Coscinium Fenestratum Research Articles

Antidiabetic activity of alcoholic stem extract of Coscinium fenestratum in streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced type 2 diabetic rats

The antidiabetic potential of the alcoholic stem extract of Coscinium fenestratum Colebr. (Menispermaceae), a medicinal plant widely used in the traditional Ayurveda and Siddha systems of medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus was evaluated in the STZ-nicotinamide induced type 2 diabetic model. Graded doses of the alcoholic stem extract were administered to normal and experimental diabetic rats for 12 days. Significant ( p < 0.05) reduction in fasting blood glucose levels were observed in the normal as well as in the treated diabetic animals. Serum insulin levels were not stimulated in the animals treated with the extract. In addition, changes in body weight, serum lipid profiles, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance levels, glycosylated hemoglobin and liver glycogen levels assessed in the extract treated diabetic rats were compared with diabetic control and normal animals. Significant results were observed in the estimated parameters, thereby justifying the use of the plant in the indigenous system of medicine.

Antihyperglycemic Activity of the Aqueous Stem Extract of Coscinium fenestratum. in Non–insulin Dependent Diabetic Rats

The antihyperglycemic potential of the aqueous stem extract of Coscinium fenestratum. Colebr. (Menispermaceae), a medicinal plant widely used in traditional Ayurveda and Siddha systems of medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, was evaluated in the streptozotocin-nicotinamide–induced type 2 diabetic model. Graded doses of the aqueous stem extract were administered to normal and experimental diabetic rats for 12 days. In extract-treated diabetic rats, an insulin-independent action with significant reduction in blood glucose, serum triglyceride, and cholesterol levels was observed. In addition, other parameters like change in body weight, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance levels, glycosylated hemoglobin and liver glycogen levels, assessed in the extract-treated diabetic rats, were compared with diabetic control and normal animals. Significant results were observed in the above parameters thereby justifying the use of the plant in the indigenous system of medicine.

Alcoholic stem extract of Coscinium fenestratum regulates carbohydrate metabolism and improves antioxidant status in streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced diabetic rats.

Alcoholic extract of the stems of Coscinium fenestratum, a medicinal plant indigenous to India and Sri Lanka used in ayurveda and siddha medicine for treating diabetes, was studied for its carbohydrate metabolism effect and antioxidant status in streptozotocin–nicotinamide induced type 2 diabetic rats. Oral administration of C. fenestratum stem extract in graded doses caused a significant increase in enzymatic antioxidants such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione synthetase, peroxidase, and glutathione peroxidase and in the nonenzymatic antioxidants ascorbic acid, ceruloplasmin and tocopherol. Effects of alcoholic extract on glycolytic enzymes such as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase and hexokinase showed a significant increase in their levels, whereas a significant decrease was observed in the levels of gluconeogenic enzyme, glucose-6-phosphatase and alanine aminotransferase in treated diabetic rats. Serum creatinine and urea levels also declined significantly. This investigation demonstrates significant antidiabetic activity of C. fenestratum.

In vitro antiplasmodial activity of antimalarial medicinal plants used in Vietnamese traditional medicine

Among 42 extracts, prepared from 14 medicinal plants used in Vietnamese traditional medicine to treat malaria, 24 were found to have antiplasmodial activity by inhibiting the growth of the chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain FCR-3 with EC 50 values less than 10 μg/ml. Each medicinal plant possessed at least one active extract. The methanol extract of Coscinium fenestratum had the strongest antiplasmodial activity with EC 50 value of 0.5 μg/ml. Activity-guided fractionation led to identification of berberine as the major active constituent.

Antiproliferative activity of Vietnamese medicinal plants.

Methanol, methanol-water (1:1) and water extracts were prepared from seventy-seven Vietnamese medicinal plants and tested for their antiproliferative activities against human HT-1080 fibrosarcoma cells. Among them, fifteen extracts including seven methanol extracts of Caesalpinia sappan, Catharanthus roseus, Coscinium fenestratum, Eurycoma longifolia, Hydnophytum formicarum and Streptocaulon juventas (collected at two areas), six methanol-water (1:1) extracts of Cae. sappan, Cat. roseus, Co. fenestratum, H. formicarum and S. juventas (at two areas), and two water extracts of Cae. sappan and S. juventas exhibited antiproliferative activities in a concentration-dependent manner. Their antiproliferative activities against human cervix HeLa adenocarcinoma, human lung A549 adenocarcinoma, murine colon 26-L5 carcinoma, murine Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) and murine B16-BL6 melanoma cells were then examined. Co. fenestratum showed selective activity against lung carcinoma and/or lung metastatic cell lines, A549, LLC and B16-BL6, while H. formicarum and S. juventas showed selective activity against human tumor cell lines, HeLa and A549. Characteristic morphological change and DNA fragmentation indicated the antiproliferative activity to be due to the induction of apoptosis.

Partial purification and modulation of tetrahydroberberine oxidase from Coscinium fenestratum

Tetrahydroberberine oxidase, the enzyme involved in the final step of berberine biosynthesis, was partially purified from the plant tissue and cell cultures of Coscinium fenestratum (wood turmeric). Its kinetics and effects of certain modulators such as metallic ions, co-factors and chelators were studied. The kinetic studies indicated that the K m value of the enzyme is 1 × 10 −6 M. Among the different modulators studied, only CuSO 4 showed enhancement in the enzyme activity. THB oxidase activity was shown to be higher in ‘production medium’ optimised for berberine production when compared to that in the growth medium. Supplementation of copper sulphate in the production medium also showed increased activity of the enzyme along with increase in berberine production compared to that of the control.

Berberine synthesis by callus and cell suspension cultures of Coscinium fenestratum

Callus and cell suspension cultures of Coscinium fenestratum were established from sterile petiole segments on Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium, supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) and benzyl amino purine (BAP). The cells in the culture produced berberine as the major compound. NAA stimulated the product synthesis over 2,4-D. Presence of light inhibited the growth and enhanced the berberine synthesis.

Protoberberine alkaloids from Coscinium fenestratum

Stems of Coscinium fenestratum from Thailand furnished the new protoberberine alkaloids oxypalmatine, (−)-8- oxotetrahydrothalifendine, (−)-8-oxoisocorypalmine and either (−)-8-oxothaicanine or (−)-8-oxo-3-hydroxy-2,4, 9,10-tetramethoxyberbine in addition to berberine, the major alkaloid and (−)-8-oxocanadine.

Hypotensive action of a Coscinium fenestratum stem extract

A 50% ethanol extract of Coscinium fenestratum stem material (AECF) has been found to possess hypotensive action in anaesthetised dogs, rats and guinea pigs in a dose-related pattern. The fall in blood pressure was not modified by alpha and beta adrenergic blockers, cholinergic and histaminergic antagonists or by ganglion blocking agents. The effect was more pronounced in spinal-transected animals. AECF non-specifically inhibited the presser responses to epinephrine, norepinephrine, DMPP and depressor responses to acetylcholine and histamine. AECF failed to exhibit any hypotension when administered via cannula into the lateral cerebral ventricle. Given orally to mice, AECF did not exhibit grossly observable central nervous effects up to doses of 800 mg/kg. The oral LD 50 was estimated to be 1200 mg/kg in mice.

Studies on Indonesian Medicinal Plants

The stem and root of Coscinium fenestratum (Gaertn.) Colebr. (Menispermaceae), collected on South Kalimantan, Indonesia, contain as major alkaloids berberine and jatrorrhizine. Appreciable amounts of berberrubine and NjN-dimethyllindcarpine and small amounts of thalifendine and palmatine are also present. Stem and root contain the same pattern of alkaloids.

Chemical Examination of the Stems of Coscinium fenestratum, Coleb. Part. I

Chemical Examination of the Stems of Coscinium fenestratum, Coleb. Part. I