Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease

341-347

Authors: Mohamed F. Alajmi, Perwez Alam

Objective: To evaluate and compare the anti-inflammatory activity and to develop HPTLC fingerprint profile of ethanolic extract of Maytenus obscura (M. obscura) and Maytenus parviflora (M. parviflora). Methods: Preliminary phytochemical screening was done and HPTLC studies were carried out using CAMAG HPTLC system equipped with Linomat IV applicator, TLC scanner 3, Reprostar 3, CAMAG ADC 2 and WIN CATS-4 software. The anti-inflammatory activity was tested by injecting different groups of rats (6 each) with formalin in hind paw and measuring the edema volume before and 1 h after formalin injection. Control group received saline i.p. The extract treatment was injected i.p with doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg 1 h before formalin administration. Indomethacin (30 mg/kg) was used as standard. Results: Treatment of rats (i.p.) with M. obscura and M. parviflora in doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg inhibited significantly (P<0.05) formalin-induced inflammation by 55.9%, 63.2% and 77.9%, 82.4%, respectively. Preliminary phytochemical studies were done which confirmed the presence of protein, lipid, carbohydrate, phenol, flavonoid, saponin, triterpenoid, alkaloid and anthraquinone. Chromatography was performed on glass-backed silica gel 60 F254 HPTLC plates with the solvent system: Toluene: ethylacetate: glacial acetic acid (5:2:0.1, v/v/v) as mobile phase. HPTLC finger printing of M. obscura revealed major 8 peaks with Rf values in the range of 0.27 to 0.77 and the M. parviflora revealed maximum 9 peaks with Rf values in the range of 0.17 to 0.76. The purity of sample was confirmed by comparing the absorption spectra at start, middle and end position of the band. Conclusions: HPTLC of M. parviflora revealed 8 major spots and 9 spots for M. obscura. HPTLC finger printing of ethanolic extract of M. obscura and M. parviflora may become potential tool for checking authenticity of these species. It may help in quality control against adulterant and act as a biochemical marker for these medicinally important plants in the pharmaceutical industry and plant systematic studies. The anti-inflammatory potential of these plants also reveals its medicinal importance. It might be further explored for the isolation of phytoconstituents having anti-inflammatory potential.

352-361

Authors: Nazri Che Dom, A Abu Hassan, Z Abd Latif, Rodziah Ismail

Objective: To develop a forecasting model for the incidence of dengue cases in Subang Jaya using time series analysis. Methods: The model was performed using the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) based on data collected from 2005 to 2010. The fitted model was then used to predict dengue incidence for the year 2010 by extrapolating dengue patterns using three different approaches (i.e. 52, 13 and 4 weeks ahead). Finally cross correlation between dengue incidence and climate variable was computed over a range of lags in order to identify significant variables to be included as external regressor. Results: The result of this study revealed that the ARIMA (2,0,0) (0,0,1)52 model developed, closely described the trends of dengue incidence and confirmed the existence of dengue fever cases in Subang Jaya for the year 2005 to 2010. The prediction per period of 4 weeks ahead for ARIMA (2,0,0) (0,0,1)52 was found to be best fit and consistent with the observed dengue incidence based on the training data from 2005 to 2010 (Root Mean Square Error=0.61). The predictive power of ARIMA (2,0,0) (0,0,1)52 is enhanced by the inclusion of climate variables as external regressor to forecast the dengue cases for the year 2010. Conclusions: The ARIMA model with weekly variation is a useful tool for disease control and prevention program as it is able to effectively predict the number of dengue cases in Malaysia.

367-374

Authors: Omri Hichri Amel, Besbes Hlila Malek, Ben Jannet Hichem, Lamari Ali, Aouni Mahjoub, Selmi Boulbaba

Objective: To investigate the antioxidant potential and anti-acetylcholinesterase activity of Rapistrum rugosum extracts. Methods: The crude, ethyl acetate, butanol and water extracts prepared from flowers, roots, stems and leaves of Rapistrum rugosum were tested at 1 mg/mL to determine their total polyphenol content, total flavonoid content and total condensed tannin content. Their antioxidant activity was assessed at different concentrations (0.0312, 0.0625, 0.1250, 0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 mg/ mL) by using DPPH, ABTS, reducing power and β-carotene bleAChIng inhibition activity. Antiacetylcholinesterase activity was also determined. Results: The extract of leaves and stems had the highest total phenolic content [(110.45±0.03) mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight]. The ethyl acetate extract of flowers had the highest total flavonoid content [(24.62±0.13) mg quercetin equivalent/g dry weight]. The butanolic fraction of flowers had the highest total condensed tannin content [(317.85±0.01) mg catechin equivalent/g dry weight]. The crude extracts of flowers exhibited an interesting antioxidant activity for DPPH assay (93.00±0.01)% at 1 mg/mL. The greatest acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity (IC50=1.60 mg/mL) was exhibited by the crude extracts from the flowers. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that Rapistrum rugosum contains active constituents which possess antioxidant and anti-acetylcholinesterase activities.

382-388

Authors: Nabèrè Ouattara, Roland Nâg- Tiero Meda, Adama Hilou, Samson Guenné, Kiessoum Konaté, Ahmed Y Coulibaly, Martin K endrébeogo, Jeanne F Millogo, Odile G Nacoulma

Objective: To investigate the anti-acetylcholinesterase and antioxidant activities and to evaluate the major polyphenolic compounds of Nelsonia canescens extracts. Methods: The anti-acetylcholinesterase activity was assessed using a kinetic inhibition standard method. Two methods, ABTS and lipid peroxidation, were used to estimate the antioxidant capacity. Polyphenols profile of the plant extract has been determined with a HPLC-MS method. Results: The results showed that butanol extract exhibited the best anti-acetylcholinesterase activity with inhibition percentage of (55.62±1.49)%. The best 3 ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate radical cation scavenging capacity was found for ethyl acetate extract with a value of (56.20 ±0.77) mg equivalent trolox/g while the crude extract showed the highest inhibition of the rat liver lipid peroxidation (52.57±1.20)%. Polyphenols profile revealed the presence of five phenol acids (p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid and gentisic acid) and three flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin, quercetin). Conclusions: All the extracts of Nelsonia canescens exhibited antioxidant and AChE inhibition capacities. The active compounds identified and quantified in this species are mainly responsible for these in vitro biological activities and allow to justify its widely use in Burkina Faso traditional medicine.

393-400

Authors: Md Shamsuddin Sultan Khan, Sharif Hossain Syeed, Md Hanif Uddin, Lucky Akter, Md Asmat Ullah, S ria J han, Md Harunur Rashid

Objective: To investigate different biological activities of the methanolic extract and solventsolvent partitioning of Vitex negundo (V. negundo) bark. Methods: In-vitro anti-oxidant study was determined using total phenolic compound analysis and DPPH radical scavenging assay. In vitro antimicrobial study was measured by observing zone of inhibition. The cytotoxic activity was studied using brine shrimp lethality bioassay and thrombolytic activity by clot disruption method. Results: In the evaluation of anti-oxidant activity, the amount of total phenolic content differed in different extractives as from 12.94 mg of GAE/g of extractives to 54.19 mg of GAE/g of extractives of V. negundo. Among all extractives, the highest phenolic content was found in n-hexane fraction (N-HXN) (54.19 mg of GAE/g of extractives). Significant amount of phenolic compounds were present in methanol extract (ME) (35.19 mg of GAE/g of extractives) and aqueous soluble fraction (AQSF) (12.94 mg of GAE/g of extractives). The free radical scavenging activity of ME and its different partitions were assessed using DPPH free radicals assay. The highest free radical scavenging activity was found in AQSF (IC50=7.78 µg/mL). The antimicrobial screening of the bark of V. negundo exhibited mild to moderate activity in test microorganisms. The chloroform soluble fraction demonstrated the highest inhibition against microbial growth having zone of inhibition as 8-12 mm. In the brine shrimp lethality bioassay, The LC50 values of n-hexane and chloroform soluble fractions were found 3.713 6 µg/mL, and 0.910 µg/mL respectively while the LC50 values of standard Vincristine sulphate was 0.408 µg/mL. The methanol extract and their different organic soluble of V. negundo bark inhibited hypotonic solution-induced haemolysis of erythrocytes in in-vitro membrane stabilizing activity test. The AQSF and N-HXN showed inhibition of haemolysis as 55.05% and 29.89% that were lower than 71.9% of aspirin (0.10 mg/mL). Methanol extract of V. negundo and all of its different partitions exhibited moderate thrombolytic activity of 36.95%- 22.98%. Conclusions: These experiments were able to show the several biological activity of methanolic extract and its soluble fractions of V. negundo at a time.

405-408

Authors: Huma Ali, Savita Dixit

Objective: To evaluate the differences between cancerous tissue, drug treated tissue and its corresponding normal tissue by infrared spectroscopic analysis. Methods: Methanolic extracts of Azadirachta indica, Ocimum sanctum, Aloe barbandesis, Tinospora cordifolia and Triticum aestivum were assessed for the isolation and purification of active compound. After that, combine crude and combine isolated samples were prepared. Skin tumor was induced by topical application of 7, 12-dimethyl benz (a) anthracene and promoted by croton oil in Swiss albino mice. To assess the chemopreventive potential of different drugs, it was administered at a concentration of 400 mg/kg body weight daily up to 16 weeks. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis was used to differentiate the drug treated tissues with the normal and cancerous tissue. In the present study, spectra of different tissues were recorded in the range of 400-4 000 cm-1. Results: The results of the present study have shown that the remarkable difference exists between the IR spectra of normal, drugs treated and cancerous tissue in terms of frequencies and intensities of prominent bands of cellular biomolecules. Conclusions: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis suggests the chemopreventive effect of above treated drugs and the best result was observed in combine crude sample and in combine isolated sample or synergistic effect of individual crude and isolated extract in 7, 12-dimethyl benz (a) anthracene croton oil induced skin carcinogenesis in Swiss albino mice.

413-420

Authors: Prashant Tiwari, Shubhangi Dwivedi, Mukesh P atap Singh, Rahul Mishra, Anish Chandy

Cholinergic system is an important system and a branch of the autonomic nervous system which plays an important role in memory, digestion, control of heart beat, blood pressure, movement and many other functions. This article serves as both structural and functional sources of information regarding cholinergic receptors and provides a detailed understanding of the determinants governing specificity of muscarinic and nicotinic receptor to researchers. The study helps to give overall information about the fundamentals of the cholinergic system, its receptors and ongoing research in this field.