International Journal of Medical Sociology and Anthropology

International Journal of Medical Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 2 (2), pp. 001-005, February, 2012. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Evaluation of the stem bark of Pistacia integerrima Stew ex Brandis for its antimicrobial and phytotoxic activities

Shafiq ur Rahman^1,2*, Muhammad Ismail², Naveed Muhammad², Farhat Ali¹, kamran Ahmad Chishti¹ and Muhammad Imran³

¹Department of Pharmacy, Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology, Pakistan.

²Department of Pharmacy, University of Peshawar-25120, Pakistan.

³School of Pharmacy University of Lahore, 24 avenue blue area Islamabad, Pakistan.

Accepted 17 October, 2011

Abstract

The antimicrobial and phytotoxic activities of the crude methanolic extract and its subsequent solvent fractions of Pistacia integerrima bark were investigated. The outstanding activity was shown by the ethyl acetate fraction followed by aqueous fraction against Staphylococcus aureus having zone of inhibition 19 and 15 mm respectively. The ethyl acetate fraction was also effective againsn, hoteus vulgaris having zone of inhibition 15 mm. The outstanding minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was observed against Staphylococcus aureus by ethyl acetate (0.31 mg/ml) and Salmonella typhi by hexane fraction (0.37 mg/ml). The crude methanolic extract and subsequent solvent fractions were also tested against two fungal strains, that is, Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger no outstanding antifungal activity was found. All the fractions are good herbicidal and weedicidal at high concentration, however the considerable activity was shown by ethyl acetate (90% growth inhibition) followed by chloroform (70% growth inhibition) and methanol (60% growth inhibition) at a concentration of 500 ppm. The ability of crude methanol extract and its subsequent solvent fractions, specially the ethyl acetate fraction, to inhibit the growth of microorganism and plant Lemna minor L as an indication of its antimicrobial and phytotoxic potential. This provides a baseline for isolation and identification of new antimicrobial and phytotoxic compounds to the world of medicine.

Key words: Pistacia integerrima bark, antimicrobial, phytotoxic, minimum inhibitory concentration.

International Journal of Medical Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 2 (2), pp. 001-008, February, 2012. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Acute toxicity and anti inflammatory effects of supercritical extracts of Ilex paraguariensis

Tiago R. Pasquali¹, Sandra M. D. Macedo¹, Silvane S. Roman¹, Valéria Dal Prá¹, Rogério L. Cansian², Altemir J. Mossi³, Vladimir J. Oliveira² and Marcio A. Mazutti⁴*

¹Department of Clinical Pharmacy, URI - Campus de Erechim, Brazil.

²Department of Food Engineering, URI - Campus de Erechim, Av. Sete de Setembro, 1621, Erechim, 99700-000, RS, Brazil.

³Department of Agronomy, Universidade Federal da Fronteira Sul, Av. Dom João Hoffmann, Erechim - RS, 99700-000 –Brazil.

⁴Department of Chemical Engineering - Federal University of Santa Maria, Av. Roraima, 1000, Santa Maria, 97105-900, Brazil.

Accepted 14 November, 2011

Abstract

This work reports the in vivo evaluation of acute toxicity and anti- inflammatory activity of supercritical carbon dioxide (CO₂) extracts of Ilex paraguariensis. For the acute toxicity study, the extracts diluted in sunflower oil were administered to adult male wistar rats in single doses of 250 mg/kg by the intraperitoneal route. Adverse effects and mortality were monitored along 14 days. In the case of anti-inflammatory activity, the animals were submitted to acute induced-peritonitis assays by injection of oyster glycogen and a single dose of 500 mg/kg of supercritical I. paraguariensis extract diluted in sunflower oil administered by subcutaneous injection. Results obtained in this work suggest the incidence of acute toxicity due to the presence of cells with hyperchromatism, vacuolization and tumefaction in the livers and the presence of cells with tumefaction in the cortical region of the kidneys of the treated group. It was also experimentally observed that treatment inhibited the neutrophil recruitment in the circulating blood, hence demonstrating the anti-inflammatory effect of the I. paraguariensis extracts. The results obtained may be very promising since they open new perspectives for the therapeutic use of supercritical extracts of I. paraguariensis or its preparations as anti-inflammatory agents.

Key words: Acute toxicity, Anti-inflammatory, Supercritical fluid extraction, Ilex paraguariensis.

International Journal of Medical Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 2 (1), pp. 001-005, January, 2012. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

HI-6 and obidoxime implication in oxidative stress, antioxidants level and apoptosis

Miroslav Pohanka¹*, Ladislav Novotny^1,2, Josef Fusek¹ and Jiri Pikula²

¹Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense, Trebesska 1575, 50001 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.

²Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho 1/3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.

Accepted 21 October, 2011

Abstract

The oxime reactivators, obidoxime and asoxime (HI-6) are suitable for antidotal treatment after exposure to nerve agents. Although they are considered for use in humans under emergency situations, complete clinical studies are lacking as there were no clinical trials. We examined obidoxime and HI-6 in laboratory rats intramuscularly exposed to 25% of the median lethal dose (210 and 780 mg/kg) of each oxime reactivator and sacrificed 40 min after exposure. Brain and liver ferric reducing antioxidant power, reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, acetylcholinesterase, caspase 3 and glutathione S-transferase were assessed using standard protocols. We found significant depletion of liver and brain low molecular weight antioxidants. On the other hand, the depletion was partially recovered by an increase in the GSH level. Obidoxime was implicated in alteration of apoptotic processes in brain. Overall effects of oxime reactivators are discussed in this study. The pertinent adverse effects and strong modulation of disparate parameters of oxime reactivators, HI-6 and obidoxime are not well understood in antidotal treatment. We found strong impact of oxime reactivators on redox homeostasis and apoptotic processes.

Key words: Oxime, sarin, acetylcholinesterase, adverse effects, apoptosis, oxidative stress.

International Journal of Medical Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 2 (1), pp. 001-013, January, 2012. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Anti-nociceptive, anxiolytic and anticonvulsant effects of an aqueous leaf extract of Leea guineensis G. Don (Family: Leeaceae)

Eric Woode*, David Abasiwani Alagpulinsa and Wonder Kofi Mensah Abotsi

Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

Accepted 12 June, 2011

Abstract

Leea guineensis G. Don (Family: Leeaceae) is an evergreen shrub or small tree used in Ghanaian traditional medicine to treat various ailments including epileptic fits and pain. However, little scientific evidence exists to support its use. The present study examined the anti-nociceptive, anti-anxiety and anticonvulsant effects of the aqueous leaf extract of L. guineensis (LGE) in murine models of pain (formalin test), anxiety (elevated plus-maze and light/dark box tests) and convulsion (pentylenetetrazole-, picrotoxin- and maximal electroshock-induced seizures tests). LGE (30 to 300 mg/kg, p.o.) and the positive control morphine (3 to 10 mg/kg, i.p.) exerted profound dose-dependent anti-nociceptive activity in both phases of the formalin test. LGE (30 to 300 mg/kg, p.o.) also showed anxiolytic effects similar to diazepam (0.1 to 1.0 mg/kg, i.p.) but contrary to pentylenetetrazole (3 to 30 mg/kg, i.p.). LGE increased the frequency and duration of open arm exploration while decreasing the protected forms of stretch-attend postures and head-dips in the elevated plus-maze. It also decreased the emergence latency of mice into the lit compartment of the light/dark box and increased the amount of time spent there. LGE (30 to 300 mg/kg, p.o) also exhibited significant anticonvulsant activity by protecting mice against pentylenetetrazole-, picrotoxin- and maximal electroshock-induced seizures. At all the doses used, LGE produced no motor deficits in mice. Together, the results suggest that the extract has anti-nociceptive, anxiolytic and anticonvulsant properties which support its traditional use.

Key words: Leea guineensis, seizures, maximal electroshock, formalin test, elevated plus-maze, light/dark box.

International Journal of Medical Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 1 (2), pp. 001-009, December, 2011. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Modeling a murine model of immunoglobulin-E (IgE)-mediated qingkailing injection anaphylaxis

Guoping Liao, Wenshi Li, Shuai He and Zhongyi Zhang*

Department of Pharmacy, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, P. R. China.

Accepted 19 July, 2011

Abstract

Qingkailing injection (QKLI) is a classic compound traditional Chinese medical injection (TCMI). It can cause anaphylatic shock and death in clinic. Modeling a murine model of qingkailing injection anaphylaxis appears to be essential. In this study, for the first time, we used several strategies to prepare cationic bovine serum albumin (cBSA) and QKLI-cBSA conjugate. The native bovine serum albumin (nBSA), cBSA and QKLI-cBSA conjugate were separated by cationic exchange method and also identified by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry. Balb/c mice were then treated with subcutaneous injection of QKLI-cBSA plus alum. Serum was analyzed for total IgE and histamine levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), respectively. Lung reactions were evaluated by analyzing lung pathologic changes. QKLI-cBSA group mice were significantly and successfully sensitized. QKLI-cBSA conjugate significantly increased total IgE and Histamine in Balb/c mice serum. Moreover, histological examination of QKLI-cBSA conjugate treated mice showed acute injury with pulmonary alveoli and injury of trachea, as well as neutrophilic cell infiltration. In conclusion, we successfully established a murine model of immunoglobulin-E (IgE)-mediated qingkailing injection anaphylaxis. This model should provide a useful tool for detecting allergens in QKLI and for exploring new allergens-detecting approaches of other TCMIs.

Key words: Qingkailing injection, murine, immunoglobulin-E (IgE)-mediated anaphylaxis, Qingkailing injection (QKLI) - cationic bovine serum albumin (cBSA) conjugate.