Hepatoprotective effects of Calotropis gigantea extract against carbon tetrachloride induced liver injury in rats

Medicinal plants with hepatoprotective potentials against carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity: a review

Background

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a well-characterized hepatotoxic agent. With rising cases of liver diseases, the identification, assessment, and development of hepatoprotective agents from plants source has become imperative.

Main body

With arrays of literature on plants with hepatoprotective potentials, this review sourced published literatures between 1998 and 2020 and systematically highlighted about 92 medicinal plants that have been reported to protect against CCl4-induced liver injury in animal models. The results show that herbal plants provide protection for the liver against CCl4 by downregulation of the liver marker enzymes and activation of antioxidant capacity of the liver cells with the restoration of liver architecture. We also provided the traditional and accompanying pharmacological uses of the plants. A variety of phytochemicals mostly flavonoids and polyphenols compounds were suggested to offer protection against liver injuries.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that there are a variety of phytochemicals in plant products with hepatoprotective activity against CCl4-induced toxicity in animal models.

Phytochemical Analysis, Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activity of Calotropis procera and Calotropis gigantea

Background:

Medicinal plants are having immense potential to cure various health ailments and used as drugs and remedies for the treatment of various diseases since civilization. Medicinal property of these plants lies in their secondary metabolites which covered various classes like phenols, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, etc. Besides this, these secondary metabolites serve as a prototype to synthesize the new synthetic drugs. </P><P> Objective: The present study was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of leaves extracts of Calotropis procera and Calotropis gigantea and characterization of their bioactive metabolites by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS).

Methods:

Methanol, petroleum ether and water were used for the extract preparation using cold percolation method. Antibacterial activity was assessed by agar well diffusion assay. The antioxidant activity of both the plants of Calotropis species was carried out by using different assay. Phytochemical analysis was carried out by using FTIR spectroscopy and GC-MS analysis.

Results:

Methanol extract of both the plants was found to possess highest antioxidant potential in comparison to other extracts. Methanol extract of C. gigantea and aqueous extract of C. procera showed the maximum antibacterial activity against the tested bacterial strains. FTIR analysis of plants extracts indicates the presence of phenolic compounds, alkanes, carboxylic acids, aldehydes, aliphatic and aromatic amines, allene, sulfoxides, phenyl ester nitrocompounds and imines. GC-MS analysis of C. procera aqueous extract showed the presence of R-limonene, mannosamine, tridecane, 1-bromo-, 2-propenoic acid, tridecyl ester, pentatriacontane and 1-hexacosene as major phytochemicals. C. gigantea methanol extract indicated the presence of hentriacontane, eicosane, 3,3- dimethylnonadecane, pentacosane, 1-hexacosene, pentatriacontane and clocortolone as major phytochemicals.

Conclusion:

This study provides a systematic base for isolation of the novel bioactive phytochemicals from the Calotropis plant species and to evaluate their efficacy especially for antioxidant and antibacterial activities.

Effect of anhydrosophoradiol-3-acetate of Calotropis gigantea (Linn.) flower as antitumoric agent against Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma in mice

BACKGROUND

Over 60% of currently used anti-cancer agents are derived in one-way or another from natural sources, including plants, marine organisms and microorganisms. Calotropis gigantea (Linn.) (Family: Asclepiadaceae) is a perennial shrub and it is used as a traditional folk medicine for the treatment of various health complications. But there is no report on isolation of anticancerous chemicals from the flower of Calotropis gigantea. The objective of the present study is to explore the antitumor effect of anhydrosophoradiol-3-acetate (A3A), isolated from the flower of Calotropis gigantea (Linn.) against Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma (EAC) in Swiss albino mice.

METHODS

Antitumoric effect of A3A was assessed by evaluating viable tumor cell count, survival time, body weight gain due to tumor burden, hematological and biochemical (glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, blood urea, SALP, SGPT and SGOT) parameters of EAC bearing host at doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg body weight.

RESULTS

Treatment with A3A decreased the viable tumor cells and body weight gain thereby increasing the life span of EAC bearing mice. A3A also brought back the altered hematological (Hb, total RBC and total WBC) and biochemical parameters more or less to normal level.

CONCLUSION

Results of this study conclude that in vivo the A3A was effective in inhibiting the growth of EAC with improving in cancer induced complications.

Calotropis gigantiea (L.) R. Br (Apocynaceae): a phytochemical and pharmacological review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Calotropis gigantiea (L.) R. Br (Apocynaceae) commonly called as "crown flower" or "giant milk weed" is a well-known weed to many cultures for treating various disorders related to central nervous system, skin diseases, digestive system, respiratory system, reproductive system etc. Indigenous groups made the plant as a part of their lives since they use the fruit fibre to make ropes, household items, for weaving clothes and flowers for garlands apart from usage for various indications. The study aims at far-reaching review on phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, ethnopharmacology, intellectual property transfer on pharmacological therapies, toxicity which aids to provide scientific evidence for the ethnobotanical claims and to identify gaps required to be conducted as a future research prerequisite.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic literature search was performed using different databases such as Scopus, Science direct, PubMed and Sciverse with no timeline limit set during the search. All the available abstracts and full text articles were included in the systematic review.

RESULTS

Most of the folkloric uses were validated by the scientific studies such as analgesic, anti-arthritic, anti-asthmatic, anti-bacterial, anti-convulsant, anti-pyretic, central nervous system disorders, contraceptive, anti-ulcer and wound healing. In addition other studies such as anti-diabetic, anti-diarrhoeal, anti-helminthic, anti-histamine, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, cardio-protective studies, cytotoxicity, hepatoprotectivity, fibrinolytic, mosquitocidal, nerve muscle activity, vasodilation and skeletal muscle activities were also reported for the plant. Isolated compounds such as calotropin, frugoside and 4'-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl frugoside were tested for the cytotoxicity efficacy against both human and rat cell lines out of which calotropin showed potent activity (IC50-15 ng/ml). However there were no clinical trials reported on the plant which is one of the major lacunas.

CONCLUSIONS

This review article explores the ethnopharmacological, pharmacological activities phytochemistry and intellectual rights of Cg which gives the evidence of a potent and commercial drug which up on further research leads to the most viable drug for variety of treatments. However there is further need for in-vivo studies and clinical trials on isolated phytoconstituents which will help to commercialise.

Insights from the predicted interactions of plant derived compounds to the gluco-corticoid receptor as an alternative to dexa-methasone

Dexamethasone (DEX) an anti-inflamatory 9-fluoro-glucocorticoid, activates the cytosolic glucocorticoid receptor (GR) binding to its Ligand Binding Domain (LBD). The GR-ligand complex then translocates to the nucleus and binds to the Glucocorticoid Response Element (GRE) resulting up-regulation of target gene expression of anti-inflamatory proteins. DEX is one of the most effective ligand for GR activation but comply to side effects. Therefore, alternative for DEX - plant metabolites of Calotropis sp and Swertia chirata were screened using docking appraoch. These plants compounds were selected because; parts of these plants are widely used againsts inflamation, allergy, asthma etc. Three metabolites of Swertia chirata namely Gentianine (GENT), Xanthone (XANT) and Swerchirin (SWER) are found to be occupying the same binding pocket in the LBD of the GR (PDB ID 1M2Z). The binding affinity as reflected by binding energies of GENT-1M2Z, XANT-1M2Z and SWER-1M2Z are -5.6, -6.7 and -6.7, and all the output parameter of the respective compounds positively correlates with that of DEX-1M2Z with r = 0.9, 0.6 and 0.6 respectively indicating similar GR activation function. Visualization analysis of the models clearly indicates that GENT and SWER may be GR activators. Rest of the compounds mostly docked onto the surface of the receptor molecule.

Evaluation of antitumour activity of Calotropis gigantea L. root bark against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma in Swiss albino mice

OBJECTIVE

To investigate experimentally the possible antitumor effect of methanol extract (ME) of Calotropis gigantea L. (C. gigantean) root bark and its petroleum ether (PEF) and chloroform (CF) soluble fractions against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) in Swiss albino mice.

METHODS

The effects of ME (10 and 20 mg/kg), PEF (40 and 80 mg/kg) and CF (20 and 40 mg/kg) on the growth of EAC and life span of EAC bearing mice were studied. Hematological profile and biochemical parameters (SALP, SGPT and SGOT) were also estimated.

RESULTS

Results of in vivo study showed a significant decrease in viable tumor cell count and a significant increase of life span in the ME and CF treated group compared to untreated one. The life span of ME and CF treated animals was significantly (P<0.05) increased by 43.90% (20 mg ME/kg) and 57.07% (40 mg CF/kg). ME and CF brought back the hematological parameter more or less normal level. ME and CF also restored the altered levels of serum alkaline phosphatase (SALP) and serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT).

CONCLUSIONS

Methanol extract (ME) of C. gigantea root bark and its chloroform soluble fraction (CF) possesses significant antitumor activity.

Hypoglycemic Effect of Calotropis gigantea Linn. Leaves and Flowers in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the hypoglycemic and anti-diabetic activity of chloroform extract of Calotropis gigantea leaves and flowers in normal rats and streptozotocin induced diabetes.

METHODS

The hypoglycemic activity in normal rats was carried out by treatment using chloroform extract of Calotropis gigantea leaf and flower 10, 20 and 50 mg/kg, orally. The oral glucose tolerance test was carried out by administering glucose (2 g/kg, p.o), to non-diabetic rats treated with leaf and flowers extracts at oral doses 10, 20 and 50 mg/kg, p.o and glibenclamide 10 mg/kg. The serum glucose was then measured at 0, 1.5, 3 and 5 hr after administration of extracts/drug. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were administered the same doses of leaf and flower extracts, and standard drugs glibenclamide was given to the normal rats or 0.5 ml of 5% Tween-80, for 27 days. The blood sample from all groups collected by retro-orbital puncture on 7, 14, 21 and 27th days after administration of the extracts/drug and used for the estimation of serum glucose levels using the glucose kit.

RESULTS

The Calotropis gigantea leaves and flowers extracts were effective in lowering serum glucose levels in normal rats. Improvement in oral glucose tolerance was also registered by treatment with Calotropis gigantean. The administration of leaf and flower extracts to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats showed a significant reduction in serum glucose levels.

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that chloroform extracts of Calotropis gigantea leaves and flowers have significant anti-diabetic activity.

Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Calotropis gigantea on Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Swarnabhasma, an Ayurvedic preparation containing Calotropis gigantea R. Br. (Asclepiadaceae) is extensively used by Ayurvedic physicians for treatment of diabetes mellitus, bronchial asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and nervous disorders. In the present study, we report the effect of chloroform extracts of Calotropis gigantea leaf and flower on free radical scavenging activity, and lipid profile in streptozotozin-induced diabetic rats. The lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase, and catalase were measured in liver homogenate and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, lipid profile were measured in blood serum. Administration of single dose of streptozotozin (55 mg/kg, i.p.) caused significant increases in lipid peroxidation, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while superoxide dismutase and catalase levels were significantly decreased. Further, administration of chloroform extracts of Calotropis gigantea leaf and flower to streptozotocin-induced diabetes rats at a dose of 10, 20 and 50 mg/kg orally for 27 d lead to a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Consequently, superoxide dismutase and catalase levels were significantly increased. Glibenclamide was used as a positive control (10 mg/kg). It was observed that the effect of chloroform extracts of Calotropis gigantea on alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol, superoxide dismutase, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, levels are comparable to that of those produced by the positive control.

Effect of Cuscuta reflexa stem and Calotropis procera leaf extracts on glucose tolerance in glucose-induced hyperglycemic rats and mice

Cuscuta reflexa (whole plant) and Calotropis procera (leaves) are used in folk medicine of Bangladesh to control blood sugar in patients suffering from diabetes mellitus. The hypoglycemic effects of methanol and chloroform extracts of whole plants of Cuscuta reflexa, and methanol extract of leaves of Calotropis procera were investigated in oral glucose tolerance tests in Long Evans rats and Swiss albino mice, respectively. Both methanol and chloroform extracts of Cuscuta reflexa whole plant demonstrated significant oral hypoglycemic activity in glucose-loaded rats at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight. The methanol extract of leaves of Calotropis procera, when tested at doses of 100 and 250 mg/kg body weight did not demonstrate any oral hypoglycemic effect when tested in glucose-loaded mice.