Modulatory effects of extract of Heinsia crinita against fructose/streptozotocin-induced oxidative stress in diabetic rat models

Development of an in vitro regeneration system for Heinsia crinita (Afz.) G. Taylor via direct induction of shoot proliferation from explants

OBJECTIVE

The African bush apple (Heinsia crinita) is a highly valued orphan shrub that supports the nutritional and natural medicine needs of many sub-Saharan African communities. However, the crop remains poorly conserved and without any known genetic improvement. Accordingly, the current study sought to develop for the first time, an in vitro regeneration system based on direct shoot proliferation from its stem and hypocotyledonary explants using combinations of two cytokinins (benzyl adenine - BA, thidiazuron - TDZ) and the auxin (naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium.

RESULTS

Combinations of BA and NAA effectively induced multiple shoot formation from stem and hypocotyledonary explants of the crop. The most effective treatment (1.0 mg/L BA + 0.1 mg/L NAA) induced an average of 13.77 and 30.32 shoots per responsive hypocotyl and stem explants, respectively. Combinations of TDZ and NAA were less effective in promoting shoot induction in the explants at the concentrations tested compared to BA and NAA combinations. Hypocotyledonary explants achieved complete plant regeneration without multiple shoot formation in a hormone-free MS medium. In vitro shoots regenerated from both stem and hypocotyledonary explants were 100% successfully rooted on a half-strength hormone-free medium, and acclimatized to produce H. crinita plants with over 90.0% efficiency.

Antiobesity and antidiabetes effects of Cyperus rotundus rhizomes presenting protein tyrosine phosphatase, dipeptidyl peptidase 4, metabolic enzymes, stress oxidant and inflammation inhibitory potential

Diabetes is a significant global health concern that increases the vulnerability to various chronic illnesses. In view of this issue, the current research aimed to examine the effects of administering an extract derived from the tubers of Cyperus rotundus L (CrE) on obesity, type 1 diabetes, and liver-kidney toxicity. Through the utilization of HPLC-DAD analysis, it was discovered that the extract contained several components, including quercetin (47.8%), luteolin glucoside (17%), luteolin (7.56%), apigenin-7-glucoside (6.29%), naringinin (4.52%), and seven others. In vitro experiments they have demonstrated that CrE effectively inhibited key digestive enzymes associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes, such as DPP-4, PTP1B, lipase, and α-amylase, as evidenced by their respective IC50 values are about 23, 51,83, and 67 μg/ml respectively. Furthermore, when diabetic rats were administered CrE, the activity of pancreatic enzymes linked to inflammation, namely 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), hyaluronidase (HAase), and myeloperoxidase (MPO), was significantly suppressed by 48, 41, 75, and 47%, respectively. Moreover, CrE exhibited protective effects on pancreatic β-cells by inhibiting the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) by 65% and the induction of superoxide Dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities by 62, 108, and 112% respectively as compared to diabetic untreated rat. Additionally, CrE significantly inhibited the activities of intestinal, pancreatic, and serum lipase and α-amylase activities. In diabetic rats, CrE administration suppressed glycogen phosphorylase (GP) stimulated glycogen synthase (GS) activities by 45 and 30%; and this increased liver glycogen content by 45%. Furthermore, CrE modulated key hepatic enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, including hexokinase (HK), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), glucose-6-phosphatase (G6P), and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBP). Notably, the average food and water intake (AFI and AWI) of diabetic rats treated with CrE was reduced by 15 and 16% respectively as compared to those without any treatment. Therefore, this study demonstrated the effectiveness of Cyperus rotundus tubers in preventing and treating obesity and diabetes.