Objective:To assess pharmacokinetic interaction of garlic with atorvastatin in dyslipidemic rats.Materials and Methods:Sprague Dawley rats with induced dyslipidemia were divided into five groups of eight rats each. Group 1 was given atorvastatin (10 mg/kg body weight (b.wt) orally), group 2 was given atorvastatin (10 mg/kg b.wt orally)+garlic (1% w/w in feed), group 3 was maintained on atorvastatin (5 mg/kg b.wt orally)+garlic (0.5% w/w in feed), group 4 was maintained on atorvastatin (7.5 mg/kg b.wt orally)+garlic (0.25% w/w in feed), and group 5 was maintained on atorvastatin (2.5 mg/kg b.wt orally)+garlic (0.75% w/w in feed) for 12 weeks. Blood samples were collected at predetermined time intervals for kinetic analysis after the first and last oral dosing of atorvastatin for single and multiple dose studies, respectively. Plasma samples were assayed for atorvastatin concentration by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and then the concentration-time data were analyzed.Results:Maximum observed plasma concentration (Cmax), half-life, Area Under Plasma Concentration Time Curve (AUC), and Mean Resident Time (MRT) were significantly (P<0.05) increased during multiple dose kinetic study and elimination rate constant was significantly (P<0.05) decreased in comparison with their respective single-dose values, while there was no significant difference in time to achieve maximum concentration (tmax) in all groups during both phases of the study. The highest values for kinetic parameters were observed in group 2 with correspondingly low activity of Cytochrome P450 (CYP450).Conclusion:The study revealed higher values [Cmax, AUC, Area Under The Moment Curve (AUMC), MRT, and half-life] of atorvastatin in garlic-treated groups.

A total of 56 male Sprague dawley rats of uniform weight and age were randomly divided into seven groups consisting of eight rats in each group. Groups 1, 2, and 3 served as plain control, dyslipidaemic control (DL), and atorvastatin control, respectively. Groups 4, 5, 6, and 7 received 1, 0.5, 0.25, and 0.75% fresh garlic w/w in feed, respectively in addition to the high-fat and high-cholesterol diet and administered with atorvastatin orally for 12 weeks at the rate of 10, 5, 7.5, and 2.5 mg/kg b.wt., respectively. Plasma creatinine was estimated at 4-week intervals, whereas histopathology, electron microscopy, and estimation of TBARS concentration in kidney were conducted at the end of experiment. The TBARS concentration in DL was significantly (P<0.05) increased when compared with groups 1, 3, 6, and 7. On histopathological examination, kidney sections of group 3 had mild degenerative changes in the tubules with fatty change in few tubules, while groups 4 and 5 exhibited mild-to-moderate degenerative and fatty changes in tubules with inter tubular hemorrhages. The electron microscopy of group 2 showed hypertrophy of Bowman’s capsule, while that of group 4 showed secretary deposits in the cytoplasm. The interaction studies on kidney indicated that high dose of atorvastatin + garlic has negative safety profile when compared with groups having low dose of statin and high dose of garlic.

Combating antibiotic resistance requires discovery of novel antimicrobials effective against resistant bacteria. Herein, we present for the first time, pGLO plasmid transformed Escherichia coli HB 101 K 12 as novel model for screening of nanomaterial-based antimicrobial agents against b-lactamase resistance. E. coli HB 101 was transformed by pGLO plasmid in the presence of calcium chloride (50 mM; pH 6.1) aided by heat shock (0-42-0°C). The transformed bacteria were grown on Luria-Bertani agar containing ampicillin (amp) and arabinose (ara). The transformed culture was able to grow in the presence of ampicillin and also exhibited fluorescence under UV light. Both untransformed and transformed bacteria were used for screening citrate-mediated nanosilver (CNS), aloin-mediated nanosilver (ANS), 11-a-ketoboswellic acid (AKBA)-mediated nanosilver (BNS); nanozinc oxide, nanomanganese oxide (NMO) and phytochemicals such as aloin and AKBA. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were obtained by microplate method using q-iodo nitro tetrazolium indicator. All the compounds were effective against transformed bacteria except NMO and AKBA. Transformed bacteria exhibited reverse cross resistance against aloin. ANS showed the highest antibacterial activity with a MIC of 0.32 ppm followed by BNS (10.32 ppm), CNS (20.64 ppm) and NZO (34.83 ppm). Thus, pGLO plasmid can be used to induce resistance against b-lactam antibiotics and the model can be used for rapid screening of new antibacterial agents effective against resistant bacteria.

Effect of lead was studied for its action on antioxidant defense in broilers. A total of 225 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Vencobb strain) were divided randomly into 15 groups consisting of 15 chicks in each group. Group 1 was maintained on basal diet, group 2 on polyherbal formulation (PHF; stressroak), group 3 on shilajit, group 4 on amla, and group 5 on vitamin E + selenium (Se). Group 6 was maintained on lead for 42 days (6 weeks) and group 7 on lead for 28 days and subsequently on basal diet without lead for the remaining two weeks. Groups 8, 9, 10, and 11 were given lead along with PHF, shilajit, amla, and vitamin E + Se, respectively throughout the experiment for 6 weeks. Groups 12, 13, 14, and 15 were given lead containing diet for the first four weeks (28 days) and subsequently treated with PHF, shilajit, amla, and vitamin E + Se, respectively for the remaining two weeks. Antioxidant status of the birds was analyzed by assaying blood samples for glutathione (GSH) peroxidase, GSH reductase, and catalase at the end of fourth and sixth weeks, whereas Thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) and GSH concentrations were estimated in liver homogenate at the end of the sixth week. The antioxidant defense parameters were significantly altered in toxic control groups indicating the possible oxidative damage caused by lead, whereas the parameters were normal in control groups 1 to 5 and other groups that were given the drugs in test, indicating their good ameliorating activity in oxidative stress.

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