PURPOSE: The phytochemical profile of O. aristatus was investigated at different storage durations for quality comparison.
METHODS: The phytochemicals were extracted from the leaves and stems of O. aristatus using a reflux reactor. The extracts were examined for total phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as their antioxidant capacities, in terms of radical scavenging, metal chelating and reducing power. The phytochemical profiles were also analyzed by unsupervised principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, in relation to the factor of storage at 4 °C for 5 weeks.
RESULTS: The leaf extract was likely to have more phytochemicals than stem extract, particularly caffeic acid derivatives including glycosylated and alkylated caffeic acids. This explains higher ratio of total phenolic content to total flavonoid content with higher antioxidant capacities for the leaf extracts. Rosmarinic acid dimer and salvianolic acid B appeared to be the major constituents, possibly contributing to the previously reported pharmacological properties. However, the phytochemical profiles were found changing, even though the extracts were stored in the refrigerator (4 °C). The change was significantly observed at the fifth week based on the statistical pattern recognition technique.
CONCLUSION: O. aristatus could be a promising source of rosmarinic acid and its dimer, as well as salvianolic acid B with remarkably antioxidant properties. The phytochemical profile was at least stable for a month stored at 4 °C. It is likely to be a good choice of herbal tea with comparable radical scavenging activity, but lower caffeine content than other tea samples.
METHODS: Memory deficiency was produced by AlCl3 (100 mg/kg; p.o.) in experimental animals. Learning and memory activity was measured using Morris water maze (MWM) test model. Central cholinergic activity was evaluated through the measurement of brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. In addition to the above, oxidative stress was determined through assessment of brain thiobarbituric acid-reactive species (TBARS) and glutathione (GSH) levels.
RESULTS: AlCl3 administration prompted significant deficiency of learning and memory in rats, as specified by a noticeable reduction in MWM presentation. AlCl3 administration also produced a significant deterioration in brain AChE action and brain oxidative stress (increase in TBARS and decrease in GSH) levels. Treatment with morusin (5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg, dose orally) significantly overturned AlCl3- induced learning and memory shortages along with diminution of AlCl3-induced rise in brain AChE activity and brain oxidative stress levels.
CONCLUSION: It may be concluded that morusin exerts a memory-preservative outcome in mental discrepancies of rats feasibly through its various activities.
OBJECTIVE: Potential of a polysaccharide (rhamnogalacturonan)-based hydrogel from Linseeds (Linum usitatissimum L.) was investigated as an intelligent drug delivery material.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Different concentrations of Linseed hydrogel (LSH) were used to prepare caffeine and diacerein tablets and further investigated for pH and salt solution-responsive swelling, pH-dependent drug release, and release kinetics. Morphology of tablets was observed using SEM.
RESULTS: LSH tablets exhibited dynamic swelling-deswelling behavior with tendency to swell at pH 7.4 and in deionized water while deswell at pH 1.2, in normal saline and ethanol. Consequently, pH controlled release of the drugs was observed from tablets with lower release (<10%) at pH 1.2 and higher release at pH 6.8 and 7.4. SEM showed elongated channels in swollen then freeze-dried tablets.
DISCUSSION: The drug release was greatly influenced by the amount of LSH in the tablets. Drug release from LSH tablets was governed by the non-Fickian diffusion.
CONCLUSIONS: These finding indicates that LSH holds potential to be developed as sustained release material for tablet.