Phytochemical and pharmacological evaluation of methanolic extract of Lathyrus sativus L. seeds

The mitochondrial uncoupler 2,4-dinitrophenol modulates inflammatory and oxidative responses in Trypanosoma cruzi-induced acute myocarditis in mice

By uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation, 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) attenuates reactive oxygen species (ROS) biosynthesis, which are known to aggravate infectious myocarditis in Chagas disease. Thus, the impact of DNP-based chemotherapy on Trypanosoma cruzi-induced acute myocarditis was investigated. C56BL/6 mice uninfected and infected untreated and treated daily with 100 mg/kg benznidazole (Bz, reference drug), 5 and 10 mg/kg DNP by gavage for 11 days after confirmation of T. cruzi infection were investigated. Twenty-four hours ​after the last treatment, the animals were euthanized and the heart was collected for microstructural, immunological and biochemical analyses. T. cruzi inoculation induced systemic inflammation (e.g., cytokines and anti-T. cruzi IgG upregulation), cardiac infection (T. cruzi DNA), oxidative stress, inflammatory infiltrate and microstructural myocardial damage in untreated mice. DNP treatment aggravated heart infection and microstructural damage, which were markedly attenuated by Bz. DNP (10 mg/kg) was also effective in attenuating ROS (total ROS, H2O2, and O2-), nitric oxide (NO), lipid (malondialdehyde - MDA) and protein (protein carbonyl - PCn) oxidation, TNF, IFN-γ, IL-10, and MCP-1/CCL2, anti-T. cruzi IgG, cardiac troponin I levels, as well as inflammatory infiltrate and cardiac damage in T. cruzi-infected mice. Our findings indicate that DNP aggravated heart infection and microstructural cardiomyocytes damage in infected mice. These responses were related to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of DNP, which favors infection by weakening the pro-oxidant and pro-inflammatory protective mechanisms of the infected host. Conversely, Bz-induced cardioprotective effects combined effective anti-inflammatory and antiparasitic responses, which protect against heart infection, oxidative stress, and microstructural damage in Chagas disease.

Phytochemical and pharmacological activities of methanol extract of Artemisia vulgaris L. leaves

Background

Artemisia vulgaris commonly known as “mugwort” is a very important medicinal plant which is used widely for the treatment of various ailments traditionally. The present studies aimed to conduct preliminary phytochemical screening and evaluate antioxidants and analgesic activities of leaves extract.

Results

Phytochemical screening showed the presence of saponins, glycosides, flavanoids, protein, triterpenoids in leaves extract. In DPPH, percentage inhibition of the scavenging activity (68.06%) by the extract in comparison with ascorbic acid (93.53%) at 60 μg/ml while in reducing power assay, the result shown the reducing power increases with the increase of concentration as (0.13 ± 0.02), (0.27 ± 0.03), (0.42 ± 0.03), (0.62 ± 0.05), (0.79 ± 0.02), (0.95 ± 0.05) at concentration of 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 and 100 μg/ml respectively. The evaluation of analgesic activities revealed that at the dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg of the extract showed significantly inhibited the writhing response induced by acetic acid by 8.60% and 32.03% comparatively with indomethacin at a dose of 10 mg/kg b. wt. exhibited 56.87% inhibition. Whereas, in the tail immersion methods, at the dose of 400 mg/kg b. wt. was showed higher deflexion value as 3.40 ± 0.300, while 200 mg/kg b. wt. was resulted at 2.90 ± 0.200 value in dose dependent manner at the maximum time of the studies (60 min). Comparatively, the reference drug indomethacin at dose 10 mg/kg b. wt. has shown the highest deflexion value (5.134 ± 0.351).

Conclusion

This finding concludes that the methanolic leaves extract has a potent antioxidants and analgesic activities and it could be attributed to the presence of flavonoids, triterpenoids, saponin, glycosides and proteins. A further study is required to find out the novel bioactive compound of Artemisia vulgaris L. which can lead more effective in various biological activities.