Intervention of Ayurvedic drug Tinospora cordifolia attenuates the metabolic alterations in hypertriglyceridemia: a pilot clinical trial

Purpose

Hypertriglyceridemia (HG) is an independent risk factor with more prevalence than hypercholesterolemia and its attributes to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and pancreatitis. Hence, it becomes imperative to search for new triglyceride (TG) lowering agents. Tinospora cordifolia (TC) is a well-known Ayurvedic drug and a rich source of protoberberine alkaloids hence can contribute to TG lowering without side effects. Hence, to explore the therapeutic efficacy of T. cordifolia and its effects on biochemistry and metabolome in the patients of hyper-triglyceridemia, clinical trials were conducted.

Methods

Patients (n = 24) with hypertriglyceridemia were randomized into two groups to receive T. cordifolia extract (TCE) (3.0 g/per day) and metformin (850 mg/day) for 14 days having >300 mg/dl triglyceride level and cholesterol in the range of 130-230 mg/dl. Lipid profiles of blood samples were analyzed. Urine samples were subjected to HPLC-QTOF-MS to quantify oxidative damage and abnormal metabolic regulation.

Results

Intervention with TCE reduced the triglyceride, LDL, and VLDL levels to 380.45 ± 17.44, 133.25 ± 3.18, and 31.85 ± 5.88 mg/dL and increased the HDL to 47.50 ± 9.05 mg/dL significantly (p < 0.05) in the HG patients after 14 days treatment. TCE dosage potently suppressed the inflammatory and oxidative stress marker's i.e. levels of isoprostanes significantly (p < 0.01). Qualitative metabolomics approach i.e. PCA and PLS-DA showed significant alterations (p < 0.05) in the levels of 40 metabolites in the urine samples from different groups.

Conclusion

TCE administration depleted the levels of markers of HG i.e. VLDL, TG, and LDL significantly. Metabolomics studies established that the anti-HG activity of TCE was due to its antioxidative potential and modulation of the biopterin, butanoate, amino acid, and vitamin metabolism.

Clinical trials registry

India (CTRI) registration no. CTRI- 2016-08-007187.

Proteomics and functional study reveal marginal zone B and B1 cell specific protein as a candidate marker of multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell‑associated cancer and accounts for 13% of all hematological malignancies, worldwide. MM still remains an incurable plasma cell malignancy with a poor prognosis due to a lack of suitable markers. Therefore, discovering novel markers and targets for diagnosis and therapeutics of MM is essential. The present study aims to identify markers associated with MM malignancy using patient‑derived MM mononuclear cells (MNCs). Label‑free quantitative proteomics analysis revealed a total of 192 differentially regulated proteins, in which 79 proteins were upregulated and 113 proteins were found to be downregulated in MM MNCs as compared to non‑hematological malignant samples. The identified differentially expressed candidate proteins were analyzed using various bioinformatics tools, including Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA), Protein Analysis THrough Evolutionary Relationships (PANTHER), Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) and Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) to determine their biological context. Among the 192 candidate proteins, marginal zone B and B1 cell specific protein (MZB1) was investigated in detail using the RPMI-8226 cell line model of MM. The functional studies revealed that higher expression of MZB1 is associated with promoting the progression of MM pathogenesis and could be established as a potential target for MM in the future.

Gut microbiota: One of the new frontiers for elucidating fundamentals of Vipaka in Ayurveda

With the increasing resurgence of Ayurvedic medicine in recent years, a lot of focus is laid on pharmacokinetics of herbs in arresting disease pathology. Ayurveda has enlisted some fundamentals in relation to drug pharmacokinetics, namely Rasa (perception), Virya (potency), Vipaka (postdigestive effect), Guna (properties), and Prabhava (special effect). In recent years, research has emphasized the role of gut microbiota in human health and metabolic processes. A thorough review was done to understand the role of microbiota in drug metabolism if any. The holistic mechanism of gut microbiota coincides to some extent, with the doctrines of Ayurveda in the context of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. This discussion is a thought put forth with an aim to elucidate the concept of Vipakavis-a-vis gut microbiota functions.

Non-invasive Qualitative Urinary Metabolomic Profiling Discriminates Gut Microbiota Derived Metabolites in the Moderate and Chronic Alcoholic Cohorts

BACKGROUND

Excessive alcohol consumption damages the intestine and liver cells directly as well as through unbalancing the gut microbiota.

OBJECTIVE

The current study was undertaken to correlate the alcohol consumption and change in urinary metabolites profile linked with gut microbiota.

METHOD

Non-alcoholic (control) healthy (n=22) and moderate alcoholic (n=26) males with an average age of 39.3±1.83 years subjected to alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) were considered for study. First pass urine and blood samples were collected in the morning.

RESULTS

Liver function test showed the increased levels of γGT, AST and ALT to 40.3 ± 2.3, 53.3 ± 0.7, and 38.9 ± 0.5 U/L, respectively. Urine samples were processed and subjected to HPLC-Q-TOFMS analysis in positive and negative ion polarity modes. Mass data were processed to align and filter out insignificant entities and subjected to One-way ANOVA with Bonferroni multiple testing corrections analysis. The analysis provided list of 211gut microbes specific metabolites with p>0.05 and fold change >1.5. All metabolites were identified using standards and referring to METALIN library of standard metabolites. Further analyses showed that alcohol intake disturbed more than ten metabolic pathways. Tryptophan, tyrosine, branched chain amino acids and short-chain fatty acids metabolism were the significantly disturbed pathways in alcoholics.

CONCLUSION

Correlation of various metabolites with gut microbiota showed that chronic and moderate dose intake of alcohol decreased the level of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus Ruminococcus and Faecalibacterium spp. and increased the levels of Proteobacteria, Alcaligenes and Clostridium.

Plasma metabolomics reveal the correlation of metabolic pathways and Prakritis of humans

BACKGROUND

Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medicinal system, has categorized human body constitutions in three broad constitutional types (prakritis) i.e. Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

OBJECTIVES

Analysis of plasma metabolites and related pathways to classify Prakriti specific dominant marker metabolites and metabolic pathways.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

38 healthy male individuals were assessed for dominant Prakritis and their fasting blood samples were collected. The processed plasma samples were subjected to rapid resolution liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (RRLC-ESI-QTOFMS). Mass profiles were aligned and subjected to multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

Partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model showed 97.87% recognition capability. List of PLS-DA metabolites was subjected to permutative Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) correction and final list of 76 metabolites with p < 0.05 and fold-change > 2.0 was identified. Pathway analysis using metascape and JEPETTO plugins in Cytoscape revealed that steroidal hormone biosynthesis, amino acid, and arachidonic acid metabolism are major pathways varying with different constitution. Biological Go processes analysis showed that aromatic amino acids, sphingolipids, and pyrimidine nucleotides metabolic processes were dominant in kapha type of body constitution. Fat soluble vitamins, cellular amino acid, and androgen biosynthesis process along with branched chain amino acid and glycerolipid catabolic processes were dominant in pitta type individuals. Vata Prakriti was found to have dominant catecholamine, arachidonic acid and hydrogen peroxide metabolomics processes.

CONCLUSION

The neurotransmission and oxidative stress in vata, BCAA catabolic, androgen, xenobiotics metabolic processes in pitta, and aromatic amino acids, sphingolipid, and pyrimidine metabolic process in kapha Prakriti were the dominant marker pathways.

β-sitosterol in different parts of Saraca asoca and herbal drug ashokarista: Quali-quantitative analysis by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

β-sitosterol is an important component in food and herbal products and beneficial in hyperlipidemia. Its higher concentrations in serum may lead to coronary artery disease in case of sitosterolemia. Therefore, it is essential to determine the quantity of β-sitosterol in food and herbal drugs. Saraca asoca and its preparations have been widely used by traditional healers are also a source of β-sitosterol. In the present study, quantitative estimation of β-sitosterol present in hot and cold water extracts of bark, regenerated bark, leaves and flowers of the S. asoca and Ashokarista drugs were carried out first time using high performance liquid chromatography coupled (HPLC) with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Different concentrations of β-sitosterol and crude extracts were estimated by HPLC and targeted mass spectrometry. Standard curve for β-sitosterol was prepared from the intensities of transitions (397.50 → 147.0987 m/z) having regression coefficient (r (2)) 0.9952. Out of eight extracts and two drugs used in the study bark water, leaves water and leaves hot water extracts were found to have a considerable quantity of β-sitosterol, i.e. 170, 123.5 and 19.3 ng/mL, respectively. The results showed significant differences in the distribution of β-sitosterol among different organs of S. asoca and drugs prepared from its bark. HPLC/electrospray ionizationmass spectroscopy method is accurate, reproducible and requires less specimen, sample preparation and analysis time over HPLC assay. This type of approaches could be helpful for the quality control of herbal medicines and provides necessary information for the rational utilization of plant resources.

Quantitative analysis of catechins in Saraca asoca and correlation with antimicrobial activity

Herbal medicines are highly complex and have unknown mechanisms in diseases treatment. Saraca asoca (Roxb.), De. Wild has been recommended to treat gynecological disorders and used in several commercial polyherbal formulations. In present study, efforts have been made to explore antimicrobial activity and its co-relation with the distributions of catechins in the organs of S. asoca using targeted MS/MS. Eight extracts (cold and hot water) from four different organs of S. asoca and two drugs were prepared and antimicrobial activity was assessed by microbroth dilution assay. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of catechins in crude extracts was done by using targeted and auto-MS/MS and correlated with antimicrobial activity. (+)-Catechin and (+)-epicatechin and their biosynthesis related compound were found to be up-regulated in regenerated bark and leaves extracts. (−)-Epigallocatechin was found to be significantly higher in bark water extract as compared to others but showed low antimicrobial activity. Result showed down-regulation of (−)-epigallocatechin and up-regulation of (+)-catechin and (+)-epicatechin in the regenerated bark and leaves of S. asoca. It might be the contributing factor in the antimicrobial activity of regenerated bark and leaves of the plant. The concentration of (+)-epicatechin in processed drugs (Ashokarishta) from Baidyanath was found to be seven times higher than that of Dabur Pvt. Ltd., but no antimicrobial activity was observed, indicating the variations among the plant based drugs. This will be helpful in rational use of S. asoca parts. Furthermore, the analytical method developed is sensitive, repeatable and reliable; therefore, it is suitable for quality control of herbal drugs.