hepatic tissues were also subjected to histopathological studies. Pretreatment of the standardized C. xanthorrhiza ethanolic extract (500 mg/kg) reduced the fatty liver symptoms and significantly (p < 0.05) inhibit the increase of respective serum enzyme levels. The results of the present study indicated that C. xanthorrhiza possess hepatoprotective effects which could act as an effective treatment for acute hepatic diseases.

Inhibitory effect of mitragynine on human cytochrome P450 enzyme activities.

Context: To date, many findings reveal that most of the modern drugs have the ability to interact with herbal drugs. Aims: This study was conducted to determine the inhibitory effects of mitragynine on cytochrome P450 2C9, 2D6 and 3A4 activities. Methods and Material: The in vitro study was conducted using a high-throughput luminescence assay. Statistical Analysis: Statistical analysis was conducted using one-way ANOVA and Dunnetts test with P < 0.05 vs. control. The IC50 values were calculated using the GraphPad Prism® 5 (Version 5.01, GraphPad Software, Inc., USA). Results: Assessment using recombinant enzymes showed that mitragynine gave the strongest inhibitory effect on CYP2D6 with an IC50 value of 0.45±0.33 mM, followed by CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 with IC50 values of 9.70±4.80 and 41.32±6.74 μM respectively. Positive inhibitors appropriate for CYP2C9, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4 which are sulfaphenazole, quinidine and ketoconazole were used respectively. Vmax values of CYP2C9, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 were 0.0005, 0.01155 and 0.0137 μM luciferin formed/pmol/min respectively. Km values of CYP2C9, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4 were 32.65, 56.01, and 103.30 μM respectively. Mitragynine noncompetitively inhibits CYP2C9 and CYP2D6 activities with the Ki values of 61.48 and 12.86 μM respectively. On the other hand, mitragynine inhibits CYP3A4 competitively with a Ki value of 379.18 μM. Conclusions: The findings of this study reveal that mitragynine might inhibit cytochrome P450 enzyme activities, specifically CYP2D6. Therefore, administration of mitragynine together with herbal or modern drugs which follow the same metabolic pathway may contribute to herb-drug interactions.