Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) or phytic acid, contained in most mammalian cells, has been shown to have anticancer and anti-cell-proliferative effects in several experimental models of carcinogenesis. We investigated the effect of topical application of IP6 on 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA)-induced complete carcinogenesis and on selective critical events of proliferation, differentiation, or apoptosis after DMBA exposure. IP6 inhibited skin tumor development significantly in a dose-dependent manner. IP6 induced the DMBA-inhibited transglutaminase activity. DNA synthesis, as determined by [3H]thymidine incorporation, was suppressed by IP6 in a dose-dependent manner. IP6 also inhibited thymidine kinase enzyme, which is responsible for [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA. Our results show that topical application of IP6 inhibits DMBA-induced mouse skin tumor development and that IP6 exerts its tumor inhibitory effect probably by modulating proliferation, differentiation, or apoptosis. It seems that IP6 is an effective and potential chemopreventive agent for management of skin tumorigenesis.

In the present study locally available plant Nymphoides hydrophylla was screened for its in-vitro antioxidant and in-vivo hepatoprotective activity. The In vitro antioxidant activity of Nymphoides hydrophylla was studied using four types of oxygen free radical systems. Nymphoides hydrophylla had effective scavenging abilities against free radicals which was determined using standard methods like DPPH, Reducing power method, Nitric oxide assay and Phosphomolybdenum methods against standard gallic acid. The In-vivo hepatoprotective effect of Nymphoides hydrophylla was evaluated in Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced albino rats for acute liver injury. The animals were divided into six groups, each group containing three animals and two different doses of the extract were administered orally for five days. The hepatoprotective activity was assessed by estimating various biochemical parameters and histopathological studies. CCl4 administration caused severe hepatic damage in rats as evidenced by elevated SGPT, SGOT, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin levels. The ethanolic whole plant extract of Nymphoides hydrophylla significantly lowered the biological indicators and the results were compared with that of standard drug Silymarin. The histopathological study of liver was carried out and observed. The present study concludes that ethanolic whole plant extract of Nymphoides hydrophylla has significant antioxidant activity and succeeded to restore the biochemical parameters and improved the histological alteration of the liver.

No abstract

Barringtonia acutangula (L.) Gaertn. (Family: Lecythidaceae) is an evergreen tree with simple, alternate leaves, long pendulous racemes, dark scarlet flowers, and ellipsoid to ovoid berries containing one ovoid black seed. The present study deals with a detailed pharmacognostical study on the leaf of the crude drug, B. acutangula. Morphoanatomy of the leaf was studied using light and confocal microscopy and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on quality control methods for medicinal plant materials. Literature reveals that the phytoconstituents like tanginol, barrinic acid, and barringenic acid are present in the wood and fruits of this plant. Our preliminary phytochemical studies of the powdered leaves revealed the presence of terpenes, flavanoids, carbohydrates, tannins, steroids, and glycosides. The physico-chemical, morphological, histological parameters, and High Performance-Thin Layer Chromatographic (HPTLC) profile presented in this paper may be proposed as parameters to establish the authenticity of B. acutangula and can possibly help to differentiate the drug from its other species and the pharmacognostic profile of the leaves presented here will assist in standardization viz., quality, purity, and sample identification.