Protective effect of Mimosa pudica L. in an l-arginine model of acute necrotising pancreatitis in rats

Evidence for the efficacy of anti-inflammatory plants used in Brazilian traditional medicine with ethnopharmacological relevance

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

When exacerbated, inflammatory processes can culminate in physical and emotional disorders and, if not stopped, can be lethal. The high prevalence of inflammation has become a public health problem, and the need for new drugs to treat this pathology is imminent. The use of medicinal plants has emerged as an alternative, and a survey of data that corroborates its application in inflammatory diseases is the starting point. Furthermore, Brazil harbors a megadiversity, and the traditional use of plants is relevant and needs to be preserved and carefully explored for the discovery of new medicines.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This review sought to survey the medicinal plants traditionally used in Brazil for the treatment of inflammatory processes and to perform, in an integrative way, a data survey of these species and analysis of their phytochemical, pharmacological, and molecular approaches.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Brazilian plants that are traditionally used for inflammation (ophthalmia, throat inflammation, orchitis, urinary tract inflammation, ear inflammation, and inflammation in general) are listed in the DATAPLAMT database. This database contains information on approximately 3400 native plants used by Brazilians, which were registered in specific documents produced until 1950. These inflammatory disorders were searched in scientific databases (PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Lilacs, Scielo, Virtual Health Library), with standardization of DECS/MESH descriptors for inflammation in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese, without chronological limitations. For the inclusion criteria, all articles had to be of the evaluated plant species, without association of synthesized substances, and full articles free available in any of the four languages searched. Duplicated articles and those that were not freely available were excluded.

RESULTS

A total of 126 species were identified, culminating in 6181 articles in the search. After evaluation of the inclusion criteria, 172 articles representing 40 different species and 38 families were included in the study. Comparison of reproducibility in intra-species results became difficult because of the large number of extraction solvents tested and the wide diversity of evaluation models used. Although the number of in vitro and in vivo evaluations was high, only one clinical study was found (Abrus precatorius). In the phytochemical analyses, more than 225 compounds, mostly phenolic compounds, were identified.

CONCLUSION

This review allowed the grouping of preclinical and clinical studies of several Brazilian species traditionally used for the treatment of many types of inflammation, corroborating new searches for their pharmacological properties as a way to aid public health. Furthermore, the large number of plants that have not yet been studied has encouraged new research to revive traditional knowledge.

Evaluation of Antidiabetic Activity and Cytotoxic Effect of Strontium Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Mimosa Pudica

Nanotechnology is emerging as a promising approach in the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Nanoparticles, due to their unique physicochemical properties and small size, have the potential to improve the delivery of therapeutic agents, enhance their bioavailability, and increase their efficacy. Among various types of nanoparticles, strontium nanoparticles have gained attention due to their potential antidiabetic activity and cytotoxic effects against cancer cells. Mimosa pudica, also known as "Sensitive Plant" or "Touch-Me-Not," is a medicinal plant known for its diverse pharmacological activities, including antidiabetic and anticancer properties. Recent research has focused on the synthesis of strontium nanoparticles by using Mimosa pudica as a green and sustainable approach. These nanoparticles have shown promising results in terms of their antidiabetic activity and cytotoxic effects against cancer cells. Thus, in this study, the antidiabetic effect was studied using the alpha-amylase inhibitor assay, and the cytotoxic effect was studied using the brine shrimp lethality assay. In these assays, increasing concentration of Mimosa pudica-mediated strontium nanoparticles exhibited increasing antidiabetic and cytotoxic effects, which was similar to the standard used, which is acarbose. Hence, this can be used as a novel antidiabetic and cytotoxic agent in the future.

In vivo antioxidant and hypoglycaemic potentials of Rivina humilis extract against streptozotocin induced diabetes and its complications in wistar rats

Purpose

This current research study was designed to investigate beneficial effects of R. humilis (Rivina humilis) against streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Methods

The R. humilis ethanol extract was prepared using soxhlet and its phenol content was determined. The type-2 diabetes was induced in rats by giving fructose mixed drinking water and single dose of streptozotocin. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed after 72 h of streptozotocin to check ability of extract to utilize oral glucose load with 2 h. The extract was also tested for its potentials to reduce blood glucose (BGL) and diabetic complications by administering to diabetic rats for 21 days. Blood glucose was determined on day 1, 7, 14 and 21. At 21st day, blood samples were collected from experimental rats were euthanized to collect pancreas and liver. Liver and kidney function tests, HbAc1 and lipid profile was established from blood samples. Pancreas was subjected to histopathological examination and liver was used to determine antioxidant enzymes. In vitro study was done to investigate the effect of extract on glucose utilization by rat hemidiaphragm.

Results

In OGTT, administration of extract could stimulate glucose utilization which was witnessed by significant BGL reduction at 90 and 120 min in therapeutic groups compare to diabetics. In chronic study, we observed significant reduction in BGL on 21st day and all tests performed to determine liver and kidney function, HbAc1, vitamin E were normal in extract treated groups. There was significant increase in liver antioxidant enzymes in therapeutic groups which revealed regeneration of β-cells in therapeutic groups.

Conclusion

The results of research demonstrated significant antidiabetic potentials in R. humilis.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-023-01258-6.

Therapeutical properties of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia in rat liver intoxicated with cadmium

The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic properties of Mimosa caesalpiniifolia in liver of rats exposed to cadmium under morphological, oxidative, inflammatory, and mutagenic parameters. A total of 40 Wistar rats (90 days, ~ 250 g) were distributed into eight groups (n = 5) as follows: (i) control; (ii) cadmium: cadmium chloride injection at 1.2 mg/kg; (iii) Mimosa extract: treatment with Mimosa extract at 250 mg/kg; (iv) Mimosa fraction: treatment with Mimosa acetate fraction at 62.5 mg/kg; (v) cadmium and Mimosa extract 62.5: submitted to cadmium chloride at 1.2 mg/kg injection and treatment with Mimosa extract at 62.5 mg/kg; (vi) cadmium and Mimosa extract 125: subjected to cadmium chloride at 1.2 mg/kg injection and treatment with Mimosa extract at 125 mg/kg; (vii) cadmium and Mimosa 250 extract: submitted to cadmium chloride 1.2 mg/kg injection and treatment with Mimosa extract at 250 mg/kg; (viii) cadmium treated with fraction of Mimosa acetate: submitted to cadmium chloride 1.2 mg/kg injection and treatment with acetate fraction of Mimosa extract at 62.5 mg/kg. In the animals intoxicated with cadmium and treated with fraction [62.5], increased expression of SOD-Mn reduced frequency of binucleated hepatocytes, karyolysis, and karyorrhexis, besides the antimutagenic and antioxidant action. The extract [62.5] was cytoprotective, antimutagenic, and reduced karyolysis. The extract [125] was cytoprotective, antioxidant, antifibrotic, anti-inflammatory, and reduced frequency of binucleated hepatocytes, while extract [250] was cytotoxic and mutagenic. In summary, the extract of Mimosa exerts some therapeutic properties in hepatic tissue after Cd intoxication, but only when it is administrated at intermediate doses. Probably, a high content of polyphenols in the EHM [250] and Fr-EtOAc groups exert pro-oxidant activities in the liver particularly when associated with Cd.

Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects of Captopril Compared to Methylprednisolone in L-Arginine-Induced Acute Pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory disease mediated by damage in acinar cells and pancreatic inflammation with infiltration of leukocytes. The pancreatic renin-angiotensin system may play an important role in the pathogenesis of AP.

AIM

The present study aimed to investigate the possible protective role of captopril (CAP), an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, in attenuating L-arginine-induced AP rat model and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.

METHODS

Forty-eight adult male Wister rats were divided into four equal groups: control group (vehicle, orally for 10 days), AP group (3 g/kg L-arginine, single i.p.) on 10th day of the experiment, CAP group (50 mg/kg captopril, orally, once daily), and MP group (30 mg/kg methylprednisolone, orally, once daily). CAP and MP were administered for 10 days prior to L-arginine injection. Rats were sacrificed 24 h after arginine injection. Inflammatory biomarkers; tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) concentration, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression were determined in pancreas. Oxidative stress biomarkers; pancreatic nitric oxide (NO) and reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations were measured. Moreover, serum α-amylase and lipase activities were measured and histopathological studies of the pancreas were done.

RESULTS

CAP group showed a significant reduction in pancreatic TNF-α concentration, MPO activity, NO concentration, and downregulation of iNOS gene expression compared to AP group. CAP group also showed a significant increase in GSH concentration with amelioration of histological changes of AP as well as MP group.

CONCLUSION

Captopril treatment showed a protective and comparable effect with MP treatment in AP rat model.