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Objectives: Vernonia amygdalina Del. leaves are used in traditional Southeast Asia and Africa medicinal practices. Metformin is used for diabetes management. This study investigated the effect of a single dose of aqueous leaf extract of V. amygdalina on metformin pharmacokinetics in diabetic rats., Methods: Diabetic rats were randomly assigned to four groups, with six rats in each group. Group 1 was administered distilled water. Group 2 was administered V. amygdalina aqueous leaf extract alone. Group 3 was administered metformin alone. Group 4 was co-administered V. amygdalina extract plus metformin. Blood was collected at predetermined intervals, and plasma metformin levels were measured with liquid chromatography. The area under the curve (AUC 0-t ), maximum plasma concentration (C max ), time to reach C max (T max ), half-life (t 1/2 ), and clearance (CL), were calculated based on noncompartment analysis. The effect of the extract on CYP2C9, CYP3A4, and UGT activities was determined using a Fluorometric Screening Kit., Results: The combined treatment altered the pharmacokinetic parameters of metformin. The T max increased from 90±0.18 min to 180±0.13 min and the C max, increased from 0.91±0.32 μg/mL to 2.153±0.28 μg/mL. Additionally, the AUC (0-t) increased from 118.25±1.37 μg min mL -1 to 301.006±1.96 μg min mL -1 and the t 1/2 increased from 34.69±0.61 min to 101.321±0.55 min. However, the CL rate was decreased. The extract inhibited CYP3A4 and CYP2C9 enzyme activities., Conclusions: The alteration of pharmacokinetic parameters by the extract suggests potential herb-drug interactions., (© 2024 the author(s), published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston.)

Objectives: Vernonia amygdalina Del. is a perennial tropical shrub from Asteraceae. The fresh leaf of V. amygdalina is consumed as a vegetable due to its medicinal and nutritional properties. The present study focused on the quantification of bioactive compounds, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, luteolin-7-O-glucuronide, and 1,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid from aqueous leaf extract of V. amygdalina. The study also aims to investigate the effects of the aqueous leaf extract of V. amygdalina on cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9), and cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) in hepatic cells of control and diabetic rats., Methods: The quantification of the bioactive compounds was conducted using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography multiple reactions monitoring tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS-MRM) technique. The effect of the extract on CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 activities was determined using a fluorometric screening kit according to the manufacturer's instructions., Results: The three bioactive compounds were detected and quantified in the aqueous leaf extract. Results showed that the content of luteolin-7-O-glucuronide (47 μg/mg) was the highest followed by luteolin-7-O-glucoside (3.5 μg/mg) and 1,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid (1.07 μg/mg). The extract showed an inhibitory effect on CYP3A4 and CYP2C9 enzyme activities in control and diabetic rats., Conclusions: The UHPLC-MS/MS-MRM method is sensitive and reliable for the quality control of V. amygdalina leaf extract. The inhibitory effect of the extract suggests that concomitant use of V. amygdalina leaf preparations with conventional drugs metabolized and eliminated from the body by CYP3A4 and CYP2C9 enzymes may lead to possible interaction., (© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

Introduction: There is an intimate relationship between orthodontic therapy and the periodontal changes that occur during tooth movement., Materials and Methods: This prospective clinical trial aims at investigating the movement of both the free and attached gingiva, as well as the movement of the alveolar bone in the extraction site of the upper 1st premolars during the retraction of the upper canines. In this study, 17 patients (10 female, 7 male) requiring 1st premolar extraction before orthodontic tooth movement were selected and treated at the Department of Orthodontics in the Faculty of Dentistry in University of Hama, Hama, Syria. The upper 1st premolars were extracted, and the implant AutoTacs were applied on the alveolar bone afterward. Then, measurements between the center of the implant AutoTacs and the L-shape wire were taken, utilizing digital Vernier caliper. After 3 weeks of extraction, tattooing marked points were placed on the free and the attached gingival, and the measurements were taken using the same digital Vernier caliper. Closed coil springs made of nickel-titanium were used to retract the upper canines, and a force of 150 gm was applied., Results: The results of this study showed significant differences between the movement of both the free and attached gingiva and the movement of the corresponding upper canines (p < 0.001). The movement of the free gingiva had formed about 77% of the amount of the movement of the upper canine retraction. No significant differences were detected between the place of implant AutoTac X1 and the L-shaped wire (W) during the retraction of the upper canine. On the contrary, significant differences were noticed between the place of implant AutoTac X2 and the L-shaped wire (W) during the retraction of the upper canine (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: There is significant movement of hard and soft tissues during and after premolar extraction and orthodontic therapy., Clinical Significance: The movement of supporting tissues of the teeth along with the alveolar bone during canine retraction is an important biological characteristic of the orthodontic tooth movement. Clinicians need to understand the role and importance of the supporting tissues during orthodontic treatment, which needs to be incorporated into their routine clinical evaluations.