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Background: Rosmarinic acid (RA) is an important natural bioactive compound widely distributed in food plants. ATR-FTIR and HPLC methods for comparative determination of RA in aqueous methanolic extracts of Orthosiphon stamineus leaf samples are described. Method: The quantitative determination of RA was performed by using HPLC with UV detection at 340 nm and ATR-FTIR based on peak height location at 1712.29 cm-1. Results: The mean recovery of RA was 99.54 ± 1.23% by the HPLC method and 105.48 ± 2.76 by the ATR-IR method. The relative standard deviation for the intra-day and inter-day precision were less than 5% for the HPLC method and less than 8% for the ATR-FTIR method. The limit of detection and limit of quantification values for the HPLC method were 2 ng/ml and 10 ng/ml, respectively. The limit of detection and limit of quantification values for the ATR-FTIR method were 0.14% and 0.83% w/w, respectively. The validated methods were used for the quantification of RA in leaf samples of O. staminues. The results of HPLC and ATR-FTIR methods were comparable. Conclusion: ATR-FTIR method is suitable for the routine determination of RA in herbal medicinal products of O. stamineus.

Abstract: Primary dysmenorrhea is a common condition that affects menstruating women, especially young women. Painful cramping in the lower abdominal area, nausea, vomiting, headache, and fatigue is associated with primary dysmenorrhea, which restricts women from normal living life. The productivity and work performance of women are heavily affected by the symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and low dose oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) are commonly prescribed for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea. However, variability in individual response to the drugs and their side effects hinder their long-term use among women. Complementary medicine such as herbs is a promising alternative for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea, but it lacks scientific evidence. The pharmacological and clinical studies of 9 herbs were included in this review. Although excellent analgesic effects of herbs were reported by clinical studies, the detailed mechanism of action of most herbs remains unelucidated. Several studies discovered that herbs exert analgesic effects through direct uterine muscle relaxation effect, inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inhibition of intracellular calcium level, and reduction of prostaglandin synthesis. Further investigation of pharmacological action and the recommended dosages of the herbs for the optimal analgesic effect is needed.

Abstract: Boehmeria nivea, commonly known as ramie, is a functional food ingredient used by Asians. It is also cultivated for its leaf fibres with excellent tensile strength, resistance to shrinkage, and antimildew, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. Ramie leaves and roots are also consumed as food, beverages, and medicinal herbs. This plant has been used as ethnomedicine for various health complications, including hepatoprotective, antiviral, antipyretic, detoxification, reduced swelling, etc. The ethnomedicinal uses of ramie in multiple countries, including China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Malaysia, have been reviewed. The phytochemicals or secondary metabolites reported in ramie have also been listed. Ramie has been found to exhibit numerous promising pharmacological activities. Four pharmacological activities of ramie that are closely related to treating and preventing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have been thoroughly reviewed: anti-inflammatory, anti-colitis, anti-oxidative, and laxative.

Introduction: The primary aim of this study is to understand the binding of curcumin and its analogues to different PDE4 subtypes and identify the role of PDE4 subtype inhibition in the anti-inflammatory property of curcumin. Docking analysis has been used to acquire the above mentioned structural information and this has been further used for designing of curcumin derivatives with better anti-inflammatory activity. Materials and Methods: Curcumin and its analogues were subjected to docking using PDE4A, PDE4B, PDE4C and PDE4D as the targets. A data set comprising 18 analogues of curcumin, was used as ligands for docking of PDE4 subtypes. Curcumin was used as the standard for comparison. Docking was performed using AutoDock Vina 1.1.2 software integrated in LigandScout 4.1. During this process water molecules were removed from proteins, charges were added and receptor structures were minimised by applying suitable force fields. The docking scores were compared, and the selectivity of compounds for PDE4B over PDE4D was calculated as well. Results: All curcumin analogues used in the study showed good binding affinity with all PDE4 subtypes, with evident selectivity towards PDE4B subtype. Analogue A11 provides the highest binding affinity among all ligands. Conclusion: Curcumin and analogues have moderate to strong affinity towards all PDE4 subtypes and have evident selectivity towards PDE4B. The Oxygen atom of the methoxy group plays a key role in PDE4B binding and any alterations could interfere with the binding. Tetrahydropyran side chain and heterocyclic rings are also suggested to be helpful in PDE4B binding.

The major complaint that most of the schizophrenic patients' face is the cognitive impairment which affects the patient's quality of life. The current antipsychotic drugs treat only the positive symptoms without alleviating the negative or cognitive symptoms of the disease. In addition, the existing therapies are known to produce extrapyramidal side effects that affect the patient adherence to the treatment. PDE10A inhibitor is the new therapeutic approach which has been proven to be effective in alleviating the negative and cognitive symptoms of the disease. A number of PDE10A inhibitors have been developed, but no inhibitor has made it beyond the clinical trials so far. Thus, the present study has been conducted to identify a PDE10A inhibitor from natural sources to be used as a lead compound for the designing of novel selective PDE10A inhibitors. Ligand and structure-based pharmacophore models for PDE10A inhibitors were generated and employed for virtual screening of universal natural products database. From the virtual screening results, 37 compounds were docked into the active site of the PDE10A. Out of 37 compounds, three inhibitors showed the highest affinity for PDE10A where UNPD216549 showed the lowest binding energy and has been chosen as starting point for designing of novel PDE10A inhibitors. The structure-activity-relationship studies assisted in designing of selective PDE10A inhibitors. The optimization of the substituents on the phenyl ring resulted in 26 derivatives with lower binding energy with PDE10A as compared to the lead compound. Among these, MA 8 and MA 98 exhibited the highest affinity for PDE10A with binding energy (-10.90 Kcal/mol).

Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) is good source of natural antioxidants. Natural antioxidants are very important in the food industry for preparation of functional foods. The aim of this study was to evaluate antimicrobial activity against selected bacteria and antiradical potency of ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of dehulled hazelnut kernel. Dried sample powder was extracted with ethyl acetate and methanol. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts on Streptococcus pneumonia, Klebsiella pneumonia and Candida albicans was evaluated by the disk diffusion method. Total phenolic content and antiradical potency of the extracts against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) radical were determined. Fingerprints of the extracts were developed by using HPLC. Total phenolic content of the methanol and ethyl acetate extracts were 0.67 and 0.58 mg gallic equivalent/g, respectively. Minimum inhibition concentrations (MIC) of the methanol and ethyl acetate extracts on S. pneumonia were 0.15 mg/ml and 0.76 mg/ml. Similar MIC values of 100 mg/ml on K. pneumonia were obtained for each extract. The extracts were inactive against Candida albicans. Observation of bacteria under light microscope revealed lower cell count and morphology changes as compared to control. The extracts exhibited free radical scavenging activity against DPPH radical. Qualitative HPLC analysis of the extracts showed the presence of caffeic acid, gallic acid, and vanillic acid. This study shows that hazelnut has antimicrobial and antiradical activities hence, eating the nuts may help to prevent infectious diseases.

Vernonia amygdalina or commonly known as “bitter leaf” in Malaysia has been widely used for the treatment of malaria and diabetes mellitus. The objective of this study was to examine the possible toxic effect of methanol leaves extract of V. amygdalina after 28 days oral administration in female Sprague Dawley rats. This 28 days toxicity study of V. amygdalina was conducted according to OECD 407 guidelines. Sub-chronic effects of methanol leaf extract of V. amygdalina on liver and kidney functions in female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were examined by measuring the serum levels of AST, ALT, ALP, total bilirubins, urea, creatinine, total cholesterol and triacylglycerol in both control and treatment groups. Based on the results obtained, 28 days administration of V. amygdalina (300, 600 and 1200 mg/kg bw) did not cause any significantly changes in serum biochemical parameters, body weight changed and relative organ weight when compared to the control group. In conclusion, sub-chronic (28 days) oral administration of methanol leaves extract of V. amygdalina at a dose up to 1200 mg/kg exhibited no adverse effects on liver and kidney functions in female SD rats.

Antioxidative potentials of peel extracts of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), and langsat (Lansium domesticum) in experimental rats were investigated. Antioxidant activities were evaluated using liver enzymatic and non-enzymatic systems. Rats were treated with fruit peel extracts for 14 and 30 days. Blood was collected on the final day of treatment and the liver was harvested for antioxidant assays. A significant decrease (p

BACKGROUND Clinacanthus nutans Lindau (family: Acanthaceae), also known as "Sabah Snake Grass" or "Belalai Gajah" in Malaysia, has been widely used by Malaysians due to its anticancer property. However, the anticancer activity of C. nutans leaves extract and its safe use need to be further investigated. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of methanol leaves extract of C. nutans in various human cancer cell lines and to evaluate the in vitro effect of C. nutans leaves on the activity of CYP3A4 and CYP2E1 in human liver microsomes. METHODS The cytotoxic effects of methanol extract of C. nutans leaves in various cancer cell lines (Hep-G2, A549, HT-29, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and CRL 1739) and normal cells (3T3) were determined using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) cell proliferation assay. The activities of CYP3A4 and CYP2E1 were determined using simple spectrophotometric methods. RESULTS Results obtained showed that the methanol extract of C. nutans leaves exhibited the highest cytotoxic effect against Hep-G2 cell lines (liver cancer) (IC50=13.33 μg/mL), followed by breast cancer oestrogen negative (MDA-MB-231) (IC50 of 18.67 μg/mL). Methanol leaves extract of C. nutans showed significant inhibition (p

Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectrometric method for determination of crocin in commercial saffron samples was studied. Calibration models were built based on the peaks at spectral region of 1700–900 cm−1 and spectral wavenumbers with correlation coefficient (r) greater than 0.99 were selected for quantification of crocin in the samples. The quantitative analysis of samples by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared was tested against reference UV-visible spectrophotometry method. Considerable correlation (r = 0.95) between both methods in prediction of crocin content among the saffron samples indicated that the proposed methodology has the potential application as a rapid screening tool.

Summary High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometric methods were developed for analysis of berberine, the principal bioactive constituent, in Coscinium fenestratum extracts. The HPLC and UV spectrophotometric determinations were performed at 226, 270, and 340 nm. The methods were validated by assessing linearity, sensitivity, precision, and accuracy. HPLC detection was found to be more effective than spectrophotometric determinations. The content of berberine determined by HPLC method at detection wavelengths of 270 and 340 nm was found to be higher as compared to the value obtained at wavelength of 226 nm. The content of berberine determined by HPLC ranged from 0.98 to 0.99 (%w/w) in the methanol extract, 0.85 to 0.88 (%w/w) in the methanol-water (1:1) extract, and 0.24 to 0.25 in the water extract.

Aim: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro effect of aqueous extract of Clinacanthus nutans leaves and the juice on the activity of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT), cytochrome P (CYP) 3A4, and CYP2E1 in human liver microsomes (HLMs). Materials and Methods: The herb-drug interactions of the leaf extracts and juice were determined by a specific enzyme activity of CYP isoforms with specific probe substrate using spectrophotometry. CYP3A4 activity was measured for aminopyrine-specific metabolite (formaldehyde) at 415 nm. CYP2E1 activity was determined using p-nitrophenol-specific metabolite (p-nitrocatechol) at 535 nm. UGT activity was quantified through the consumption of p-nitrophenol by UGT at 405 nm. Results: Results obtained showed that the juice and aqueous extract of C. nutans leaves exhibited significant inhibition (P

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignancy that occurs in the epithelium of the nasopharynx. The standard treatment of NPC patients with locoregionally advanced stages is problematic and is often associated with toxicities. Therefore, it is essential to screen for naturally occurring compounds with strong apoptosis-inducing activity and minimal toxicity. This study investigated the effects of the standardized methanol extract of Cinnamomum burmannii Blume stem bark and its main constituent, trans-cinnamaldehyde (TCA), on human NPC cell lines. The content of TCA in C. burmannii methanol extract was standardized to be 13.61% w/w by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). NPC cell proliferation was clearly inhibited within 24 h of treatment, with TCA exhibiting greater activity than the methanol extract. TCA was more active against NPC cells compared with cisplatin. There was a pronounced downregulation of the proliferation markers, Ki67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in the TCA-treated cells; while morphological observation indicated the induction of apoptosis. Caspase activation and prominent DNA damage, which are markers of apoptosis induction were detected. TCA demonstrated the ability to scavenge nitric oxide. The simultaneous combination of TCA and cisplatin produced synergistic anti-proliferative effects. Collectively, these data indicate the potential use of TCA for the treatment of NPC.

Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) has been established as a drug target for inflammatory diseases of respiratory tract like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The selective inhibitors of PDE4B, a subtype of PDE4, are devoid of adverse effects like nausea and vomiting commonly associated with non-selective PDE4B inhibitors. This makes the development of PDE4B subtype selective inhibitors a desirable research goal. Thus, in the present study, molecular docking, molecular dynamic simulations and binding free energy were performed to explore potential selective PDE4B inhibitors based on ginger phenolic compounds. The results of docking studies indicate that some of the ginger phenolic compounds demonstrate higher selective PDE4B inhibition than existing selective PDE4B inhibitors. Additionally, 6-gingerol showed the highest PDE4B inhibitory activity as well as selectivity. The comparison of binding mode of PDE4B/6-gingerol and PDE4D/6-gingerol complexes revealed that 6-gingerol formed additional hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interactions with active site and control region 3 (CR3) residues in PDE4B, which were primarily responsible for its PDE4B selectivity. The results of binding free energy demonstrated that electrostatic energy is the primary factor in elucidating the mechanism of PDE4B inhibition by 6-gingerol. Dynamic cross-correlation studies also supported the results of docking and molecular dynamics simulation. Finally, a small library of molecules were designed based on the identified structural features, majority of designed molecules showed higher PDE4B selectivity than 6-gingerol. These results provide important structural features for designing new selective PDE4B inhibitors as anti-inflammatory drugs and promising candidates for synthesis and pre-clinical pharmacological investigations.

Objective The aim of the present study is to develop liquid chromatography (LC)/Time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF/MS) profile for methanol and water extracts of Orthosiphon stamineus leaf using SEN and RA as flavonoid and non-flavonoid polyphenolic markers in the extracts. The study also evaluates in vitro nitric oxide radical scavenging effect of the extracts. Method Orthogonal Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer equipped with HPLC separation module was used in the analyses of the extract. The in vitro nitric oxide scavenging activity of the extracts was measured according to the method described by Rao. Results The qualitative analysis of the extracts performed with HPLC–TOF/MS confirmed the presence sinensitin (SEN) and rosmarinic acid (RA) in the extracts. The extracts showed in vitro nitric oxide scavenging activities. Conclusions The HPLC–TOF/MS method could be employed for quality determination of herbal medicinal products and formulations containing O. stamineus . The extracts may play a significant role in prevention of degenerate disease due to its ability to scavenge nitric oxide radical.

Aims of the study Gynura procumbens (Merr.), which is known as “Sambung nyawa”, is widely used in South East Asian countries in the traditional treatment of many ailments. However, there is little toxicological information available regarding safety following repeated exposure. The present investigation describes the toxicity of a methanol extract of Gynura procumbens leaves in rats. Materials and methods For acute toxicity studies, a methanol extract of Gynura procumbens was orally administered to Sprague–Dawley rats (female and male) at a dose range of 1000–5000 mg/kg. For sub-chronic toxicity studies, the rats were orally administered the methanol extract of Gynura procumbens at the doses of 125, 250, and 500 mg/(kg day) for a period of 13 weeks. The animals were sacrificed, followed by examination of their organs and blood serum. Results and conclusions Administration of the methanol extract from Gynura procumbens leaves at 1000–5000 mg/kg did not produce mortality or significant changes in the general behaviour, body weight, or organ gross appearance of rats. There were no significant differences in the general condition, growth, organ weights, haematological parameters, clinical chemistry values, or gross and microscopic appearance of the organs from the treatment groups as compared to the control group. Therefore, the NOAEL for the Gynura procumbens methanol extract is 500 mg/(kg day) administered orally for 13 weeks.

Andrographis paniculata is a Malaysian traditional herb for treatment of fever-causing diseases and diabetes. The aim of the present study was to examine the antihyperglycemic effects of different extracts (95, 50, and 20% ethanol extracts and water extracts) of A. paniculata in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Only the treatment with 20% ethanol extract (at 1 g/kg for 7 h, p.o.) significantly (P 0.05) altered the blood glucose levels in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats as compared to the control group. However, administration of the 50 and 95% ethanol extracts (at 1 g/kg for 14 days, p.o.) significantly (P < 0.05) reduced fasting blood glucose and insulin levels in normal and diabetic rats compared to the pre-treatment level. HPLC profiles of the extracts were developed using andrographolide (AP) as a marker. The amounts of AP in 95, 50, and 20% ethanol extracts and water extracts were 25.8, 19.4, 2.0, and 0.8 mg/g of dry weight, respectively.

A rapid method based on HPTLC and RP-HPLC with UV detection for quantitative determination of two major bioactive compounds in Andrographis paniculata, andrographolide and 14-deoxy-11, 12-didehydroandrographolide, is described. The recoveries of the two compounds were between 96.5-99.0% by HPTLC method and 98.1-99.2% by HPLC assay. The relative standard deviations of the two compounds ranged between 0.89-0.99 (intra-day) and 0.86-0.98 (inter-day) for the HPTLC method and 0.86-1.02 (intra-day) and 0.87-1.12 (inter-day) for HPLC method. The methods were used for routine analyses and to obtain relative amount of the two compounds in the leaves of the plant cultivated in different locations of Malaysia. The extracts and isolated compounds exhibited lipid peroxidation inhibition and free radical activities.

Orthosiphon stamineus. Benth. was cultivated at different locations in Malaysia to compare the xanthine oxidase inhibitory potential of the methanol extracts of the leaf. The extracts showed superoxide scavenging and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities using in vitro. methods. By means of HPTLC densitometric technique and UV-Vis spectra, sinensetin (SEN) and 3′-hydroxy-5,6,7,4′-tetramethoxyflavone (TMF) concentrations in the extracts were found to vary from 0.09% to 0.36% and 0.02% to 0.10% of the day weight, respectively. The study provided evidence that the leaf of the plant can be useful for studying its anti-gout action.

Leaf powder of Orthosiphon stamineus was extracted with the following solvents; distilled water, 50% aqueous methanol, methanol, 70% aqueous acetone and chloroform, at 2, 4 and 8 h, respectively, on a water bath at 40 °C. The extracts were subjected to qualitative and quantitative HPLC analyses of the polyphenols, the most dominant chemical constituents in the leaf. Chloroform extraction from 4 to 8 h at 40 °C gave the highest amount of sinensetin and eupatorin. The extraction with 70% aqueous acetone extracts at 4 and 8 h gave a high yield of 3′-hydroxy-5,6,7,4′-tetramethoxyflavone. The yield of rosmarinic acid was high in 50% methanol extracts at 2, 4 and 8 h of extraction. The extracts were screened for free radical-scavenging potential, using a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl in vitro model system. The extracts exhibited significant radical-scavenging activity and the acetone extracts showed the highest activity.

The antioxidant activity of methanol extracts of Orthosiphon stamineus. Benth (Lamiaceae), cultivated in different regions of Malaysia, was determined by measuring the scavenging effect on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and on superoxide anion. The results showed a variation in free-radical and superoxide-anion scavenging activities of the methanol extracts ranging from 62.82 to 92.34% and 53.29 to 75.88%, respectively. Methanol extract was active, and its antioxidative potency was comparable to that of pure quercetin and higher than that of the widely used synthetic antioxidant butylated hydroxylanisole (BHA). The UV and HPLC chromatographic fingerprints of the major phenolics were qualitatively similar for all the methanol leaf extracts of Orthosiphon stamineus. from various locations.

An HPLC method was developed for the separation and determination of three methoxylated flavones:sinensetin (SEN), eupatorin (EUP) and 3 ′ -hydroxy-5,6,7,4 ′ -tetramethoxyflavone (TMF) and rosmarinic acid (RA), a caffeic acid derivative in Orthosiphon stamineus (OS). All the compounds were separated using a reversed phase C18, Lichrosorb column with the mobile phase of methanol-water-tetrahydrofuran (45:50:5 v/v). The HPLC method was applied for the quantification SEN, EUP, TMF and RA in OS from different places in Malaysia. The results showed significant variation in the amounts of these markers in methanolic extracts of leaf samples from different parts of Malaysia. A variation in antioxidant activities, ranging from 55.5% to 84.2% and variations in total phenolics, ranging from 6.7 to 10.1 mg caffeic acid/g dry weight of the methanol extracts, were observed. Antioxidative potency of the methanol extracts was comparable to that of pure quercetin and the synthetic antioxidant butylated hydroxylanisole (BHA).

The methanol extract of the leaves of Gynura procumbens was partitioned between chloroform, ethyl acetate and n -butanol. Qualitative HPLC identification of the major flavonoid constituents in the ...

In this study, the ethanol extract (EE), ethyl acetate extract (EAE), aqueous decoction extract (ADE) and aqueous maceration extract (AME) of Vernonia amygdalina leaves were subjected to total phenolic (TP) and total saponin (TS) content determination, in vitro radical scavenging activity and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). The TP contents in order of decreasing quantities were 63.044, 38.834, 53.148 and 39.391 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per g dry extract for EE, EAE, ADE and AME, respectively. The TS assay revealed that the EAE extract possessed the highest TS content with a value of 952.037 mg of diosgenin equivalents (DE) per g dry extract. This was followed by the EE, ADE and AME extract with TS content of 841.370, 159.741 and 118.444 mg diosgenin equivalents (DE) per gram dry extract. The DPPH assay revealed that the ADE had the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 501.207 μg/ml. This was followed by EE, EAE and AME with IC50 values of 636.010, 658.277 and 1368.929 μg/ml, respectively. The ADE also exhibited the highest ABTS radical scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 3195.083 μg/ml. In the subsequent order of decreasing ABTS scavenging activity was AME, EE and EAE extracts with IC50 values of 4142.156, 5508.517 and 6547.940 μg/ml. The results of AST showed that the test organisms E. coli O157:H7 and Y. enterocolitica were resistant towards the V. amygdalina extracts tested. Only the AME extract possesses a MIC value of 31.25 mg/ml against Y. enterocolitica. The data obtained reaffirms V. amygdalina’ spontential as a source of dietary antioxidants and provides information on the the suitability of V. amygdalina against E. c.oli O157:H7 and Y. enterocolitica.

The oxidative properties of sunflower oil supplemented with rambutan extract, (crude extract and its fractionated fraction, SF II) in comparison with synthetic antioxidant were investigated. The supplemented sunflower oils were stored under accelerated conditions for 24 days at 60 °C. For every 6-day interval, the oxidative properties of the supplemented sunflower oil were evaluated based on the following tests, namely peroxide value, p-anisidine value, Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS) assay, iodine value and free fatty acids. The total oxidation (TOTOX) values were also calculated based on the peroxide values and p-anisidine values. Rambutan extract is a potential source of antioxidant. The oxidative activities of the extracts at all concentrations were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than the control. Generally, the partially fractionated fraction was more effective than the crude extract. With a 2-year storage period at ambient temperature, the fractionated fraction of the extract, SF II at 300 ppm, was observed to work more effectively than the synthetic antioxidant, t-Tocopherol, and it possessed a protective effect comparable with butylatedhydrioxynanisole (BHA). Therefore, rambutan extract could be used as a potential alternative source of antioxidant in the oil industry or other fat-based products to delay lipid oxidation.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignancy that occurs in the epithelium of the nasopharynx. The standard treatment of NPC patients with locoregionally advanced stages is problematic and is often associated with toxicities. Therefore, it is essential to screen for naturally occurring compounds with strong apoptosis-inducing activity and minimal toxicity. This study investigated the effects of the standardized methanol extract of Cinnamomum burmannii Blume stem bark and its main constituent, trans-cinnamaldehyde (TCA), on human NPC cell lines. The content of TCA in C. burmannii methanol extract was standardized to be 13.61% w/w by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). NPC cell proliferation was clearly inhibited within 24 h of treatment, with TCA exhibiting greater activity than the methanol extract. TCA was more active against NPC cells compared with cisplatin. There was a pronounced downregulation of the proliferation markers, Ki67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in the TCA-treated cells; while morphological observation indicated the induction of apoptosis. Caspase activation and prominent DNA damage, which are markers of apoptosis induction were detected. TCA demonstrated the ability to scavenge nitric oxide. The simultaneous combination of TCA and cisplatin produced synergistic anti-proliferative effects. Collectively, these data indicate the potential use of TCA for the treatment of NPC.

The present study aims to evaluate the safety of methanol extract of Cinnamomum burmannii (MECB) by acute 14-day (single dose) and sub-chronic 28-day (repeated doses) oral administration to Sprague-Dawley rats. Our results showed that no toxicity was found in either acute or sub-chronic toxicity studies. MECB (containing 0.07% and 0.20% (w/w) of coumarin and trans-cinnamaldehyde, respectively), which was given orally at doses of 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg caused neither visible signs of toxicity nor mortality. No significant differences were observed in general condition, growth, organ weight, hematological parameters, biochemical values, or the gross and microscopic appearance of the organs from the treatment groups as compared to the control group. In conclusion, MECB did not cause any mortality nor did it cause any abnormalities in the necropsy and histopathology findings of treated rats. The LD50 for the MECB was found to be more than 2000 mg/kg. No adverse effects were observed in the treated rats at all the doses tested. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for the 28-day study was determined to be 2000 mg/kg body weight/day.

Labisia pumila is a popular medicinal plant in Malaysia and has been used in the treatments of various health complications. In this study, the in vitro anti-histaminergic and anti-cholinergic anti...

A simple and validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with UV detection has been used to determine the content of andrographolide (AP) and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide (DIAP) in rat plasma after oral dose of methanol extract (1 g/kg body weight) of Andrographis paniculata leaf. An increase in plasma concentration of AP and DIAP was observed from 30 min to 3 h after oral administration of the extract. The maximum plasma concentrations of AP and DIAP were 1.42+/-0.09 microg/ml and 1.31+/-0.04 microg/ml, respectively. Fourteen days oral treatment of rats with the methanol extract (1 g/kg body weight) followed by CCl(4) administration preserved catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in erythrocytes, whereas plasma lipid peroxidation, alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) activities were restored to values comparable with control values. Treatment of rats with CCl(4) did not showed significant alteration (p>0.05) in plasma total antioxidant status (TAS) as compare to values of control group.

A simple high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to determine the content of andrographolide (AP) and 14-deoxy-11,12-dideoxyandrographolide (DIAP) in a pooled urine of rat obtained within 24h after an oral dose of Andrographis paniculata leaf extract at 1g/kg body weight. Cumulative urinary excretion of AP and DIAP in 24h after oral administration of the extract was 0.88% and 1.61% of oral dose administered, respectively. The extract showed significant reduction (p

Objective: To investigate the effects of standardized dichloromethane (DCM) extract of Cosinium fenestratum (C. fenestratum) stem bark on liver and kidney function parameters in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Methods: Standardization of the extract was performed through high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using berberine (BE) as marker compound. The standardized C. fenestratum stem bark extract (SCFE) was administered orally at a dose of 100 mg/kg to STZ-induced diabetic rats for 15 d. Results: The quantity of BE in the extract was 2.09% w/w. Blood glucose levels, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and creatinine were significantly (P