Methanol-Extract/Fractions of Dacryodes edulis Leaves Ameliorate Hyperglycemia and Associated Oxidative Stress in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Wistar Rats

Exploring the Antidiabetic Potential of Salvia officinalis Using Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking and ADME/Drug-Likeness Predictions

A combination of network pharmacology, molecular docking and ADME/drug-likeness predictions was employed to explore the potential of Salvia officinalis compounds to interact with key targets involved in the pathogenesis of T2DM. These were predicted using the SwissTargetPrediction, Similarity Ensemble Approach and BindingDB databases. Networks were constructed using the STRING online tool and Cytoscape (v.3.9.1) software. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways analysis and molecular docking were performed using DAVID, SHINEGO 0.77 and MOE suite, respectively. ADME/drug-likeness parameters were computed using SwissADME and Molsoft L.L.C. The top-ranking targets were CTNNB1, JUN, ESR1, RELA, NR3C1, CREB1, PPARG, PTGS2, CYP3A4, MMP9, UGT2B7, CYP2C19, SLCO1B1, AR, CYP19A1, PARP1, CYP1A2, CYP1B1, HSD17B1, and GSK3B. Apigenin, caffeic acid, oleanolic acid, rosmarinic acid, hispidulin, and salvianolic acid B showed the highest degree of connections in the compound-target network. Gene enrichment analysis identified pathways involved in insulin resistance, adherens junctions, metabolic processes, IL-17, TNF-α, cAMP, relaxin, and AGE-RAGE in diabetic complications. Rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, and salvianolic acid B showed the most promising interactions with PTGS2, DPP4, AMY1A, PTB1B, PPARG, GSK3B and RELA. Overall, this study enhances understanding of the antidiabetic activity of S. officinalis and provides further insights for future drug discovery purposes.

Virtual screening, ADME prediction, drug-likeness, and molecular docking analysis of Fagonia indica chemical constituents against antidiabetic targets

Fagonia indica from Zygophyllaceae family is a medicinal specie with significant antidiabetic potential. The present study aimed to investigate the in vitro antidiabetic activity of Fagonia indica crude extract followed by an in silico screening of its phytoconstituents. For this purpose, crude extract of Fagonia indica was prepared and divided in three different parts, i.e., n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanolic fraction. Based on in vitro outcomes, the phytochemical substances of Fagonia indica were virtually screened through a literature survey and a screening library of compounds (1-13) was prepared. The clinical potential of these novel drug candidates was assessed by applying an ADME screening profile. Findings of SwissADME indicators (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion) for the compounds (1-13) presented relatively optimal physicochemical characteristics, drug-likeness, and medicinal chemistry. The antidiabetic action of these leading drug candidates was optimized through molecular docking analysis against 3 different human pancreatic α-amylase macromolecular targets with (PDB ID 1B2Y), (PDB ID 3BAJ), and (PDB ID: 3OLI) by applying Virtual Docker (Molegro MVD). Metformin was taken as a reference standard for the sake of comparison. In vitro antidiabetic evaluation gave good results with promising α-amylase inhibitory action in the form of IC50 values, as for n-hexane extract = 206.3 µM, ethyl acetate = 41.64 µM, and methanolic extract = 9.61 µM. According to in silico outcomes, all 13 phytoconstituents possess the best binding affinity with successful MolDock scores ranging from - 97.2003 to - 65.6877 kcal/mol and show a great number of binding interactions than native drug metformin. Therefore, the current work concluded that the diabetic inhibition prospective of extract and the compounds of Fagonia indica may contribute to being investigated as a new class of antidiabetic drug or drug-like candidate for further studies.

Melatonin and probiotic administration ameliorated hyperglycaemia, oxidative stress, and enhanced cytoprotective effect on beta-cells of diabetic rats

Objective

The study aimed at investigating the effects of administering melatonin and a probiotic to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats on hyperglycaemia, oxidative stress biomarkers and beta-cells.

Design

Type 1 diabetes was induced in 5 months-old male Wistar rats by single intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of freshly-prepared STZ (60 mg/kg body weight). Six groups of 10 rats were used and treated once daily for six weeks; (1) Healthy control: normal saline only; (2) Pre-treated with Melatonin (MEL); (3) Diabetic control; (4) Diabetic + Treated with MEL; (5) Diabetic + Treated with Probiotic (Prob); (6) Diabetic + Treated with MEL + Prob. Blood glucose, body weight, activities of antioxidant enzymes and malondialdehyde concentration in serum and tissues, reduced glutathione and immunohistochemical assay. Data obtained were expressed as mean ± standard error of the mean (Mean ± SEM) and subjected to ANOVA followed by Tukey's post hoc test.

Results

Melatonin + Probiotic significantly decreased blood glucose concentrations in diabetic treated rats, compared to the diabetic control rats. MEL + Probiotic increased (p < 0.05) superoxide dismutase activity in serum and liver of diabetic rats. MEL + Probiotic reduced (p < 0.05) malondialdehyde concentration in the serum, liver and kidneys, respectively. MEL + Probiotic treated diabetic rats displayed islets with much greater content of insulin.

Conclusion

Melatonin + Probiotic combination was more effective in mitigating hyperglycaemia, oxidative stress, and exerted cytoprotective effect on the beta-cells.

Explicit mechanistic insights of Prosopis juliflora extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats at the molecular level

Background

The Ancient system of medicine showed the limelight on the use of herbal remedies and was found to possess minimal side effects and acceptable therapeutic outcomes. In this context, Prosopis juliflora gained importance in managing chronic diseases such as cancer, dermatological diseases, and chronic inflammatory disorders. Hence, P. juliflora was selected for further investigation associated with diabetes and inflammation.

Aim

The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-diabetic activity in chemically induced experimental rats and explore the nature of phytocomponents that may produce this activity.

Methods

Experimentally, diabetes was induced by a single administration of streptozotocin at 50 mg/kg intraperitoneally in Wistar rats. The animals were treated orally with P. juliflora at low and high doses (200 and 400 mg/kg) for 10 days. Blood collected from the retro-orbital plexus was analyzed for parameters like blood glucose levels, insulin, adiponectin, Keap1 and Nrf2. PPAR-γ, AMPK and GLUT 2 levels were analyzed in the pancreatic tissue. Besides, at the end of the experiment, animals were sacrificed, and the pancreatic tissue sections were subjected for histopathological, morphometrical and immune histochemical exploration. The phytochemical composition of the plant was investigated by GC-MS.

Results

The administration of P. juliflora higher dose showed a significant decrease (**p< 0.001) in blood glucose levels with a rise in adiponectin, PPARγ, Keap1, Nrf2, Glut 2, and AMPK significantly (**p< 0.001). The inflammatory cytokine TNFα was also estimated and was found to be lowered significantly (**p< 0.001) in test drug-treated animals. Furthermore, in the pancreatic tissue, the number of Islets, the area, and the number of β-cells were improved significantly with the sub-chronic treatment of P. juliflora extract. The structure and function of β-cells were also revamped.

Conclusion

The study results demonstrated a significant effect of P. juliflora on glycemic status, inflammatory condition, and the architecture of pancreatic tissue. In the identification and isolation process by GC MS, it was noticed that P. juliflora contained few phytochemical constituents from which it might be considered a promising drug for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The Genus Dacryodes Vahl.: Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry and Biological Activities

Dacryodes Vahl. species, belonging to the Burseraceae family, are widely used in traditional medicine in tropical regions to treat a range of ailments including malaria, wounds, tonsillitis, and ringworms. This review discusses the distribution, ethnobotanical uses, phytochemistry, and bioactivities of Dacryodes species. The intent is to spur future research into isolating and identifying key active principles, secondary metabolites, and crude extracts, and evaluating their pharmacological and toxicological effects, as well as the mechanism of actions to understand their medicinal benefits. A systematic review of scientific electronic databases from 1963 to 2022 including Scifinder, Scopus, Pubmed, Springer Link, ResearchGate, Ethnobotany Research and Applications, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect was conducted with a focus on Dacryodes edulis (G.Don) H.J. Lam and Dacryodes rostrata (Blume) H.J. Lam. Pharmacological data revealed that D. edulis isolates contain secondary metabolites and other phytochemical groups belonging to the terpenoids class with anti-microbial, anticancer, antidiabetic, antiinflammatory and hepatoprotective activities, highlighting its pharmacological potential in the therapy or management of diverse cancers, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. Thus, phytochemicals and standardized extracts from D. edulis could offer safer and cost-effective chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic health benefits/regimen, or as alternative therapeutic remedy for several human diseases. Nevertheless, the therapeutic potential of most of the plants in the genus have not been exhaustively explored with regard to phytochemistry and pharmacology, but mostly complementary approaches lacking rigorous, scientific research-based knowledge. Therefore, the therapeutic potentials of the Dacryodes genus remain largely untapped, and comprehensive research is necessary to fully harness their medicinal properties.

Exploring in Vitro Antioxidant Activity and Physicochemical Properties of Selected Under-Exploited Tropical Fruits

Dacryodes edulis (DE), Dalium guineensis (DG), Spondias mombin (SM) and Irvingia gabonensis (IG) as notable underexploited tropical wild fruits in Nigeria, were evaluated for quality characteristics, phenolic contents and in-vitro antioxidant activity. pH of the fruits ranked thus DE > IG > DG > SM and the reverse order was true for acidity. IG exhibited highest obrix, vitamin C and total sugar content. DE had no detectable reducing sugar compared to 18.84% in IG. Total phenol and flavonoid contents followed the same pattern with DG as the highest (1796.89 ± 71.1 and 860.64 ± 3.7 mg/100g) and IG as the lowest (454.23 ± 13.9 and 304.98 ± 7.5 mg/100g), respectively. Regarding antioxidant activities, SM was significant for ABTS•, DE and IG were similar in FRAP assay, while all the fruits were effective DPPH• radical scavengers. Generally, the fruits demonstrate high food application potentials with possible health benefits if consumed adequately.

Effect of feed supplementation of Dacryodes edulis parts' powder as prebiotic on the growth traits, ceca microbiota and blood parameters of local chickens

This study aimed at testing the efficacy and safety of Dacryodes edulis plant parts in diets fed to chicken. The plant has potential for use as a natural prebiotic to substitute the conventionally used antibiotic growth promoters in poultry production. Phytochemical analyses of the plant leaves, stem, and bark combination (stembark) and seed powders from the D. edulis were carried out. The powder from the three D. edulis plant parts were used as supplement in formulating six experimental diets tested in this study. The diets were TL_0Ed (0.5% leaves powder), TL_1Ed (1.0% leaves powder), TB_0Ed (0.5% stembark powder), TB_1Ed (1.0% stembark powder), TS_0Ed (0.5% seeds powder), and TS_1Ed (1.0% seeds powder). Besides, a positive (T₊ positive control; 0.5-g oxytetracycline as recommended by the manufacturer) and a negative (T_- negative control; having no commercial antibiotic and no plant supplement) diets were prepared for comparison purposes. The diets were fed to a total of 288 dual-purpose chicken for a period of 14 weeks. The chicken growth and body composition characteristics, blood chemistry, and microbiota count were collected and used as indicators of the plant parts efficacy and safety. The analysis of the D. edulis plant parts significantly differed (P ≤ 0.05) in their phytochemical contents. The initial body weight and feed conversion efficiency ratios were not significantly different (P ≥ 0.05) between and among treatment groups. However, significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) were detected in the feed intake and body weight gain at eighth week. Live weight at eighth week was significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) with its values ranging between 503.32 and 614.93 g for treatments TL_1Ed and T_Neg-, respectively. The dietary treatment of D. edulis leaves, stembark, and seed powder at the two inclusion levels significantly (P ≤ 0.05) decreased the colonies forming unit of Escherichia coli and Salmonella sp. as compared with negative control treatment in the eighth week phase. The level of glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase, and the packed cell volume did not differ significantly (P ≥ 0.05) between and among dietary D. edulis treatments. The findings from this research provide crucial information on the efficacy and safety of D. edulis plant parts. This is an important step in testing the potential of the plant in use as a prebiotic in chicken feeds production.

Toxicological study of aqueous-methanol solvent fraction of methanol extract of Dacryodes edulis leaves

Dacryodes edulis (G. Don) H.J. Lam) is the most popular species under the genus Dacryodes. It is well known for its nutritional and ethno-medicinal uses in South-eastern and South-western Nigeria. This study was aimed to evaluate the toxicity of the aqueous-methanol fraction of crude methanol extract of Dacryodes edulis leaves (AMDE). The test rats were randomized to groups of single oral treatment of AMDE (10-5000 mg/kgbw) for the acute toxicity study. They were monitored for obvious signs of behavioural change and mortality. For the subacute toxicity study, the rats were randomized to three daily treatment groups (of 200, 400 and 600 mg/kgbw of AMDE) for 28 days. The fourth group (control) received 2.5 %v/v DMSO. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected for hematology and clinical chemistry evaluation. The histopathology of the livers and kidneys were assessed using the excised organs. The cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of AMDE were also evaluated using Allium cepa model. The result showed that acute administration of AMDE, up to a dose of 5000 mg/kgbw did not result in mortality of the test rats. The observed median lethal dose (LD50) was greater than 5000 mg/kgbw. The subacute oral administration of AMDE for 28 days showed no significant (p > 0.05) effect on liver function, kidney function indices, organ - body weight ratio, but significantly (p < 0.05) decreased erythrocytic indices: red blood cells, haematocrit, and haemoglobin at 600 mg/kgbw. The Allium cepa assay revealed a non-significant reduction in mitotic index and low chromosomal aberrations of the treated groups. In conclusion, the aqueous-methanol solvent fraction of methanol extract of Dacryodes edulis leaves, AMDE is relatively safe. However, there are strong indications that it may contain compounds that are cytotoxic and reduces erythrocytic indices including red blood cells at high doses. Thus, adequate care should be taken in dosing and administering the extract to avert anaemic condition.