Current Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences

80-86

Authors: Saadiya A El-Nahas, Hoda Mahrous, Yahya Naguib, Mohammed Fathy Salem and Yossereya M Hassan

L-carnitine is a cofactor in the transfer of long-chain fatty acid allowing the β-oxidation of fatty acid in the mitochondria. It is also a known antioxidant with protective effects against lipid peroxidation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the biosyenthesized L-carnitine from mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus against paracetamol (AA) induced hepatotoxicity and nepherotoxicity where mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are thought to be involved in AA toxicity. Forty Swiss albino male adult mice were divided into five groups. Mice were dosed with single-AA injection (500 mg/kg via the intra peritoneal route) with or without L-carnitine (500 mg/kg for 10 days starting 10 days before and after AA injection via intra peritoneal route) AA increased serum AST, ALT, serum creatinine and BUN levels significantly. Administration of biosynthesized L-carnitine from Pleurotus ostreatus significantly reduced AA-induced elevations in AST, ALT, serum createnine and BUN levels. Also histopathological examination of liver and kidney showed great improvement of AA induced necrosis and hemorrhage. These results suggested that AA results in oxidative damage in the liver and kidney with an acute effect and L-carnitine from mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus pharmacologically active and has a prominent therapeutic and protective effect against acute AA toxicity and may be of therapeutic value in the treatment and prevention of AA-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxiciy.

92-98

Authors: Anand Gupta, Yogendra Mavai, Suman Jain

edicinal plants have been used in various traditional systems, as they have potential against numerous diseases. Currently, more than 200 clinically useful prescription drugs are derived from plants. Most of these were developed because of their use in traditional medicine. In several ancient systems of medicine including Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani, Ipomoea aquatic, Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Piper longum, three medicinally important herbs from mainly Asian origin has vast number of therapeutic applications including antiasthematic activity but very little information is available about their safety profile. It is a common believe that herbal products are safe because of which nobody care for the evaluation of their final preparation. We strongly recommend performing safety studies for the herbal preparations because all the extracts used are chemical in nature and there is strong possibility that these chemicals may react with each other and form some toxic compound or interact with the biomolecules. Keeping these things in mind, the present study has been envisaged and it was observed that water and chloroform extracts of Ipomoea aquatic, Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Piper longum are safe, based on the acute toxicity studies, as no abnormal changes are observed in treated animals. The combinations of both the extracts in 1:1:1 ratio are also safe and can be encapsulated into hard gelatin capsule of 000 size for human use.