Planta medica
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In this study, we evaluated the protective effects of thymoquinone, the major constituent of Nigella sativa seeds on the neuropathic pain of rats with chronic constrictive injury of the sciatic nerve. Rats received repeated administration of thymoquinone (1.25, 2.5, and 5 mg/kg, i. p.) once a day for 14 days, beginning immediately after the nerve injury. Mechanical allodynia, cold allodynia, and thermal hyperalgesia were assessed with the von Frey filament, acetone drop, or radiant heat stimulus, respectively. ⋯ Thymoquinone treatment (2.5 and 5 mg/kg) restored the levels of malondialdehyde. High dose of thymoquinone (5 mg/kg) also reversed the decreased glutathione in the injured animals. Our results indicate that, microglia, apoptotic factors, and oxidative stress rather than astroglia contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic constrictive injury, and thymoquinone plays an anti-nociceptive role possibly by antioxidant effects and inhibition of microglia activity.
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Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) is a highly popular herbal beverage in South America due to its high content of caffeine. Its hypolipidemic and antioxidant properties are of increasing interest in the treatment of cardiovascular disorders and for weight control. In the present study, we show for the first time both the local and systemic anti-inflammatory effects of an aqueous extract of mate in three classic in vivo models, namely acute and chronic 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate-induced mouse ear edema and acute carrageenan-induced mouse paw edema. ⋯ The oral administration of the mate extract (250 mg/kg) significantly reduced the carrageenan-induced edema at all time points, an effect which was accompanied by a 43 % and 53 % reduction of the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase, respectively. Histological analyses confirmed a reduction of epithelium thickness, dermis with mild inflammation, hair follicles with some secretory cells of sebaceous glands, and hypodermic adipocytes. In conclusion, mate is endowed with in vivo preventative or therapeutic anti-inflammatory effects in both local and systemic inflammatory processes.
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Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is the main curcuminoid of the popular Indian spice turmeric (Curcuma longa). In the last 50 years, in vitro and in vivo experiments supported the main role of polyphenols and curcumin for the prevention and treatment of many different inflammatory diseases and tumors. The anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor properties of curcumin are due to different cellular mechanisms: this compound, in fact, produces different responses in different cell types. ⋯ Pharmacologically, curcumin does not show any dose-limiting toxicity when it is administered at doses of up to 8 g/day for three months. It has been demonstrated that curcumin has beneficial effects on several ocular diseases, such as chronic anterior uveitis, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and dry eye syndrome. The purpose of this review is to report what has so far been elucidated about curcumin properties and its potential use in ophthalmology.
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Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. Chronic pain is one of the main symptoms, affecting many patients. Studies show that the lignans or the apolar extracts of Phyllanthus amarus have antinociceptive effects in different animal models. ⋯ The hexanic extract of P. amarus at a dose of 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg did not affect the development of the disease. The motor coordination and pain threshold of the treated animals were not altered in this experiment. In conclusion, in this test, the hexanic extract of P. amarus did not show evidence of antihypernociceptive activity in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
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Recent evidence suggests that cardiac glycosides might be used for the treatment of cancer. The ornamental shrub Nerium oleander has been used in traditional medicine for treating several disorders including cancer, and extracts from the leaves of this plant have already entered phase I clinical trials. In this communication, we have prepared a hydroalcoholic extract from the leaves of Nerium oleander (containing 4.75 ± 0.32 % of cardenolides) and have assessed its cytotoxic activity in A549 lung cancer cells vs. ⋯ Nerium oleander extract induced a marked inhibition of glycolysis (glucose consumption and lactate production) in A549 cells, comparable to that of the glycolysis inhibitor dichloroacetate (currently in clinical development for cancer therapy). Because platinum compounds are widely used in the treatment of lung cancer, we tested the cytotoxicity of several combinations of cisplatin with the extract and found a moderate synergism when Nerium oleander extract was administered after cisplatin but a moderate antagonism when it was added before cisplatin. Our results suggest that extracts from Nerium oleander might induce anticancer effects in patients with lung cancer and support their possible advancement into phase II clinical trials for the treatment of this type of cancer.