Pterocarpus Marsupium Research Articles

A preliminary host toxicity study of Pterocarpus marsupium on lymphocytes isolated from cord blood

A preliminary host toxicity study of <i>Pterocarpus marsupium</i> on lymphocytes isolated from cord blood

Effect of Pterocarpus marsupium in animal model of high carbohydrate diet-induced metabolic syndrome

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a group of interconnected disorder linked to obesity, insulin resistance hypertension, and dyslipidemia. It is a risk factor for the development of Type II diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Thus, there is a need to search for therapeutic options for the treatment of MS. Aims and Objective: The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of Pterocarpus marsupium (Bijasar) in animal model of high carbohydrate diet-induced MS. Materials and Methods: Adult male Wistar rats were divided into three groups. All the animals were given 20% sucrose in drinking water ad libitum for 8 weeks for the induction of MS along with the following treatment. Group I (Control): Distilled water; Group II (PM group): Aqueous extract of P. marsupium (200 mg/kg/day); and Group III (Standard treatment): Metformin 100 mg/kg/day + Atorvastatin 10 mg/kg/day. Body weight, abdominal circumference (AC), blood glucose, and serum triglycerides were evaluated at the end of 4 weeks and 8 weeks. Results: The aqueous extract of P. marsupium at a dose of 200 mg/dl caused a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in the body weight, AC, blood sugar and serum triglyceride levels when compared to the control group. Similar results were seen in the standard treatment group. Conclusion: PM was effective in the treatment of major components of MS in rat model of high carbohydrate diet‑induced MS.

A Novel Potential Reproductive Effects of Pterocarpus marsupium Methanolic Extract on Testosterone Propionate Induced Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in Female Albino Rats.

To investigate potential reproductive effects of Pterocarpus marsupium methanolic extract on testosterone propionate induced Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) in female albino rats. PCOS was induced in female albino rats by daily injecting testosterone propionate for 15 days intraperitoneally. Animals are divided into five groups with six rats per group. Group 1: Control group received olive oil, Group 2: Testosterone propionate+natural recovery, Group 3: Testosterone propionate + a dose of clomiphene citrate (standard), Group 4 and 5: Testosterone propionate + low dose (200mg/kg) and high dose (400mg/kg) b.w respectively for 15 days. Various biochemical and histopathological investigations were assessed. Methanol extract of Pterocarpus marsupium was able to exert its protective effect successfully by restoring all the parameters to normal and diminishing the cysts found in ovaries. Pterocarpus marsupium showed potential reproductive effects on testosterone propionate induced PCOS female albino rats and could be used as an alternative therapy in the treatment of PCOS.

3′-Hydroxypterostilbene Suppresses Colitis-Associated Tumorigenesis by Inhibition of IL-6/STAT3 Signaling in Mice

3'-Hydroxypterostilbene (trans-3,5-dimethoxy-3',4'-hydroxystilbene) presents in Sphaerophysa salsula, Pterocarpus marsupium, and honey bee propolis and has been reported to exhibit several biological activities. Herein, we aimed to explore the chemopreventive effects of dietary 3'-hydroxypterostilbene and underlying molecular mechanisms on colitis-associated cancer using the azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) model. 3'-Hydroxypterostilbene administration effectively ameliorated the colon shortening and number of tumors in AOM/DSS-treated mice (3.2 ± 1.2 of the high-dose treatment versus 13.8 ± 5.3 of the AOM/DSS group, p < 0.05). Molecular analysis exhibited the anti-inflammatory activity of 3'-hydroxypterostilbene by a significant decrease in the levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (p < 0.05). Moreover, dietary 3'-hydroxypterostilbene also significantly diminished IL-6/signal transducer and activator of transcription signaling and restored colonic suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 levels in the colonic tissue of mice (p < 0.05). Collectively, these results demonstrated for the first time the in vivo chemopreventive efficacy and molecular mechanisms of dietary 3'-hydroxypterostilbene against colitis-associated colonic tumorigenesis.

Molecular Action of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Hyperglycemic Rats: Effect of Different Concentrations of Pterocarpus marsupiums Extract

ABSTRACTPterocarpus marsupium (Roxb.) (family Fabaceae) is widely used as a traditional medicine to treat various diseases, including diabetes. However, the molecular mechanism of Pterocarpus marsupium has not been investigated. Two fractions (2.5% and 5%) of extract from the medicinal plant Pterocarpus marsupium (PME) were administered in a dose-dependent manner in rats with streptozotocin-induced (45 mg/kg body weight) type 2 diabetes. Each fraction of PME was administered intragastrically at a dose of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight for 45 days. The effective dose 200 mg/kg body weight of 5% fraction was more pronounced in reducing the levels of blood glucose (95.65 mg/dL) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (0.41 mg/g Hb) and increasing the plasma insulin (16.20 µU/mL) level. The altered activities of the key enzymes of lipid metabolism along with the lipid profile in diabetic rats were significantly reverted to near normal levels by the administration of PME 5% 200 mg/kg body weight fraction. PME (200 mg/kg body weight) has the ability to reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) Interleukin-6 (IL-6) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), as well as protein expression and apoptotic marker, such as caspase-3 enzyme, in diabetic hepatic tissue. Biochemical findings were also supported by histological studies, such as improvement in pancreas and liver. Pterocarpus marsupium could effectively reduce the inflammation and hyperglycemic condition in diabetic rats; hence, it could be a useful tool in the management of diabetes.

Comparative screening of in-vitro free radical scavenging, anti-inflammatory and anti-haemolytic activities from non-polar solvent extracts of &lt;em&gt;Pterocarpus marsupium&lt;/em&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Pterocarpus marsupium&lt;/em&gt; is widely used as ‘Rasayana’ in ayurvedic system for curing several medical ailments. In view of this, petroleum ether and chloroform extracts of &lt;em&gt;Pterocarpus marsupium&lt;/em&gt; bark was scrutinized to unfold free radical scavenging by measuring their capability for scavenging DPPH radical, ABTS, phosphomolybdenum assay as well as reducing power capacity assessment and anti- inflammatory activity by inhibition of protein denaturation. Additionally, RBC’S were also used to explore the potentiality of &lt;em&gt;Pterocarpus marsupium &lt;/em&gt;different extracts to shield RBC in oxidative stress condition. Chloroform extract showed an effective pharmacological activity in all assays when compared with petroleum ether extract and their respective standards. This reveals the use of &lt;em&gt;Pterocarpus marsupium &lt;/em&gt;as a potent source of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-haemolytic agent and would provide an ample opportunity for further investigation. Isolation of active compounds from this plant responsible for producing such bioactivities is under process.&lt;/p&gt;

Hypoglycaemic effect of Pterocarpus marsupium

The application of modern nanomedicines to enhance wound healing is growing due to their simplicity for topical organization and fast flexibility with molecules that can boost and reinforce the process of healing even in patients with diabetes. The point of the present investigation was to synthesize effective Pterocarpus marsupium heartwood extract/chitosan nanoparticles (PM-CNPs) loaded hydrogel (PM-CNPsH) and evaluate its drug release efficiency, in-vitro anti-microbial activity and wound healing action in streptozotocin administered diabetic rat models. The prepared PM-CNPs further utilized for the preparation of various carbopol hydrogel formulations. Hence, prepared hydrogels are characterized for pH, morphology, consistency, and spreadability; thus, PM-CNPsH-1 is found to be the optimized formulation. In-vivo rats treated with PM-CNPsH-1 displayed significantly much quicker healing of wounds in diabetic and non-diabetic rats. The histological examination revealed re-epithelization and growth of granular tissue and an improvement in collagen deposition. These results indicate the effectiveness of optimized nanocomposites as a potential treatment for curing diabetic wounds.

Improvement of Blood Rheology by Extract of Asana, Pterocarpus marsupium -Suppression of Platelet Aggregation Activity and Pterostilbene, as a Main Stilbene in the Extract

The decoction from a tumbler made of heartwood of the Indian kino tree (Asana, Pterocarpus marsupium, PM) was a remedy for diabetes mellitus in Ayurveda. Diabetes mellitus is a one of the lifestyle-related diseases that finally leads to the induction of fatal diseases such as arterial sclerosis and cerebral infarction. In this study, effects on blood fluidity was investigated using extract obtained from the heartwood of PM. Oral administration of the extract reduced passage time of the blood obtained from disseminated intravascular coagulation model rats. In addition, the extract inhibited the reduction of platelets, which suggests that this attributed to the inhibition of platelet aggregation. The extract also demonstrated suppressive effects on both collagen- and arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation. Moreover, the extract showed inhibition against cyclooxygenase. The active principle was determined to be pterostilbene by collagen-induced platelet aggregation inhibitory activity-guided purification. Pterostilbene is a derivative of resveratrol, which is known to be in red wine and to possess beneficial effects for prevention of life-style related diseases. Pterostilbene exhibited 56 and 57% inhibition on both collagen- and arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation at 20 μM, respectively. These results demonstrate that the extract of PM heartwood may be a promising candidate as a multifunctional agent for treating lifestyle-related diseases.

NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY: A POTENTIAL NEW MEAN OF ASSESSING MULTICOMPONENT POLYHERBAL FORMULATION ON WAY BEFORE AND AFTER EXTRACTION

Objective:Traditional polyherbal medicine and their preparations have been widely used for the thousands of years in developing and developed countries owing to its natural origin and lesser side effects or dissatisfaction with the results of synthetic drugs. To establish a real time sustainable identification system of polyherbal powder and extract in favor of near infrared-spectroscopy &amp; powder microscopy. To apply the multivariate chemometrics technique PCA, HCA for discrimination both class of multicomponent polyherbal powder and extract by the fundamental attribution of integrity and fuzziness.  Materials and Method:The authenticated individual herbal, polyherbal pulverized powders &amp; the dry extracts were sifted through eighty meshes. The samples were subjected to NIR spectral detection from 750 to 2500 nm at the interval of 1 nm. The powder microscopy of polyherbal powder, for identification was carried out by following routine procedure. Results:Original NIR spectra of polyherbal formulation containing heart-leaved moonseed, Indian Kino, Indian Liac, Ram's horn, Fenugreek, black berry powder and extract showed characteristic hydroxyl hump peaking at about 2200 nm by naked eye. Discrimination of different sample class was also possible through the first order derivative transformation in context relative intensity of NIR sensitive registered generic CH, OH and NH functional group on some wavelength region. The principal component analysis is able to differentiate among samples as a function on PC scores.Conclusion: Chemometric method PCA and HCA is established as a reference library which significantly influences real time quality monitoring of uncontrolled natural variation plant kingdom. NIR analysis is useful because a sample may be rapidly tested without destroying its integrity.

Identification of molecular pathways affected by treatment with heartwood water extract of Pterocarpus marsupium in MCF 7 cancer cell line

The heartwood of Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. has a history of traditional use in Ayurveda and traditional systems of medicines for the management of conditions such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia. The present study was conducted to identify the molecular pathways affected by a Heartwood Water Extract of P. marsupium (HWE). The effects of HWE on glucose uptake, as well as anti-oxidant and cytotoxic potential were studied in C2C12 and MCF-7 cell lines. An MCF-7 cell line synthesizing cholesterol and cholic acid, which generally occurs in liver cells, was treated with HWE and used to explicate the affected pathways through metabolomics.The study showed that treatment with HWE (100μg/mL) significantly increased antioxidant enzyme activity and increased glucose uptake activity by >3.0 fold (P<0.05). Treatment of MCF-7 cells with HWE (10mg/mL), also showed statistically significant apoptotic effects, with 78.2±2.4% (P<0.01) apoptotic cells at 24h. Metabolomics showed 36 metabolites to be differentially expressed to a significant degree after treatment with HWE. Amongst these, cholesterol synthesis intermediates, cholic acid derivatives, coenzyme A and sphingolipids were down-regulated (≥2 fold; P<0.05) in the HWE treated cell line. Histamine and carotene were found to be up-regulated by >2 fold. Nine pathways were found to be differentially regulated by HWE treatment, and cholic acid and sphingolipid pathways were identified as the primary targets of HWE.Decreased synthesis of cholic acid derivatives leads to less buffering and reduced absorption of lipids. The data suggests that reduced coenzyme A and increased histamine levels activated H+/K+ ATPase and that the resultant increase in energy consumption led the cells to apoptosis. The results also indicate that HWE regulates lipid and glucose homeostasis and suggest that HWE has a multi-faceted potential in the amelioration of hyperlipidemia and diabetes, as well as potential applications in cancer treatment.

ISOLATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND PREDICTION OF BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF TWO NEW FATTY ESTERS AND A PHENOL FROM THE HEARTWOOD OF PTEROCARPUS MARSUPIUM ROXB.

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective: &lt;/strong&gt;The current investigation involves the isolation, characterization and prediction of biological activity spectra of the phytoconstituents from the ethanolic extract of the heartwood of &lt;em&gt;Pterocarpus marsupium&lt;/em&gt; roxb. (Fabaceae).&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;The heartwood (3 kg) was extracted in alcohol by cold maceration for 21 d and the compounds were isolated by column chromatography. The compounds thus isolated were characterised and their structures were elucidated by using assorted spectral data analysis, i.e., infrared radiation spectroscopy (IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;HNMR), carbon thirteen nuclear magnetic resonance (&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C NMR) and direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS). PASS (prediction of activity spectra for substances) computer program was used to predict the biological activity spectra of the isolated compounds.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Phytochemical investigation of ethanolic extract of the heartwood of &lt;em&gt;Pterocarpus marsupium&lt;/em&gt; led to isolate two fatty esters and a phenolic compound characterised as &lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt;-octanyl &lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt;-octadeca-9,12-dienoate (&lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt;-octanyl linoleiate, 1), &lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt;-dodecanyl &lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt;-octadeca-9,12-dienoate (&lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt;-dodecanyl linoleiate, 2) and 2, 3-dioxymethylene phenol (3). These phytoconstituents are reported for first time in the heartwood of &lt;em&gt;Pterocarpus marsupium &lt;/em&gt;Roxb. The &lt;em&gt;in silico&lt;/em&gt; profiling of these phytoconstituents exhibited their broad spectra of biological activity. Compounds (1) and (2) showed their maximum activity as All-trans-retinyl-palmitate hydrolase inhibitor, anti eczematic, lipid metabolism regulator, etc. and compound (3) was found to be active as membrane integrity agonist, aspulvinone dimethylallyl transferases inhibitor, carminative, neurotransmitter uptake inhibitor, etc.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;These isolated phytoconstituents can be used as the marker compounds to establish the identity, quality and purity of the drug. The results of PASS prediction shall be very useful for establishing these phytoconstituents as active pharmacological moieties.&lt;/p&gt;

Potential Investigation of In Vitro Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Haemolytic Activities from Polar Solvent Extracts of Pterocarpus marsupium

Pterocarpus marsupium is a well known plant in ayurvedic system of medicine. The plant has been found to possess diverse number of biological activities and is thus commercially exploited. In the present study, methanol and aqueous extracts of P.marsupium bark were used to evaluate in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-haemolytic activities. In vitro antioxidant activity was carried out by DPPH, ABTS, phosphomolybdenum, reducing power assays, anti- inflammatory activity by inhibition of protein denaturation and anti-haemolytic by hyposaline induced haemolysis. Total phenolic and flavonoid content was also estimated. Methanol extract showed an effective pharmacological activity in all assays when compared with their respective standards. The maximum phenolic and flavonoid contents were found to be (280 ±0.47mg/g) and (620±0.81mg/g) respectively in methanol extract of Pterocarpus marsupium. This study indicates the presence of active constituents which can be exploited for the treatment of various diseases and also could be used in pharmaceutical industry.

Green Synthesis and Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles Using Pterocarpus marsupium and Assessment of its In vitro Antidiabetic Activity

Objective: Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from aqueous extract of Pterocarpus marsupium bark and wood and its characterization. As well as in vitro anti diabetic study was carried out. Method: Synthesis of Pterocarpus marsupium silver nanoparticles was done by drop wise addition of 1 mM silver nitrate to Pterocarpus marsupium bark and wood extract. Characterization of synthesized nanoparticles was carried out by visual examination, UV- Visible absorption spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, Poly dispersity index and Zeta value. In vitro anti diabetic study for the synthesised silver nanoparticles was carried out by α- amylase inhibition assay. Results: The synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Pterocarpus marsupium extract was eco-friendly and cost effective. Aqueous extract of Pterocarpus marsupium bark and wood extract were mixed with the aqueous solution of silver nitrate. The colour of the solution changes from yellow to brown colour due to the surface Plasmon resonance which is the primary confirmation for the formation of silver nanoparticles. The surface Plasmon band in the silver nanoparticles was found to be 431 nm. The FTIR study concluded that hydroxyl and carboxyl groups act as reducing and stabilizing agent and phenolic group function as capping agent. Average particle size was found to be 148.5 nm. It’s polydispersity index was 0.336 and zeta potential was measured and found to be -28 mV with the peak area of 100% intensity. This indicates that formed nanoparticles were stable. The in vitro anti diabetic study confirms that Pterocarpus marsupium is having anti diabetic activity Conclusion: Pterocarpus marsupium silver nanoparticles are found to be effective for anti-diabetic activity. The study found without using any chemical reagent as stabilizing agent the silver nanoparticles are stable. Hence this cost effective and eco-friendly method is highly promising for future.

Vegetational Analysis Of Medicinal Plants Of Bharatpur Block, Dist-koria (Chhattisgarh) India

The State of Chhattisgarh has about 44% of its geographical Area Covered with forests. The Koria district in Chhattisgarh lies between 22058’ to 23049’ North latitudes and 810 33’ to 82045’ East longitude. The average rainfall is 121.36 cm. The forest area is 81.23% of Total dist. area. The annual mean temperature is 240C. The temperature varies between 16.20C to 310C. Geologically the area is dominated by upper Gondwana rocks. Which are rich in coal deposit. The highest mountain ranges of the region occupy the northern part of the district. The district Koria has a very rich flora exhibiting diversity specially of medicinal plants. There is no comprehensive description of the flora of the district is available . The district has a tribal population using enormous range of plants for their basic needs, sustenance and livelihood.“Keeping these points in view” the Present paper deals with diversity of the medicinal plants of the district and their ecological status. Vegetational analysis of Bharatpur block revealed some interesting observations on phytosociological characters enumerate medicinal plants belonging to Bharatpur block enumerate 80 medicinal plants were recorded. the common plant species showing maximum frequency were Tribulus terrestris (90%), Vicia sativa (80%) and Jatropha curcas, Cleome gynandra and Blumea lacera (70%). At this block, Woodfordia fruticosa, Xanthium strumarium and Pergularia extensa were showing maximum frequency of 80%, 70% and 60% respectively. Woodfordia fruticosa showed high density also. Triumfetta rhomboidea showed maximum density and abundance but Bacopa monnieri and Vanda roxburghii showed maximum abundance.It was abstracted that Bacopa monnieri, Costus speciosus, Curculigo orchioides, Curcuma amada and Embelia robusta were the rare species. They exhibited only 20% frequency. Leea macrophylla was also very rare having only 10% frequency and only density of 1. Curculigo orchioides and Pterocarpus marsupium were among the less abundant species at this site.

Phytochemical screening and study of antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of extracts from stem wood of Pterocarpus marsupium Roxburgh.

The main aims of the study were to evaluate the phytochemical constituents and to study the antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities of extracts from stem wood of Pterocarpus marsupium. Ethanol, acetone and isopropyl alcohol (IPA) (1:1) extracts of stem wood of P. marsupium were subjected to phytochemical screening and analysis of biological activities from August 2015 to January 2016. The antioxidant assay was carried out using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging method, antimicrobial activity testing by cup diffusion method, antidiabetic test evaluation by oral glucose tolerance test in mice, anti-inflammatory effect was evaluated by hind paw edema method in mice and analgesic test evaluation by a chemical writhing method in mice. The results of the study revealed that P. marsupium is a source of various phytoconstituents such as alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, tannins, proteins, carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, and terpenoids. Both the acetone and IPA extract as well as the ethanol extract of stem wood of P. marsupium exhibited a dose-dependent antioxidant activity. Acetone and IPA extract showed antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, while the ethanolic extract was found to possess antidiabetic activity. The antidiabetic activity of the extract was found to be time and dose-dependent. Similarly, the acetone and IPA extract was found to have anti-inflammatory activity, which was also time and dose-dependent. Furthermore, the ethanolic extract showed analgesic activity, which was dose-dependent. The ethanolic extract was found to be nontoxic. Thus, this study laid sufficient background for the further research on extracts from stem wood of P. marsupium for identification, subsequent purification and isolation of compounds having antibacterial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities.

Evaluation of effect of alcoholic extract of heartwood of Pterocarpus marsupium on in vitro antioxidant, anti-glycation, sorbitol accumulation and inhibition of aldose reductase activity

Rising popularity of phytomedicines in various diseased conditions have strengthened the significance of plant-research and evaluation of phytoextracts in clinical manifestations. Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb., a medicinal plant, known for its anti-oxidant and anti-diabetic activity is a rich source of phytochemicals with antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic activities. However, its possible role in diabetic complications is not evaluated yet. The present study explores the possible role of alcoholic extract of heartwood of P. marsupium in the treatment of long-term diabetic complications. The alcoholic extract of P. marsupium was evaluated for advanced glycation-end-products formation, erythrocyte sorbitol accumulation and rat kidney aldose reductase enzyme inhibition at the concentration of 25–400 μg/ml using in-vitro bioassays. Also the phytoextract at the concentration of 10–320 μg/ml was evaluated for its antioxidant potential by in-vitro antioxidant assays which includes, determination of total phenol content; reducing power assay; nitric oxide scavenging activity; superoxide radical scavenging activity; total antioxidant capacity; total flavonoid content; DPPH scavenging activity; and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity.The alcoholic extract of P. marsupium across varying concentrations showed inhibitory effect as evident by IC50 on advanced glycation-end-products formation (55.39 μg/ml), sorbitol accumulation (151.00 μg/ml) and rat kidney aldose reductase (195.88 μg/ml). The phytoextract also exhibited high phenolic and flavonoid contents with promising antioxidant potential against the antioxidant assays evaluated. The present investigation suggests that the phytoextract showed prominent antioxidant, antiglycation property and, inhibited accumulation of sorbitol and ALR enzyme, thus promising a beneficial role in reducing/delaying diabetic complications.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF KARELA COMPARED WITH VIJAYASAR IN THE MANAGEMENT OF MADHUMEHA

Vijayasar (Pterocarpus marsupium) has been mentioned in Charak Samhita, as a remedy for Madhumeha (Diabetes Mellitus). A study conducted by ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) revealed that the hypoglycemic effects of Vijayasar are comparable to that of tolbutamide. Karela (Mormordica charantia) is another herb used in Madhumeha and it is a routinely used vegetable in Nepal. In this study we measured the effectiveness of Karela in patients of Madhumeha and compared with that of Vijayasar. A total of sixty four patients diagnosed with Madhumeha (Fasting Blood Glucose ≥126mg/dl or Post Prandial Blood Glucose≥200mg/dl) were given either Karela or Vijayasar powder two times a day for one month, along with dietary and lifestyle advices and their blood glucose levels were measured before initiating treatment and after one month of treatment. Changes in the subjective complaints of Madhumeha like Prabhutamutrata, Avilmutrata, etc. and appearance of adverse events were also evaluated. Randomization of treatment was done and dosage was titrated on the basis of glycemic control and duration of Madhumeha. The mean reductions in fasting blood glucose and post prandial blood glucose in Karela treated group are 60.83 mg/dl and 79.74 mg/dl respectively and that in Vijayasar treated. Karela is a safe and effective medicine in the management of Madhumeha and it is as effective as Vijayasar.

COMPARISON OF THE EFFECT OF PTEROCARPUS MARSUPIUM WITH PIOGLITAZONE IN DEXAMETHASONE-INDUCED INSULIN RESISTANCE

&lt;p&gt;ABSTRACT&lt;br /&gt;Objective: This study was undertaken to evaluate the preventive effect of heartwood of P. marsupium in dexamethasone-induced hyperinsulinemia&lt;br /&gt;and hyperglycemia and compare it with that of pioglitazone.&lt;br /&gt;Methods: Male albino wistar rats were divided into five groups (n=6). Plain control group received gum acacia (2%) orally from d 1 to d 12. Dexa&lt;br /&gt;control group received gum acacia (2%) orally for d 1 to d 12 and Dexa (8 mg/kg) intraperitoneal (i.p.) from d 7 to d 12, during the study period.&lt;br /&gt;Two test groups received ethanolic extract of Pterocarpus marsupium heartwood (PME) (1 and 2 g/kg/) per oral (PO), and standard control group&lt;br /&gt;received pioglitazone (60 mg/kg/PO) from d 1 to d 12. During the 12-d study period, the two test groups and standard control group received Dexa&lt;br /&gt;(8 mg/kg/i.p.) from d 7 to d 12. On last day of the study, the blood samples were collected by retro-orbital sinus punctureand used for estimation of&lt;br /&gt;serum insulin and glucose levels. Homeostatic Model Assessment (HOMA) method was employed to calculate the degree of insulin resistance(IR).&lt;br /&gt;Results were analyzed by using one-way analysis of variance followed by Scheffe’s multiple comparison test (p&amp;lt;0.05).&lt;br /&gt;Results: Treatment with ethanolic extract of P. marsupium and pioglitazone significantly (p&amp;lt;0.05) reduced the elevated insulin and glucose levels as&lt;br /&gt;well as HOMA-IR and HOMA-IS values in dexa treated animals.&lt;br /&gt;Conclusion: Ethanolic extract of P. marsupium heartwood effectively countered dexamethasone-induced hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia.&lt;br /&gt;Insulin-sensitizing activity of P. marsupium heartwood was found to be more effective than pioglitazone.&lt;br /&gt;Keywords: Pterocarpus marsupium, Insulin resistance, Hyperinsulinemia, Hyperglycemia.&lt;/p&gt;

Host-toxicity of pterocarpus marsupium extract on lymphocytes of human cord blood

Host-toxicity of pterocarpus marsupium extract on lymphocytes of human cord blood

Antioxidant and starch hydrolase inhibitory properties of extracts of the antidiabetic herb Pterocarpus marsupium

Pterocarpus marsupiumis a popular spice incorporated into culinary preparations around the world, which is also used for its antidiabetic treatment in traditional medicine. The objective of the study was to evaluate the antioxidant and starch hydrolase inhibitory properties ofPterocarpus marsupiumleaves. The total antioxidant capacity, total phenolics content, starch hydrolase inhibitory activities and superoxide dismutase mimetic (SODm) activity of various leaf extracts ofPterocarpus marsupiumwere studied. Extracts of dichloromethane (DCM), ethanol (EtOH), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), hexane (HEX), methanol (MeOH) and water were compared. The total phenolics contents of the extracts decreased in the order of water &gt; EtOH &gt; EtOAc &gt; MeOH &gt; DCM &gt; HEX. The antioxidant and SODm activity values of the extracts decreased in the same order as the total phenolics contents, while the DPPH EC50values increased in the reverse order. Pterosupin and pterostilbene had the highest content out of all the phenolic compounds quantified across all solvent extracts. The highest starch hydrolase inhibitory activities were observed in the water extract.Pterocarpus marsupiumwas observed to be a good source of antioxidant compounds and therapeutic properties.