Vitexin Research Articles

Vitexin Mitigates Haloperidol-Induced Orofacial Dyskinesia in Rats through Activation of the Nrf2 Pathway.

Vitexin (VTX), a C-glycosylated flavone found in various medicinal herbs, is known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. This study investigated the protective effects of VTX against orofacial dyskinesia (OD) in rats, induced by haloperidol (HPD), along with the neuroprotective mechanisms underlying these effects. OD was induced by administering HPD (1 mg/kg i.p.) to rats for 21 days, which led to an increase in the frequency of vacuous chewing movements (VCMs) and tongue protrusion (TP). VTX (10 and 30 mg/kg) was given intraperitoneally 60 min after each HPD injection during the same period. On the 21st day, following assessments of OD, the rats were sacrificed, and nitrosative and oxidative stress, antioxidant capacity, mitochondrial function, neuroinflammation, and apoptosis markers in the striatum were measured. HPD effectively induced OD, while VTX significantly reduced HPD-induced OD, decreased oxidative stress, enhanced antioxidant capacity, prevented mitochondrial dysfunction, and reduced neuroinflammatory and apoptotic markers in the striatum, and the protective effects of VTX on both behavioral and biochemical aspects of HPD-induced OD were significantly reduced when trigonelline (TGN), an inhibitor of the nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-mediated pathway, was administered. These findings suggest that VTX provides neuroprotection against HPD-induced OD, potentially through the Nrf2 pathway, indicating its potential as a therapeutic candidate for the prevention or treatment of tardive dyskinesia (TD) in clinical settings. However, further detailed research is required to confirm these preclinical findings and fully elucidate VTX's therapeutic potential in human studies.

Rapid determination of four flavonoids from hawthorn leaves in plasma by ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry and study on its pharmacokinetics

AbstractIn this study, a rapid and sensitive ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry method was established for the simultaneous determination of four Vitexin‐4“‐O‐glucoside (VOG), Vitexin‐2”‐O‐rhamnoside (VOR), vitexin (VIT), and hyperoside (HP) in plasma, which are representative flavonoids constituents of hawthorn leaves. The four components were separated by CORTECS UPLC C18 column (100 × 3.0 mm, 1.6 µm), using acetonitrile‐water containing 0.02% formic acid and 2 mmol/L ammonium formate as the mobile phase, the gradient elution flow rate was 0.30 mL/min. The analyte was quantified using an electrospray ionization triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The analytes and baicalin internal standard were performed at m/z 593.2/413.2 for VOG, m/z 577.2/413.1 for VOR, m/z 431.1/310.9 for VIT, m/z 463.2/300 for HP and m/z 445.1/269 for internal standard. Among the four flavonoids, the correlation coefficient of the standard curve of each component is between 0.9939 and 0.9987. After oral administration of hawthorn leaf extract, VOG and VOR showed similar pharmacokinetic characteristics; VIT was eliminated in the body more slowly than the other three flavonoids and distributed more in the tissues; HP can be quickly absorbed in the blood. The developed analytical method has high sensitivity, precision, and accuracy with no interference from plasma components and has been successfully used in pharmacokinetic studies.

Preparation of vitexin albumin nanoparticles and its pharmacokinetic study

This study aims to prepare vitexin albumin nanoparticles(VT-BSA-NPs) to alleviate the low bioavailability of vitexin(VT) in vivo due to its poor water solubility. VT micro powders were prepared by the antisolvent crystallization method, and the morphology, size, and physicochemical properties of VT micro powders were studied. The results showed that the VT micro powder had a particle size of(187.13±7.15) nm, an approximate spherical morphology, and a uniform size distribution. Compared with VT, the chemical structure of VT micro powders has not changed. VT-BSA-NPs were prepared from VT micro powders by desolvation-crosslinking curing method. The preparation process was screened by single factor test and orthogonal test, and the quality evaluation of the optimal prescription particle size, PDI, Zeta potential, EE, and morphology was performed. The results showed that the average particle size of VT-BSA-NPs was(124.33±0.47) nm; the PDI was 0.184±0.012; the Zeta potential was(-48.83±2.20) mV, and the encapsulation rate was 83.43%±0.39%, all of which met the formulation-related requirements. The morphological results showed that the VT-BSA-NPs were approximately spherical in appearance, regular in shape, and without adhesion on the surface. In vitro release results showed a significantly reduced release rate of VT-BSA-NPs compared with VT, indicating a good sustained release effect. LC-MS/MS was used to establish an analytical method for in vivo analysis of VT and study the plasma pharmacokinetics of VT-BSA-NPs in rats. The results showed that the specificity of the analytical method was good, and the extraction recovery was more than 90%. Compared with VT and VT micro powders, VT-BSA-NPs could significantly increase AUC, MRT, and t_(1/2), which was beneficial to improve the bioavailability of VT.

Interactions between different concentrations of vitexin and mung bean protein and their effects on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of the complexes

The present study aimed to investigate the interactions between homologous mung bean protein (MBP)1 and vitexin (VT)2 during food processing and examine their effects on functional properties. The effects of the interaction patterns, physicochemical properties, and antioxidant activities of the VT-MBP complexes were determined. The results showed that the particle size of the VT-MBP composite increased due to cross-linking and was positively correlated with the concentration of VT added. The particle size of VT-MBP complexes, with a concentration of 180 μmol/g, was 3.4 times larger than that of MBP. The tertiary structure unfolded due to the non-covalent binding of the VT-MBP complexes, resulting in a decrease in the fluorescence intensity of MBP. The complexes formed by the VT-MBP interaction had altered structures that significantly enhanced their functional properties. Additionally, their emulsification gradually increased in proportion to the amount of VT. Moreover, the 60 μmol/g VT-MBP complexes exhibited higher solubility and total antioxidant capacity, which increased by 26.32% and 2.5 times, respectively. These findings suggest that the structural and functional properties of mung beans were modified by VT-MBP interactions during the processing of mung bean food, resulting in improved nutritional properties of mung beans.

Separation of Flavonoids and Purification of Chlorogenic Acid from Bamboo Leaves Extraction Residues by Combination of Macroporous Resin and High-Speed Counter-Current Chromatography.

Flavonoids are major active small-molecule compounds in bamboo leaves, which can be easily obtained from the bamboo leaves extraction residues (BLER) after the polysaccharides extraction. Six macroporous resins with different properties were screened to prepare and enrich isoorientin (IOR), orientin (OR), vitexin (VI), and isovitexin (IVI) from BLER, and the XAD-7HP resin with the best adsorption and desorption performance was selected for further evaluation. Based on the static adsorption experiments, the experimental results showed that the adsorption isotherm fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm model, and the adsorption process was better explained by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. After the dynamic trial of resin column chromatography, 20 bed volume (BV) of upload sample and 60% ethanol as eluting solvent was used in a lab scale-up separation, and the results demonstrated that the content of four flavonoids could be increased by 4.5-fold, with recoveries between 72.86 and 88.21%. In addition, chlorogenic acid (CA) with purity of 95.1% was obtained in water-eluted parts during dynamic resin separation and further purified by high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC). In conclusion, this rapid and efficient method can provide a reference to utilize BLER to produce high-value-added food and pharmaceutical products.

Gut Microbiota Modulation, Anti-Diabetic and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Polyphenol Extract from Mung Bean Seed Coat (Vigna radiata L.).

The present study investigated the gut health, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities of mung bean seed coat extract (MSE). MSE was obtained by pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) using 50% ethanol as the extracting solvent. After 24 h of in vitro human fecal fermentation, MSE exhibited higher productions of total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) than those of the control group (CON) and other polyphenol-rich substrates, including gallic acid (GA) and vitexin (VIT) (p > 0.05), but still lower than the fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS). In 16S-rRNA next-generation sequencing, MSE regulated the composition of gut microbiota by stimulating the growth of the beneficial bacteria Enterococcus, Ruminococcus, Blautia, and Bacteroides and decreasing the growth of the potential pathogenic bacteria Escherichia-Shigella. Similarly, qPCR showed increased numbers of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and Prevotella, compared with those of CON (p < 0.05). MSE also reduced reactive oxygen species and increased glucose uptake in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells dose-dependently. The anti-inflammatory activity of MSE was observed in LPS-stimulated THP-1 monocytes with the reduction of TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 genes. The data demonstrated the potential applications of MSE as a dietary supplement with gut health benefits and its ability to mitigate diabetes and inflammatory-related diseases.

Chemoprotective effect of vitexin against cisplatin-induced biochemical, spermatological, steroidogenic, hormonal, apoptotic and histopathological damages in the testes of Sprague-Dawley rats

Cisplatin (CP) is one of the most widely used antineoplastic drugs, which possesses the potential to treat a variety of malignancies. However, it displays numerous side effects as well. Male reproductive dysfunction is one of the most adverse side effects of CP. Vitexin is a naturally occurring flavonoid, which exhibits remarkable antioxidant properties. Present study was designed to evaluate the protective effects of vitexin on CP-induced damages on testes. 48 Sprague-Dawley rats were equally distributed into 4 groups: control, cisplatin (CP), cisplatin + vitexin (CP + VIT) and vitexin (VIT). After 14 days of treatment, evaluation of biochemical, spermatogenic, steroidogenical, hormonal, apoptotic and histopathological parameters was carried out. CP damaged the biochemical profile by reducing activity of CAT, SOD, GPx and GSR, while level of MDA and ROS was increased. It also decreased sperm motility, viability, number of hypo-osmotic tail swelled spermatozoa and epididymal sperm count, besides increasing the sperm morphological anomalies. Moreover, levels of LH, FSH and plasma testosterone were reduced. CP reduced the gene expression of testicular anti-apoptotic marker (Bcl-2) and steroidogenic enzymes (3β-HSD, 17β-HSD and StAR), but upregulated the gene expressions of apoptotic markers (Bax and Caspase-3). Besides, CP led to histopathological damages in testicular tissues. However, vitexin reversed all aforementioned damages in testes. Therefore, it is concluded that vitexin could play an effective role as a therapeutic agent against CP-prompted testicular toxicity due to its antioxidant, anti-apoptotic and androgenic potential.

Flavonoids from bamboo leaves improve the stability of unsaturated fatty acids in the lipids of walnut emulsions

Bamboo leaves are of great economic value and contain several functional components such as flavonoids, lactones and phenolic acids. In this study, the effects of four flavonoids found in bamboo leaves, orientin (OT), isoorientin (IsOT), vitexin (VX) and isovitexin (IsVX), on the oxidative stability and physical stability of walnut emulsions were investigated. These four bamboo leaf flavonoids (BLFs) lowered the peroxide value and MDA (malondialdehyde) value of the emulsions. Adding 0.03% OT decreased the MDA value by 41.54% after 18 d of accelerated oxidation. Adding BLFs maintained the droplet size and microstructure of the walnut emulsions. In an emulsion containing 0.03% IsOT, the unsaturated fatty acid level decreased by only 1.75%. The results on the residual amounts of BLFs in emulsions were consistent with the lipid hydroperoxide and MDA experiments, but their effectiveness levels were different. Adding BLFs significantly enhanced the oxidative stability of the walnut emulsions. Consequently, BLFs have a good potential as natural antioxidative stabilizers in emulsions for industrial products.

Vitexin attenuates cisplatin-induced renal toxicity by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation

Cisplatin (CP) is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic drugs used to treat different tumors. Vitexin (VIT) is a natural flavonoid having various pharmacological activities along with its curative effects. The present research was planned to evaluate the therapeutic potential of VIT on cisplatin-induced renal damage in male albino rats. Twenty-four male albino rats were divided into four equal groups. These groups were treated with CP (10 mg/kg injection on the first day of trial) administered group, cotreated (CP; 10 mg/kg + VIT; 10 mg/kg) and only VIT (10 mg/kg orally till the end of the trial) treated group and a control. CP administration significantly decreased the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione (GSH), and glutathione reductase (GSR). The levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were increased. CP-treatment significantly increased the levels of urea, creatinine, kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) while considerably reducing the creatinine clearance. The results demonstrated that CP significantly increased the inflammation markers, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activities and histopathological damages. However, co-treatment with VIT efficiently minimized the CP-induced biochemical, inflammatory, and histopathological impairments in rat kidneys. The study's outcomes indicated the significant curative efficacy of VIT to overcome CP-induced nephrotoxicity in male albino rats.

Modeling Vitexin and Isovitexin Flavones as Corrosion Inhibitors for Aluminium Metal

Theoretically, the aluminium corrosion inhibitive performance of vitexin (VTX) and isovitexin (SVT) were evaluated with a view of establishing the mechanism of the inhibition process. Calculations which include the consideration of several global descriptors were studied to describe and correlate the reactivity of the molecules with the computed descriptors. First and second-order condensed Fukui functions were employed to analyze local reactivity parameters, while simulations involving the adsorbed molecules on Al (1 1 0) surface were conducted through quench dynamic simulations and the mechanism of physical adsorption was established with SVT relatively been a better inhibitor on Al surface than VTX.

Protective effects of vitexin on cadmium-induced renal toxicity in rats.

Cadmium (Cd) is an industrial contaminant that poses severe threats to human and animal health. Vitexin (VIT) is a polyphenolic flavonoid of characteristic pharmacological properties. We explored the curative role of vitexin on Cd-induced mitochondrial-dysfunction in rat renal tissues. Twenty-four rats were equally divided into four groups and designated as control, Cd, Cd + vitexin and vitexin treated groups. The results showed that Cd exposure increased urea and creatinine levels while decreased creatinine clearance. Cd reduced the activities of antioxidant enzymes, i.e., catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione content in the Cd exposed group. Cd exposure significantly (p < 0.05) elevated the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels in rat kidney. Cd also caused a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the mitochondrial TCA-cycle enzymes, including isocitrate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, and malate-dehydrogenase activities. Besides, mitochondrial respiratory chain enzymes, including NADH-dehydrogenase, coenzyme Q-cytochrome reductase, succinic-coenzyme Q, and cytochrome c-oxidase activities were also decreased under Cd exposure. Cd exposure also damaged the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). However, VIT treatment potentially reduced the detrimental effects of Cd in the kidney of rats. In conclusion, our study indicated that the VIT could attenuate the Cd-induced renal toxicity in rats.

Vitexin Mitigates Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats by Regulating Mitochondrial Dysfunction via Epac1-Rap1 Signaling.

Revascularization is an effective therapy for rescuing myocardial tissue after ischemic events. However, the process of reperfusion can lead to more severe cardiomyocyte damage, called myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury (MIRI). We have previously shown that vitexin (VT) (a flavonoid compound derived from natural products) protects against MIRI; however, the exact mechanisms underpinning this effect require further elucidation. This study is aimed at elucidating the protective mechanism of VT in inhibiting ischemic myocardial mitochondrial dysfunction and reducing cardiomyocyte apoptosis by regulating Epac1-Rap1 signaling. Isolated rat hearts were subjected to MIRI in a Langendorff perfusion system, and H9c2 cells were subjected to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) in vitro. Our analyses show that during I/R, Epac1 expression was upregulated, left ventricular dysfunction deteriorated, mitochondrial dynamics were disrupted, and both myocardial cells and tissues exhibited apoptosis. Furthermore, administration of 8-CPT (an Epac agonist) exacerbated cardiomyocyte injury and mitochondrial dysfunction. Interestingly, suppressing the function of Epac1 through VT or ESI-09 (an Epac inhibitor) treatment during I/R reduced the myocardial infarct size, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and reactive oxygen species production; alleviated mitochondrial dysfunction by increasing mitochondrial membrane potential; elevated MFN2 expression; and inhibited Drp1 expression. To our knowledge, our results reveal, for the first time, the mechanisms underlying the protective effect of VT in the myocardium of rats with MIRI. Moreover, we provide a new target and theoretical basis for VT in the treatment of ischemic heart disease.

ERRATUM: "In silico modeling and in vitro activity of vitexin and isovitexin against SGLT2"

ERRATUM: "In silico modeling and <i>in vitro</i> activity of vitexin and isovitexin against SGLT2"

Potential applications of enzymes on the extraction of vitexin from dried Mas Cotek leaves

Mas Cotek or Ficus deltoidea var. deltoidea leaves extracts contain various beneficial properties such as antidiabetic, antihypoglycemic and antioxidant activities, which can be enzymatically extracted in water. Vitexin is one of the antioxidants and remarkable compound of flavone C-glycosides found in Mas Cotek leaves. Cellulase is one of the essential enzymes applied to hydrolyze cellulose into fermentable sugars and therefore, this enzyme was used to extract vitexin in this study. Single parameter approach was used to determine factors influencing the enzymatic-mediated extraction. These factors were enzyme concentration, sample-to-water ratio, temperature, incubation time and agitation. The maximum yield of vitexin found was 0.547% under the optimum conditions: sample-to-water ratio 1:10 g/mL, enzyme concentration 0.4%, incubation time of 240 min, temperature of 50 ± 0.02°C and stirring speed of 200 rpm. The highest amount of reducing sugar obtained was 4.039 mg/mL with the use of 0.4% cellulose. A correlation was also observed between the yield of vitexin and reducing sugars. Key words: Cellulose, enzymatic assisted extraction, vitexin, reducing sugars, cellulose, Mas Cotek, Ficus deltoidea var. deltoidea, antioxidants.

Vitexin attenuates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats by regulating mitochondrial dysfunction induced by mitochondrial dynamics imbalance

Vitexin (VT) is a main bioactive flavonoid compound derived from the dried leaf of hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida), a widely used Chinese traditional folk medicine. Recent studies have shown that vitexin presents cardioprotective effects in vivo and in vitro. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a salient feature of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury (MIRI), but the potential mechanism is still unclear. This study investigated the cardioprotective effect of vitexin against MIRI and its possible mechanism. Isolated SD rat hearts were subjected to MIRI in a Langendorff perfusion system, and H9c2 cells were subjected to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) in vitro. Ex vivo experiments showed improved left ventricular function and reduced infarct size in the vitexin group. Transmission electron microscopy showed that I/R caused outer mitochondrial membrane rupture, cristae disappearance and vacuolation, while vitexin reduced mitochondrial damage and ultimately reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis. In vitro, vitexin protected H9c2 cells from H/R-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, significantly reducing ROS levels; improving mitochondrial activity, mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP content; markedly increasing MFN2 expression and reducing the recruitment of Drp1 in mitochondria. These results suggest a new protective mechanism of vitexin for ischemic heart disease treatment.

Vitexin ameliorates preeclampsia phenotypes by inhibiting TFPI-2 and HIF-1α/VEGF in a l-NAME induced rat model.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality with few safe, effective, and minimally invasive therapeutics. Inflammation, oxidative stress, and angiogenic imbalance have been reported to contribute to PE pathogenesis. Vitexin (VI) possesses various pharmacological activities including the potent regulation of the above biological processes in different conditions. This study aims to investigate whether VI has therapeutic potential to PE and the underlying mechanisms. Sprague-Dawley pregnant rats pretreated with or without VI were fed with l-NAME-containing water to induce experimental PE. Results showed that VI decreased high systolic blood pressure and urinary protein in PE rats time- and dose-dependently. Meanwhile, VI of higher dosage (45, 60 mg/kg) corrected abnormal pregnancy outcomes, including low pup weight and low pups/placenta ratio. In addition, VI of high dosage (60 mg/kg) decreased sFlt-1, increased PlGF and alleviated oxidative stress both in blood and placental samples compared with nontreated PE group. Furthermore, VI alleviated placental TFPI-2, HIF 1α, and VEGF in PE rats. In short, the present study suggests that the inhibition of placental TFPI-2 and HIF-1α/VEGF might be one of the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of VI to experimental PE induced by l-NAME.

A chemosystematic study of Asphodelus aestivus Brot. (Asphodelaceae) in Egypt

Background and objectives In the Egyptian flora, the genus Asphodelus was formally placed in Liliaceae family and recently is ranked as a separate family; Asphodelaceae. Asphodelus aestivus Brot. is the one of the five Asphodelus spp. distributed wild in Egypt; it grows on rocky or sandy ground and in dry grasslands. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the chemical constituents of A. aestivus compared with those reported in the species of families Liliaceae s.l. and Asphodelaceae to evaluate their chemosystematic relationship. Materials and methods The chemical components of the defatted hydroalcoholic extract of A. aestivus were analyzed using different chromatographic and spectral techniques. Results and conclusion A total of 13 flavonoid compounds were isolated from A. aestivus. They are identified as kaempferol (1), kaempferol 7-O-β-glucopyranoside (2), kaempferol 3-O-(6′-α-rhamnopyranosyl)-β-glucopyranoside-7-O-α-rhamnopyranoside (3), apigenin (4), apigenin 7-O-β-glucopyranoside (5), luteolin (6), luteolin 7-O-β-glucopyranoside (7), vitexin (8), isovitexin (9), apigenin 6, 8 di-C-β-glucopyranoside (10), saponarin (11), orientin (12), and isoorientin (13). Except for compounds 9 and 13, all compounds were isolated for the first time from A. aestivus. A. aestivus is characterized by flavones, flavonols, and flavone C-glycosides. It is thus different from other species of Liliaceae s.l. which are characterized by either flavones and flavone C-glycosides or flavonols and flavone C-glycosides, supporting the placement of the genus Asphodelus in a distinct family (Asphodelaceae).

Microwave-assisted Acid Hydrolysis to Produce Vitexin from Crataegus pinnatifida Leaves and its Angiogenic Activity

In this study, microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis (MAAH) to obtain vitexin (VIT) from Crataegus pinnatifida leaves was optimized. The single factor experiment was applied to optimize the operating parameters of MAAH. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) were performed to evaluate the antioxidant activity of extract. The results showed that the optimum parameters of dealing with 1 g sample were 2.0 M hydrochloric acid concentration, 40 min microwave irradiation time, 1:10 solid–liquid ratio, 50% ethanol concentration, 70°C microwave extraction temperature and 600 W microwave power. The yields of VIT were 2.62 mg/g under the optimum conditions. The C. pinnatifida extracted by MAAH exhibited more antioxidant activity than extracted by microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). The number of vessels in chick chorioallantoic membrane indicated that C. pinnatifida leaves could promote angiogenesis. These findings suggested that MAAH provides an efficient technique to produce VIT.

Effect of spray drying conditions on the antioxidant and physicochemical properties of clinacanthus nutans leaves extracts

Clinacanthus nutans is a medicinal plant with valuable health benefits enriched with polyphenols and flavonoids. The aim of this work was to produce spray-dried powder from C. nutans leaves using combination of κ-carrageenan (κC) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) as coating agents and to evaluate the effects of feed flow rate, inlet air temperature and concentrations of coating agent. The effects of spray drying conditions on the encapsulation yield, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and four C-glycoside flavones (orientin, isoorientin, vitexin, isovitexin) of C. nutans powder were assessed for different feed flow rate (500 - 900 mL/h), inlet air temperature (110 - 150 °C) and different volume ratio of extract to coating agent (1 : 1 - 1 : 10). The result showed that vitexin was the major C-glycoside flavones compound detected in the extract. The highest encapsulation yield and antioxidant activity of the spray-dried powder was obtained from the inlet temperature of 130 °C with feed flow rate of 700 mL/h and 1 : 5 ratio (volume ratio of C. nutans extract to carrier solution). The spray-dried C. nutans had a regular spherical shape with particle size of 2.71 - 5.88 μm. In comparison to uncoated extract, the encapsulated powder showed significant improvement in particle size and antioxidant capacity. These results demonstrated that the spray-dried of C. nutans with high preservation of antioxidants is a promising source of natural products with diverse opportunities for nutraceutical and functional food applications.

Expression pattern of NMDA receptors reveals antiepileptic potential of apigenin 8-C-glucoside and chlorogenic acid in pilocarpine induced epileptic mice.

The present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of apigenin 8-C-glucoside (Vitexin) and chlorogenic acid on epileptic mice induced by pilocarpine and explored its possible mechanisms. Intraperitonial administration of pilocarpine (85mg/kg) induced seizure in mice was assessed by behavior observations, which is significantly (p>0.05) reduced by apigenin 8-C-glucoside (AP8CG) (10mg/kg) and chlorogenic acid (CA) (5mg/kg), similar to diazepam. Seizure was accompanied by an imbalance in the levels of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate in the pilocarpine administered group. Moreover, convulsion along with reduced acetylcholinesterase, increased monoamine oxidase and oxidative stress was observed in epileptic mice brain. AP8CG and CA significantly restored back to normal levels even at lower doses. Further, increased lipid peroxidation and nitrite content was also significantly attenuated by AP8CG and CA. However, CA was found to be more effective when compared to AP8CG. In addition, the mRNA expression of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), mGluR1 and mGlu5 was significantly (P≤0.05) inhibited by AP8CG and CA in a lower dose. The mRNA expression of GRIK1 did not differ significantly in any of the group and showed a similar pattern of expression. Our result shows that AP8CG and CA selectively inhibit NMDAR, mGluR1 and mGlu5 expression. Modification in the provoked NMDAR calcium response coupled with neuronal death. Hence, these findings underline that the polyphenolics, AP8CG and CA have exerted antiepileptic and neuroprotective activity by suppressing glutamate receptors.