Medicinal plants are a promising source for identification of lead molecules for cancer therapy. In our continuous search to discover bioactive compounds from natural products, we isolated (5R, 10R)-4R, 8R-dihydroxy-2S, 3R:15, 16-diepoxycleroda-13(16), 17, 12S:18,1S-dilactone (ECD), a diterpenoid from Tinospora cordifolia and studied its chemopreventive potential in diethylnitrosamine (DEN) induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) rats. Fifty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups. Group I served as normal control. Group II-IV were given DEN (0.01% in drinking water) for twenty weeks. In addition, Group III (preventive treatment) received ECD (10 mg/kg body weight) throughout the study. Group IV (curative treatment) received ECD (10 mg/kg body weight) for the last 8 weeks. Group V received ECD alone (10 mg/kg body weight) throughout the experimental period. At the end of the experimental period all the animals were sacrificed and analyzed for biochemical end points to assess the effect of ECD treatment in DEN induced HCC. The animals treated with DEN showed a decrease in the activities of antioxidant (SOD, CAT) and detoxification enzymes (GSH, GPx) with increase in the activities of the hepatic markers (SGOT, SGPT, LDH). Treatment of ECD in both preventive and curative DEN induced animals increased the level of antioxidants and detoxification enzymes, and decreased serum transaminase level and hepatic marker enzymes to near normal. Histopathological and nodular incidence also confirmed that ECD remarkably reduced tumor incidence and reversed damaged hepatocytes to normal. Our findings confirm that ECD exhibits preventive effect against chemically induced HCC in rats. ECD can be a potent chemopreventive drug for HCC.

No abstract

No abstract

Ononitol monohydrate (OM) was isolated from L. leaves. The anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of OM have been examined in male Wistar rats and mice. The efficacy of OM against inflammation was studied by using carrageenan-induced paw oedema, croton oil-induced ear oedema, acetic acid-induced vascular permeability, cotton pellet-induced granuloma and adjuvant-induced arthritis. The analgesic activity of OM was assessed using the acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction response, formalin-induced paw licking response and the hot-plate test. In acute type inflammation models, maximum inhibitions of 50.69 and 61.06% ( < .05) were noted with 20 mg/kg of OM in carrageenan-induced hind paw oedema and croton oil-induced ear oedema, respectively. Treatment of OM (20 mg/kg) meaningfully ( < .05) reduced the granuloma tissue formation by cotton pellet study at a rate of 36.25%. OM (20 mg/kg) inhibited 53.64% of paw thickness in adjuvant-induced arthritis model. OM has also been produced significant ( < .05) analgesic activity in acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction response, formalin-induced paw licking response and in hot-plate test suggesting its peripheral and central analgesic potential. The outcomes of the present study proposed that OM influenced on the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities.

The genus Ardisia Sw (coralberry or marlberry). is the largest genus in the family Myrsinaceae and comprises approximately 500 species distributed throughout subtropical and tropical regions of the world. This genus is a good source of health promoting compounds and potent phytopharmaceuticals. In India, 13 species are enumerated. Within this, seven species are endemic to India and nine species are recorded in Tamil Nadu. Ardisia blatteri is an evergreen small tree, endemic to southern Western Ghats. The Preliminary phytochemical screening of plant revealed the presence of various classes of compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, reducing sugars, tannins, and terpenoids. GC-MS analysis has investigated on the ethanol extract of Ardisia blatteri, resulted with 40 known compounds in various degrees of distribution. Hexadecanoic acid (21.74%), Octamethyl (24.73%) are the major constituents. About 8 constituents are minor and 30 constituents are trace amount in the plant extract.