Ethnopharmacological relevance: Piper sarmentosum (Piperaceae) is a medicinal plant traditionally used by the Malays to treat headaches, toothaches, coughs, asthma and fever.
Aim of the study: In order to establish the pharmacological properties of the leaf of this plant, studies were performed on anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities.
Materials and methods: The aqueous extract of Piper sarmentosum (AEPS) was prepared in the doses of 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg. Anti-nociceptive activity of AEPS was evaluated by abdominal constriction and hot-plate tests. AEPS was also pre-challenged with 5mg/kg naloxone to determine the involvement of opioid receptors. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using carrageenan-induced paw edema assay.
Results: Subcutaneous administration of AEPS exhibited anti-nociceptive activity (P<0.05) in a dose-dependent manner in the abdominal constriction and hot-plate tests. Pre-treatment with naloxone completely (P<0.05) diminished the extract anti-nociceptive activity in both tests. The AEPS, at all doses used, exerted significant (P<0.05) anti-inflammatory activity in a dose-dependent manner.
Conclusions: The AEPS exhibits opioid-mediated anti-nociceptive activity at the peripheral and central levels, as well as anti-inflammatory activity, which confirmed the traditional uses of the plant in the treatment of pain- and inflammatory-related ailments.
The leaves of Melicope ptelefolia (Rutaceae) afforded a new acetophenone named 2,4,6-trihydroxy-3-geranylacetophenone. The structure of the compound was established by mass and NMR spectroscopy.
The antinociceptive effect of the ethanolic extract of Melastoma malabathricum (MME) was investigated using acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing test and hot-plate test in mice. It was demonstrated that the extract (30-300 mg/kg, i.p.) strongly and dose-dependently inhibited the acetic acid-induced writhing with an ED(50) of 100 (78-160) mg/kg i.p. It also significantly increased the response latency period to thermal stimuli. Furthermore, the nonselective opioid receptor antagonist, naloxone blocked the antinociceptive effect of the extract in both tests, suggesting that M. malabathricum may act both at peripheral and central levels.
This study was conducted to determine whether early age feed restriction improves heat tolerance in female broiler chickens. Chicks were brooded for 3 wk and then maintained at 24+/-1 C. On Day 0, chicks were assigned to one of four feeding regimens; each regimen was applied to four cages of chicks. The feeding regimens were 1) ad libitum feeding (ALF); 2) 40% feed restriction at 4, 5, and 6 d of age (F40); 3) 60% feed restriction at 4, 5, and 6 d of age (F60); and (4) 80% feed restriction at 4, 5, and 6 d of age (F80). From 35 to 41 d of age, all birds were exposed to 38+/-1 C for 2 h/d. Serum concentrations of glucose were elevated by the heat challenge, but were not affected by the feeding regimen. The heat treatment resulted in hypocholesteremia among ALF and F80 chicks, whereas the concentrations increased and remained constant in the F60 and F40 birds, respectively. Subjecting chicks to F60 improved growth and survivability and reduced heterophil to lymphocyte ratios (H/L) in response to the heat treatment as compared with the ALF and F80 regimens. The survivability rate and H/L of F40 chicks were similar to those attained by chicks on other regimens. Newcastle disease antibody titer of ALF birds declined with duration of heat treatment. It is concluded that the F60 regimen is beneficial for alleviating, at least in part, the detrimental effects of heat stress in female broiler chickens.
A study to determine the immunoglobulin and cellular responses in the respiratory tract of goats following intranasal exposures to formalin-killed Pasteurella haemolytica A2 was carried out. Forty-two goats were divided into two groups. Goats in Group 1 were subjected to double intranasal exposures to formalin-killed P. haemolytica A2 while goats in Group 2 were the unexposed control. Prior to and at weekly intervals post-exposure, three goats from each group were killed, serum samples were collected while the lungs were flushed with 50 ml normal saline before the right apical lobes were fixed in 10% buffered formalin. Both serum and lung lavage fluid were subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the levels of IgA, IgM and IgG while the formalin-fixed tissues were examined histologically. IgA levels in the lung lavage fluid increased rapidly to reach a significantly (p < 0.05) high level as early as Week 2 post-exposure and remained significantly (p < 0.05) high throughout the study period. The IgM levels increased at an intermediate rate to reach a significantly (p < 0.05) high level at Week 3 post-exposure before they decreased to an insignificant (p > 0.05) level the following week and the weeks thereafter. IgG levels increased gradually and only reached a significantly (p < 0.01) high level at Weeks 5 and 6 of the study. The size of the bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) and the number of lymphocytes in BALT increased significantly from Week 2 and remained high thereafter. However, differences in the numbers of BALT were insignificant (p > 0.05) initially before becoming significantly (p < 0.05) high at Weeks 5 and 6. The BALT responses were parallel to those of imunoglobulins in the lung lavage fluid.
The outer membrane proteins (OMP) were extracted from the P. haemolytica A2, A7 and A9 to determine their potential as immunogens and their capability for cross-protection. Sixty lambs of approximately 9 months old were divided into four main groups. Animals in Group 1 were vaccinated with 2ml vaccine containing 100microg/ml of the outer membrane proteins of P. haemolytica A2. Animals in Group 2 were similarly vaccinated with the OMPs of P. haemolytica A7 while Group 3 with OMPs of P. haemolytica A9. Animals in Group 4 were unvaccinated control. During the course of the study, serum was collected to evaluate the antibody levels toward each OMP. There appeared to be good immune responses. However, high antibody levels did not necessarily result in good protection of the animals, particularly against cross-infection with P. haemolytica A9 in animals vaccinated with the OMPs of P. haemolytica A2. It seemed that the antibody responses were more specific toward the homologous challenge but generally did not cross-protect against heterologous serotype challenge. However, the OMPs of P. haemolytica A7 produced good in vivo cross-protection and excellent correlations when good antibody responses against all serotypes led to successful reductions of the extent of lung lesions following homologous and heterologous challenge exposures. Thus, the OMPs of P. haemolytica A7 was effective in protecting animals against homologous and heterologous infection by live P. haemolytica A2, A7 and A9.
An experiment was conducted with the objective to enhance mucosal immunity against ovalbumin (OVA) by co-administration of OVA with an aqueous extract from the fruit of Solanum torvum (STE). Five groups of female ICR mice aged approximately 8 weeks at the commencement of the experiment were caged in groups of eight and received various treatments. The treatments included OVA alone, OVA with cholera toxin (CT), and OVA with various doses of STE. Mice were primed intraperitoneally with 500 microg of OVA alone or co-administered with 0.1 microg CT, or with 1 microg STE. All mice were boosted orally via gastric intubation 14 days after priming with 10 mg OVA alone, or co-administered with 10 microg CT or with 10 mg, 1 mg or 0.1 mg STE. One week later all mice were killed and organs obtained for analysis of the immune response. Intestinal, faecal and pulmonary OVA-specific sIgA concentration was significantly increased (p<0.05) in mice that received booster combinations of OVA/CT and OVA with all extract doses (p<0.05). Specific serum IgG titres did not differ significantly between groups. It is concluded that STE can significantly enhance secretory immunity in the intestine to OVA with mucosal homing to the lungs. The adjuvant effect of STE is comparable to that of CT.
The effects of early age feed restriction and heat conditioning on heat shock protein (HSP) 70 expression, antibody production, resistance to infectious bursal disease (IBD), and growth of heat-stressed male broiler chickens were investigated. Chicks were divided into 4 groups: 60% feed restriction on d 4,5, and 6 (FR); exposure to 36 +/- 1 degrees C for 1 h from d 1 to 21 (HT); combination of FR and HT (FRHT); and control. From d 35 to 50, heat stress was induced by exposing birds to 38 +/- 1 degrees C and 80% RH for 2 h/d. On d 36, each bird was administered 10 times the normal dose of live IBD vaccine. After heat exposure, the FRHT birds had higher HSP 70 density (d 41) and weight gain (from d 35 to 49) and lower bursal histological score (BHS) (d 51) than their HT and control counterparts. The HSP 70 expression and BHS of FR birds were not significantly different from those of the other 3 groups during the heat exposure period. Heat shock protein 70 and BHS data were negatively correlated (r = -0.33, P = 0.0008). We concluded that FRHT could improve weight gain and resistance to IBD in male broiler chickens under heat stress conditions. The improved heat tolerance and disease resistance in FRHT birds could be attributed to better HSP 70 response.
1. This study was conducted to determine the effect of early-age food restriction on heat shock protein (hsp) 70 synthesis in the brains of female broiler chickens exposed to high ambient temperatures. 2. Chicks were brooded for 3 weeks and then maintained at 24+/-1 degrees C. 3. On d 0, chicks were assigned to one of 4 feeding regimens; each regimen was applied to 4 cages of chicks. The regimens were: (1) ad libitum feeding (AL); (2) 80% food restriction at 4, 5 and 6 d of age (F80); (3) 60% food restriction at 4, 5, and 6 d of age (F60); and (4) 40% food restriction at 4, 5 and 6 d of age (F40). From d 35 to d 41, all chicks were subjected to 38+/-1 degrees C for 2 h/d. 4. One day following food restriction (d 7), hsp 70 expression in the brain samples of F60 and F40 chicks was augmented but not those fed AL and F80. 5. Prior to the heat challenge (d 35), all chicks had similar hsp 70 response. Irrespective of feeding regimen, there was a marked increase in hsp 70 expression after 4 d of heat treatment (d 38). Following 7 d of heat exposure (d 41), except for the F60 chicks, the augmented hsp 70 expression in the brains of AL, F80 and F40 birds was not maintained. 6. Enhancement of hsp 70 expression was noted in birds subjected to F60, but not AL, F80 or F40, throughout the period of heat exposure.
Cardamonin, a chalcone isolated from the fruits of a local plant Alpinia rafflesiana, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity in cellular models of inflammation. In this report, we evaluated the ability of cardamonin to suppress both NO and PGE2 synthesis, iNOS and COX-2 expression and enzymatic activity, and key molecules in the NF-kappaB pathway in order to determine its molecular target. Cardamonin suppressed the production of NO and PGE2 in interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells. This inhibition was demonstrated to be caused by a dose-dependent down-regulation of both inducible enzymes, iNOS and COX-2, without direct effect upon iNOS or COX-2 enzyme activity. Subsequently we determined that the inhibition of inducible enzyme expression was due to a dose-dependent inhibition of phosphorylation and degradation of I-kappaBalpha, which resulted in a reduction of p65NF-kappaB nuclear translocation. We conclude that cardamonin is a potential anti-inflammatory drug lead that targets the NF-kappaB pathway.
The influence of soil texture (silt, sand and laterite) and flotation solutions (saturated NaCl, sucrose, NaNO3, and ZnSO4) upon the recovery of Toxocara ova from seeded soil samples with the centrifugal flotation technique was investigated. Soil samples of different texture were artificially seeded with Toxocara spp. ova and subjected to a centrifugal flotation technique which used various flotation solutions. The results showed significant (P < 0.001) interactions between the soil types and the flotation solutions. The highest percentage of ova recovery was obtained with silty soil (34.9-100.8%) with saturated NaCl as the flotation solution (45.3-100.8%). A combination of washing of soil samples with 0.1% Tween 80, and flotation using saturated NaCl and a 30 min coverslip recovery period was used to study the prevalence of contamination of soil samples. Forty-six soil samples were collected from up to 24 public parks/playgrounds in urban areas of Petaling Jaya and suburban areas of Serdang. The prevalence of Toxocara species in the urban and suburban areas was 54.5% and 45.8% respectively.