Immunomodulatory activity of Semecarpus anacardium extract in mononuclear cells of normal individuals and rheumatoid arthritis patients

Effectiveness of Semecarpus anacardium Linn. fruits in cancer and inflammatory diseases: A mini review

BACKGROUND

Semecarpus anacardium Linn. (SCA) fruits are found in India's sub-Himalayan, tropical, and central regions and have been utilized for centuries in traditional Indian medicine to treat various ailments. In recent times, a growing body of research has emerged indicating that the extracts and active components found in SCA fruits possess qualities that can potentially inhibit the development of cancer and inflammatory markers.

PURPOSE

This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the existing literature on the pharmacological mechanisms underlying the effects of extracts and phytochemicals of SCA fruits in cellular, animal models, and clinical trials of cancer and inflammatory diseases.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted utilizing several databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, preprint platforms, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews using the keywords "Semecarpus anacardium", "Anti-inflammatory," and "cancer". The collection of articles started with establishing the database and continued until April 2024.

RESULTS

Out of 1130 retrieved database records, 316 pertained to systematic reviews. The remaining 814 records focused on examining the anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties of SCA fruits. In the course of these investigations, the four primary cancer types linked to SCA fruits are identified as lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, breast cancer, and blood cancer.

CONCLUSION

The findings will provide more support for investigating SCA fruits in cancer treatment and will furnish thorough reference data and recommendations for future studies on this botanical medication.

Acute and sub acute toxicity of Amirdha Gandhi Kukkil Vallathy an effective Siddha herbo mineral formulation used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in wistar albino rat model

OBJECTIVES

Amirdha Gandhi Kukkil Vallathy (AGKV) is a herbo mineral Siddha formulation which has Sulphur, Kukkil, Seendhil and Serankottai as major ingredients and it is indicated for 80 types of Vatham diseases. Uthiravatha suronitham is one among the vatham diseases and it's clinical symptoms are correlated with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Since AGKV is a promising drug for RA, the safety of this drug has been validated by performing the acute and 28 days repeated oral dose toxicity study following the OECD guidelines 423 and 407.

METHODS

The acute toxicity study has been performed by administering orally with a single dose of 300 and 2000 mg/kg body weight in rat models and the animals were observed for 14 consecutive days. Gross pathology was observed and animals were sacrificed at the end of the study. In 28 days repeated oral toxicity study, limit test has been carried out with a dose of 1,000 mg/kg body weight.

RESULTS

No significant abnormality has been observed in the body weight, organ weight, biochemical parameters and histopathology studies. It has been revealed that this drug is safe upto 2000 mg/kg body weight in single dose study and 1,000 mg is a safer dose in the 28 days repeated oral toxicity study.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of acute and 28 days repeated oral toxicity studies revealed no adverse effects in animals and hence this drug AGKV is safe and can be administered in human.

The Role of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants against Obesity and Arthritis: A Review

Obesity is a significant health concern, as it causes a massive cascade of chronic inflammations and multiple morbidities. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are chronic inflammatory conditions and often manifest as comorbidities of obesity. Adipose tissues serve as a reservoir of energy as well as releasing several inflammatory cytokines (including IL-6, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) that stimulate low-grade chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, fatty liver disease, oxidative stress, and chronic kidney diseases. Dietary intake, low physical activity, unhealthy lifestyle, smoking, alcohol consumption, and genetic and environmental factors can influence obesity and arthritis. Current arthritis management using modern medicines produces various adverse reactions. Medicinal plants have been a significant part of traditional medicine, and various plants and phytochemicals have shown effectiveness against arthritis and obesity; however, scientifically, this traditional plant-based treatment option needs validation through proper clinical trials and toxicity tests. In addition, essential oils obtained from aromatic plants are being widely used as for complementary therapy (e.g., aromatherapy, smelling, spicing, and consumption with food) against arthritis and obesity; scientific evidence is necessary to support their effectiveness. This review is an attempt to understand the pathophysiological connections between obesity and arthritis, and describes treatment options derived from medicinal, spice, and aromatic plants.

Antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic activities of catechol derivatives and biflavonoid isolated from Semecarpus anacardium seeds

Semecarpus anacardium Linn. (Family: Anacardiaceae), commonly known marking nuts has been used in various traditional system of medicines for various ailments (such as antiatherogenic, antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, hypoglycemic, anticarcinogenic etc) since ancient times.Based on the wide pharmacological activities of this plant, the present study was aimed to explore the antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic potential in high fat diet fed rats using catechol derivatives I-IV and biflavonoid isolated from seeds of Semecarpus anacardium. Oral administration of catechol derivatives I-IV and biflavonoid at a concentration of 50 mg/kg b.wt to high fat diet fed rats for a period of 30 days significantly decreased the lipid profiles, body weight gain and organ weight when compared to untreated hypercholesterolemic rats. However, biflavonoid treated hypercholesterolemic rats showed more pronounced effects in all the parameters tested when compared to all catechol derivatives (I-IV) treated hypercholesterolemic rats. The effect produced by biflavonoid on various parameters was comparable to that of simvastastin- a standard drug. In vitro antioxidant activities were also conducted using these five compounds in which biflavonoid showed more significant antioxidant potential at a concentration of 1000 µg/ml when compared to catechol derivatives (I-IV). The pronounced antioxidant potential of biflavonoid might have contributed to the hypolipidemic action in hypercholesterolemic rats and improved oil red O staining of thoracic aorta has also supported the parameters investigated. Further, the molecular mechanism of cholesterol lowering potential of this drug is needed.

The Use of Medicinal Plants for the Treatment of Alopecia in the Canon of Avicenna: An Evidence-Based Review

Although mostly seen in the scalp, alopecia can occur in any hair- bearing site of the body. In spite of various modern treatments, total cost, efficacy, safety and drug dependency have caused a global willing towards natural remedies. The aim of this chapter is to focus on medicinal plants mentioned in Canon of Avicenna, one of the most primary medicinal books, for the treatment of alopecia. Databases like PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar were searched for plants mentioned in Canon for managing alopecia to find studies on their clinical efficacy or mechanisms, which may have attributed to the treatment of alopecia. 25 plants belonging to 16 families have been mentioned in Canon. Most of them have a history of use in ethno-medicine and some are used in hair growth products nowadays. Investigating literatures has shown that anti- inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties are the proposed mechanisms for the treatment of some types of alopecia. Islamic traditional medicine can give new insights for development of multiple natural treatment, which their use in human have been tested for thousands of years. By confirming their efficacy and safety, traditional herbal remedies are appropriate alternatives for chemicals mainly used for alopecia.

Immunosuppressive effects of the standardized extract of Phyllanthus amarus on cellular immune responses in Wistar-Kyoto rats

Phyllanthus amarus (family: Euphorbiaceae) is of immense interest due to its wide spectrum of biological activities. In the present study, the standardized 80% ethanol extract of P. amarus was investigated for its modulatory activity on various cellular immune parameters, including chemotaxis of neutrophils, engulfment of Escherichia coli by neutrophils, and Mac-1 expression, in leukocytes isolated from treated/nontreated Wistar-Kyoto rats. The detailed cell-mediated activity of P. amarus was also investigated, including analysis of the effects on T- and B-cell proliferation and CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell subsets in splenic mononuclear cells, and estimation of serum cytokine production by activated T-cells. The main components of the extract, phyllanthin, hypophyllanthin, corilagin, geraniin, ellagic acid, and gallic acid were identified and quantitatively analyzed in the extracts, using validated reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods. N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP)-induced neutrophils isolated from rats administered with the extract of P. amarus, at doses ranging from 100 to 400 mg/kg for 14 days, revealed a significant dose-dependent reduction in neutrophil migration (P<0.05). Similar patterns of inhibition were also observed in phagocytic activity and in fMLP-induced changes in expression of β2 integrin polymorphonuclear neutrophils. The results in P. amarus-treated rats also demonstrated a dose-dependent inhibition of both lipopolysaccharide-stimulated B-cell proliferation and concanavalin A-stimulated T-cell proliferation as compared with sensitized control. At a dose of 400 mg/kg (P<0.01), there was a significant decrease in the (%) expression of CD4(+) and CD8(+) in splenocytes and in serum cytokines of T helper (Th1) (IL-2 and IFN-γ) and Th2 (IL-4). In conclusion, P. amarus showed effective immunosuppressive activities in cellular immune response, by various immune regulatory mechanisms, and may be useful for improvement of immune-related disorders.

Tetrahydroamentoflavone (THA) from Semecarpus anacardium as a potent inhibitor of xanthine oxidase

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Seed of Semecarpus anacardium L. is widely used in Indian traditional medicine; Ayurveda and Sidha, for treatment of inflammatory disorders and gout.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The present study was aimed at isolation of a compound for its potential to inhibit xanthine oxidase (XO), over expression of which lead to inflammation and gout.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Activity guided fractionation of S. anacardium seed was conducted using liquid-liquid partition and preparative HPLC. The fractions were evaluated for their XO inhibition and antioxidant activity. The ethyl acetate fraction with the highest XO activity yielded a biflavonoid compound tetrahydroamentoflavone (THA). Lineweaver-Burk (LB) plot for the XO inhibition of THA and allopurinol was constructed from the kinetic data.

RESULTS

IC₅₀ values of THA and allopurinol for XO inhibition were 92 and 100 nM respectively and their corresponding values for K(i) were 0.982 and 0.612 μM respectively.

CONCLUSION

THA was a potent XO inhibitor which could be considered as a drug candidate or chemopreventive agent, after establishing its pharmacological and clinical evaluation. The study results appear to support the claim of the traditional medicine with respect to the efficacy of S. anacardium seed against inflammation and gout.

Semecarpus anacardium Linn.: A review

Semecarpus anacardium Linn. (Family: Anacardiaceae), commonly known 'Ballataka' or 'Bhilwa', has been used in various traditional system of medicines for various ailments since ancient times. Its nuts contain a variety of biologically active compounds such as biflavonoids, phenolic compounds, bhilawanols, minerals, vitamins and amino acids, which show various medicinal properties. The fruit and nut extract shows various activities like antiatherogenic, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-reproductive, CNS stimulant, hypoglycemic, anticarcinogenic and hair growth promoter. The article reviews the various activities of the plant.

Isolation and characterization of an anticancer catechol compound from Semecarpus anacardium

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The fruits and seeds of Semecarpus anacardium are used widely for the treatment of human cancers and other diseases in the Ayurvedic and Sidda systems of medicine in India.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The principal aim of this investigation was to isolate and characterize the anticancer compound from the kernel of Semecarpus anacardium nut.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The bioactivity-tailored isolation and detailed chemical characterization were used to identify the active compound. Cytotoxicity, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest as well as synergism between the identified anticancer compound and doxorubicin in human tumor cell lines were analyzed.

RESULTS

GC/MS, IR, proton NMR, carbon NMR and collisionally induced dissociation (CID) spectra analysis showed that the isolated active compound is 3-(8'(Z),11'(Z)-pentadecadienyl) catechol (SA-3C). SA-3C is cytotoxic to tumor cell lines with IC(50) values lower than doxorubicin and even multidrug resistant tumor cell lines were equally sensitive to SA-3C. SA-3C induced apoptosis in human leukemia cell lines in a dose-dependent manner and showed synergistic cytotoxicity with doxorubicin. The cell cycle arrest induced by SA-3C at S- and G(2)/M-phases correlated with inhibition of checkpoint kinases.

CONCLUSION

SA-3C isolated from the kernel of Semecarpus anacardium can be developed as an important anticancer agent for single agent and/or multiagent cancer therapy.

Inhibition of MAP kinases and down regulation of TNF-alpha, IL-beta and COX-2 genes by the crude extracts from marine bacteria

Crude ethyl acetate extracts from marine bacterial isolates Staphylococcus arlettae KP2 (GenBank accession No. EU594442) and Planococcus maritimus KP8 (GenBank accession No. EU594443) isolated from Andaman seas were studied for their anti-inflammatory effect by lymphocyte proliferation assay (LPA) employing peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The crude extracts from both the bacteria down regulated the synthesis of inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), besides markedly inhibiting p38 mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase. These results suggest that the crude ethyl acetate extracts from both the isolates do contain compounds capable of inhibiting inflammation in mitogen induced PBMC and efforts to score potential bioactive molecules from these extracts may prove to be a promising preposition.

Studies on the cell-immunosuppressive mechanism of Oridonin from Isodon serra

Distinct effects of Oridonin and Lasiodonin, which were extracted from Isodon serra was compared by the ratio of IC(50) versus EC(50), the therapeutic index. After choosing the more effective one, Oridonin, its immunosuppressive effect and mechanism were investigated using BALB/c mouse splenic lymphocytes both in vitro and in vivo. When murine splenic lymphocytes was incubated with Oridonin, the novel extract effectively suppress the overproduction of the cell stimulated by Concanavalin A in a dose and time-dependent manner. This inhibitive activity was mainly due to interfering DNA replication in G(1) stages and regulating cell cycle and minorly due to decreasing the CD4(+)/CD8(+) lymphocytes level, according to Flow cytometry analyses (FCAS) results. Xylene-induced mouse tumescence model result suggested that Oridonin depressed the murine ear-swelling extent and the level of Interleukin-2 in the blood serum of experimental animals. The exciting results of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) indicated that Oridonin could inhibit the secretion of Interleukin-2, Interferon-gamma, Interleukin-12p40 and Tumor necrosis factor-alpha in murine splenic lymphocytes. Moreover, the results of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed that the inhibition was through decreasing the expression level of these cytokines mRNA. Consequently, the results of our research showed that Oridonin suppressed overproduction of murine splenic lymphocytes through interference of DNA replication, regulation of cell cycle and inhibition of cytokine secretion both at protein and mRNA level.