Shruti Sancheti

Antidiabetic and antiacetylcholinesterase effects of ethyl acetate fraction of Chaenomeles sinensis (Thouin) Koehne fruits in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

The present study was intended to examine the effects of the supplementation of active α-glucosidase, α-amylase and lipase inhibitory ethyl acetate (CSE) fraction from the fruits of Chaenomeles sinensis (Thouin) Koehne on blood glucose (BG), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransaminase (AST), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and antioxidant levels. The diabetic rats were treated orally with CSE at the doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg bw for 14 days. BG, TC, TG, HDL-C, ALT, AST and AChE levels were significantly reduced; on the other hand antioxidant levels were significantly increased in the treated groups. These observations suggest protective effects of CSE against STZ-induced diabetic dementia model.

Ameliorative effects of 7-methylcoumarin and 7-methoxycoumarin against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

The available conventional remedies for the treatment of drug-induced liver diseases are highly inadequate and possess serious adverse effects; therefore, the development of new, effective drugs is considered necessary. This article explores the hepatoprotective and antioxidant potential of 7-methylcoumarin (MC) and 7-methoxycoumarin (MOC) in CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. MC and MOC individually, at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight, were administered orally once-daily for 7 days. The hepatoprotective activity was assessed using various biochemical parameters, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), serum bilirubin (TB), total protein (TP), and albumin (TA). Serum antioxidant enzyme [e.g., superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)] levels were determined. Also, thiobarbituric-acid–related substances (TBARS) levels, along with histopathological studies of liver tissue, were scrutinized. Pretreatment with MC and MOC significantly decreased ALT, AST, and TB in the serum of CCl4-induced liver damaged rats in a dose-dependent manner. TA and TP levels in the serum were also restored significantly in all presupplemented MC and MOC groups. In addition, oxidative stress induced by CCl4 was prevented significantly; thereby, increasing SOD and CAT levels and decreasing TBARS levels in liver homogenates. Histopathological studies revealed the ameliorative natures of both the compounds. This study demonstrates the strong hepatoprotective activity of MC and MOC, which could be attributed to their potent antioxidant effects.

Evaluation of antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant effects of Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich., Urticaceae, root extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

The potential role of 80% methanolic extract of Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich., Urticaceae, root in the treatment of diabetes, along with its antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant effects, was studied in streptozotocin-induced diabetic male Wistar rats. Preliminary screening of the extract revealed the presence of polyphenolics and flavonoids. The animal study was conducted with variable doses of 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg of extract for 21 days in diabetic rats. A significant effect was observed at a dose of 500 mg/kg, which was comparable to the standard drug, glibenclamide. Administration of the extract at a 500 mg/kg dose resulted in a significant reduction of fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood urea, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, urine sugar and urine ketone levels in diabetic rats in comparison with the diabetic control group. Additionally, this dose significantly increased body weight, hemoglobin, plasma total protein, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, liver glycogen content, superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione and catalase levels in diabetic rats at the end of 21 days of treatment. Therefore, dietary supplementation with Boehmeria nivea root extract could be beneficial for correcting hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and enhancing the antioxidant defense system.

Decoloration of Polycyclic Aromatic Dyes by Mushroom Fungi

As waste-water disposal plants and oxidative biodegradation for the removal of waste polyaromatic dyes are proved to be ineffective due to the chemical stability of dyes, we studied various strains of mushroom fungi for the removal of these dyes. 100 fungi were isolated from the mushroom samples of 230 species collected in Korea. The growth medium containing a dye (Bromophenol Blue, Congo Red, or Methylene Blue) was inoculated to 10% and incubated for 7 days without shaking. The six strains which removed dyes effectively were selected for further studies with respect to removal of polycyclic aromatic dyes. For all strains, the rate of decoloration of dyes was increasing with Methylene Blue, Bromophenol Blue and Congo Red. The rate of decoloration was higher with stationary culture than with shaking culture. Adsorption of the dyes was the highest with Congo Red.

Screening of Inhibitors of Extracellular Serine Protease of Acanthamoeba castellanii from Mushroom Extracts

Although the number of patients with Acanthamoeba keratitis has increased dramatically since the widespread use of contact lens, it is still very hard to cure the disease. The proteases from the Acanthamoeba were reported to play important role in the pathogenesis of keratitis. In this study, the inhibitors for extracellular serine proteases of A. castellanii were screened from the extracts of 230 mushroom samples collected from various regions of Korea. The mushrooms were extracted with methanol and water (). Filtered and concentrated extracts (0.3 mg/ml) were preincubated with proteases before addition of peptide substrate N-succinyl-ala-ala-pro-phe p-anilide. The selected extracts showing strong inhibitory effects were characterized. Although inhibition with single extract was not so high enough, the complete inhibition was achieved with combination of two extracts. The selected extract showed little effect on other serine proteases such as thrombin (human and bovine) and on general protease such as protease K.