Potential Role of Borreria hispida in Ameliorating Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Protective effect of rutin isolated from Spermococe hispida against cobalt chloride-induced hypoxic injury in H9c2 cells by inhibiting oxidative stress and inducing apoptosis

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular disease and its related deaths are increasing in the modern world. Therefore, there is a need to identify a plant based nutraceutical supplement with potent activity.

HYPOTHESIS/PURPOSE

Reportedly, the protective effect of the rutin in hypoxia-induced cardiomyocytes is due to the activation of molecular networks related to programmed cell death.

STUDY DESIGN-METHODS

Phytochemical methods and advanced analytical methods were employed to isolate natural products from Spermococe hispida their effects in cardiomyocyets.

RESULTS

We reports herein that CoCl₂-induced hypoxic condition significantly decreased cell viability as evidenced by MTT assay and cell cycle analysis. Western blot studies revealed an up-regulation of HIF-1α, BAX and caspase and down-regulation of BCl-2 expression, followed by modulation of Akt, p-Akt, p38 and p-p38. The oxidative abnormalities were ameliorated by rutin pretreatment, as deduced by the reduced CoCl₂-induced cytotoxicity, MDA concentration and LDH activity and the enhanced levels of GSH and SOD in a dose-dependent manner. Rutin protects H9c2 cells from CoCl₂-induced hypoxic damage by mitigating oxidative stress and preserving cell viability by modulating the antiapoptotic proteins.

CONCLUSION

The overall findings reinforce the cardioprotective action of rutin, a potential source of antioxidant of natural origin, which may help in mitigating the progress of oxidative stress in hypoxic conditions such as myocardial infarction and stroke.

Steroidal Saponin Diosgenin from Dioscorea bulbifera Protects Cardiac Cells from Hypoxia-reoxygenation Injury Through Modulation of Pro-survival and Pro-death Molecules

Background:

Diosgenin, a steroidal saponin from plants, exhibits many biological potentials. Herein, the cardioprotective role of diosgenin is studied.

Materials and Methods:

The effect of diosgenin, isolated from Dioscorea bulbifera, was studied on hypoxia-reoxygenation (HR) in H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells. The amount of diosgenin in the plant extract was analyzed by high-performance thin layer chromatography using a solvent system comprising of chloroform:methanol:acetic acid:formic acid (13:4.5:1.5:1). Cardioprotection was checked by (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Further, the release of lactate dehydrogenase, an enzyme released during cell death was checked. The proteins responsible for cell death (Bax) and cell survival (Bcl-2, hemeoxygenase-1 and Akt) were analyzed using Western blot to check the cardioprotective role of diosgenin.

Conclusion:

Supplementation of diosgenin mitigates HR injury, thereby exhibiting cardioprotective potential.

SUMMARY

The cardioprotective effect of Diosgenin was evidenced from the improved cell survival after hypoxia-reoxygenation injury demonstrated through MTT cell survival assay.

The release of lactate dehydrogenase, an enzyme released during cell death was decreased by Diosgenin.

Diosgenin upregulated the pro-survival molecules like B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), heme oxygenase-1 and the phosphorylation of ATK (at serine 473); and at the same time pro-.death molecules like Bax was downregulated.

Thus, Diosgenin as a plant based steroidal saponin is confirmed to mitigate ischemic reperfusion injury.

Spectroscopy investigation on chemo-catalytic, free radical scavenging and bactericidal properties of biogenic silver nanoparticles synthesized using Salicornia brachiata aqueous extract

Nanosized silver have been widely used in many applications, such as catalysis, photonics, sensors, medicine etc. Thus, there is an increasing need to develop high-yield, low cost, non-toxic and eco-friendly procedures for the synthesis of nanoparticles. Herein, we report an efficient, green synthesis of silver nanoparticles utilizing the aqueous extract of Salicornia brachiata, a tropical plant of the Chenopodiaceae family. Silver nanoparticles have been characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The morphology of the particles formed consists of highly diversified shapes like spherical, rod-like, prism, triangular, pentagonal and hexagonal pattern. However, addition of sodium hydroxide to the extract produces mostly spherical particles. The stable nanoparticles obtained using this green method show remarkable catalytic activity in the reduction of 4-nitro phenol to 4-amino phenol. The reduction catalyzed by silver nanoparticles followed the first-order kinetics, with a rate constant of, 0.6×10(-2) s(-1). The bactericidal activity of the synthesized silver nanoparticles against the pathogenic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus aureus E, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli, was also explored using REMA. The obtained results showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration required to induce bactericidal effect is lower than the control antibiotic, ciprofloxacin. In addition to these, the biogenic synthesized nanoparticles also exhibited excellent free radical scavenging activity.

Borreria and Spermacoce species (Rubiaceae): A review of their ethnomedicinal properties, chemical constituents, and biological activities

Borreira and Spermacoce are genera of Rubiaceae widespread in tropical and subtropical America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Based on its fruits morphology they are considered by many authors to be distinct genera and most others, however, prefer to combine the two taxa under the generic name Spermacoce. Whereas the discussion is still unclear, in this work they were considered as synonyms. Some species of these genera play an important role in traditional medicine in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. Some of these uses include the treatment of malaria, diarrheal and other digestive problems, skin diseases, fever, hemorrhage, urinary and respiratory infections, headache, inflammation of eye, and gums. To date, more than 60 compounds have been reported from Borreria and Spermacoce species including alkaloids, iridoids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and other compounds. Studies have confirmed that extracts from Borreria and Spermacoce species as well as their isolated compounds possess diverse biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antimicrobial, larvicidal, antioxidant, gastrointestinal, anti-ulcer, and hepatoprotective, with alkaloids and iridoids as the major active principles. This paper briefly reviews the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, and biological activities of some isolated compounds and extracts of both genera.

Protective role of air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) of yam family in myocardial ischemic reperfusion injury

Hydroalcoholic extract of Dioscorea bulbifera (DB), a yam variety called air potato, was tested for its protective effect on myocardial ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats due to apoptosis and necrosis. Myocardial I/R injury was induced by 30 min ischemia followed by 2 h reperfusion by perfusing isolated rat hearts with Krebs Henseilet bicarbonate (KHB) buffer in a Langendorff set up. Pretreatment of DB (150 mg kg(-1) body weight) for 30 days significantly reduced myocardial infarct size and improved the ventricular function (aortic flow and coronary flow, LVDP, LVmax dp/dt). Role of DB on apoptosis was also evaluated by determining caspase 3 as well as by examining pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins Bax and Bcl2 by Western blot analysis followed by TUNEL assay. DB also prevented I/R-mediated down regulation of survival protein Akt and HO-1. Our results indicated that Dioscorea bulbifera could ameliorate myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury by improving ventricular function and inhibition of cardiomyocyte necrosis and apoptosis.