No abstract

Antioxidant potential of aqueous extracts was determined individually and ABTS/DPPH free radicals were utilized for scoring antioxidant activities, Folin-Ciocalteau’s reagent for Total Phenolic content and aluminum chloride colorimetry method for Total Flavonoid content evaluation. Different parts of the same plant exhibited different antioxidant potential. An overall comparative account among the different parts of selected fruits, spices and herb can be stated as Punica granatum (PG) peel˃ Punica granatum pulp˃ Carica papaya (CP) peel˃ Trigonella foenum-graecum (TFG) seeds˃ Foeniculum vulgare (FV) seeds˃ Urtica dioica (UD) dried leaves˃ Carica papaya (CP) seed˃ Urtica dioica (UD) frozen leaves˃ Punica granatum (PG) seed˃ Urtica dioica (UD) fresh leaves˃ Carica papaya (CP) pulp. Thus we can conclude that different parts of the same plant can have statistically different antioxidant potential and non-conventional parts can have good antioxidant potential which can be utilized to decrease the free radicals.

Nutraceuticals play an essential role in the reduction in free radical generation in cells. A similar idea was used in the present study to determine the effects of aqueous extracts on the organismal toxicities in a nontarget organism, Drosophila melanogaster, known as the fruit fly. Punica granatum (peel and pulp), Carica papaya (peel), Foeniculum vulgare (seeds), Trigonella foenum-graecum (seeds), and Urtica dioica (leaves) extracts were employed in this study. The organismal or behavioral effects in rotenone-, and rotenone- and phytoextract-treated flies were evaluated using wild-type Drosophila melanogaster (Oregon R+). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and behavioral parameters (climbing ability, memory power, emergence, and reproductive potential) were investigated. Urtica dioica leaves, Punica granatum peel, and pulp elicited maximal amelioration in Drosophila, although not at the same intensity, and all exhibited a varied degree of improvement in different assays. Most extracts with their potent active components (phenols, tannins, flavonoids, and amino acids) revealed a protective action against rotenone-induced toxicities at the organismal level in the stated parameters above. Interestingly, different strains and parameters had varied improvement tendencies. Thus, Drosophila may be used as a suitable in vivo animal model for such investigations, and the usage of phytoextracts may prevent a variety of disorders, including neurodegeneration. The results of this study may help in the use of specific herbs as reliable sources of phytoingredients that may be useful in developing nutraceuticals and in other clinical uses.

No abstract

The popular treatment approaches of neurodegenerative diseases are generally for symptom management, but unfortunately, there is no significant curative approach present so far that can signifcantly reduce its progression. Indian traditional medicine is being used alone or in a combination of herbs to fight against these diseases. The commonly used herbs/traditional medicine(s) for this purpose are Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi), Curcuma longa (curcumin) and Camellia sinensis (green tea). In the present study, herbs were judged for its free radical scavenging activity through DPPH free radical scavenging assay, Total Phenolic Content (TPC) and also Total Flavonoid Content (TFC). Among them, green tea exhibited highest total phenolic content and also higher total flavonoid content (99.667±3.547 mg GA/g and with 7.633±2.532 mg QE/g, respectively) followed by Bacopa monnieri and Curcumin. In this context, Green tea showed maximum free radical scavenging activity than curcumin followed by Brahmi (GT>CUR>BM). These herbs were evaluated to check their potential in the improvement of the climbing ability of flies and acetylcholinesterase enzyme activities using Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies). In this study, fruit flies were fed normal food, chlorpyrifos contaminated food and also chlorpyrifos (Chlor) along with individual herbs as mentioned above (Chlor+GT, Chlor+CUR, Chlor+BM). Interestingly, we found that the free radical scavenging activity and antioxidant activities, of Brahmi (97%) has the highest improvement in climbing activity as compared to green tea (90%) followed by curcumin (86%) and organisms treated with these herbs show a trend BM>GT>CUR. Moreover, Brahmi also exhibited maximum improvement in AChE activities as compared to curcumin and green tea and showed a trend BM>CUR>GT.