Therapeutic potential of traditionally used medicinal plant Andrographis paniculata (Burm. F.) against diabesity: An experimental study in rats

Ajit Kumar Thakur,Shyam Sunder Chatterjee,Vikas Kumar 셀메드 세포교정의약학회 2014 TANG Vol.4 No.1

Metabolic effects of ten daily doses of standardized extract of Andrographis paniculata leaves (AP) rich in andrographolide were evaluated in a rat model of type-2 diabetes and in diet induced obese rats. AP was administered per-orally as suspension in 0.3% carboxymethylcellulose at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day for 10 consecutive days. Blood glucose, insulin and lipid profile of rats were measured by using enzyme kits. In addition, effects of such treatments on anti-oxidant enzymes activity and histopathological changes in various organs of diabetic rats were assessed. AP treatments reversed body weight losses and increased plasma insulin level in diabetic rats. The anti-oxidant enzymes activity became normal and histopathological changes observed in pancreas, liver, kidney and spleen of diabetic animals were less severe in extract treated groups. On the other hand, hyperinsulinemia and increased body weight gains observed in high fat or fructose fed rats were less severe in the extract treated groups. These observations revealed therapeutic potentials of the extract for treatments of diabesity associated metabolic disorders, and suggest that the effects of the extract on insulin homeostasis depend on the metabolic status of animals. Activation of cytoprotective mechanisms could be involved in its mode of action.

Anxiolytic-like activity of leaf extract of traditionally used Indian-Mustard (Brassica juncea) in diabetic rats

Ajit Kumar Thakur,Shyam Sunder Chatterjee,Vikas Kumar 셀메드 세포교정의약학회 2013 TANG Vol.3 No.1

Brassica juncea is a polyphenols enriched edible plant, with diverse medicinal uses of different parts of which have been mentioned in the Ayurveda. The effects of 10 daily oral doses (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg/day) of a methanolic Brassica juncea leaf extract in rat models of anxiety using nondiabetic and alloxan-diabetic rats were quantified. In all the three behavioural tests used, i.e. elevated plus maze, open field, and social interaction tests, anxiolytic-like activity of the extract was observed in the diabetic animals only. Quantitatively, the efficacy of the highest tested dose of the extract in these tests was always less than those observed after its lower ones. These observations provide further experimental evidences for the conviction that Brassica vegetables could as well be useful for combating diabetes associated mental health problems.

Andrographolides and traditionally used Andrographis paniculata as potential adaptogens: Implications for therapeutic innovation

Ajit Kumar Thakur,Shyam Sunder Chatterjee,Vikas Kumar 셀메드 세포교정의약학회 2014 셀메드 (CellMed) Vol.4 No.3

Andrographis paniculata (Burm. F.) Wall. Ex Nees (Family: Anthaceae) is a traditionally known Ayurvedic medicinal plant. Several well-controlled clinical trials conducted during recent years have consistently reconfirmed that Andrographis paniculata extracts are effective in suppressing cardinal symptoms of diverse inflammatory and infectious diseases. Despite extensive efforts though, many questions concerning bioactive constituents of such extracts and their modes of actions still remain unanswered. Amongst diverse diterpene lactones isolated to date from such extracts, andrographolide is often considered to be the major, representative, or bioactive secondary metabolite of the plant. Therefore, it has attracted considerable attention of several drug discovery laboratories as a lead molecule potentially useful for identifying structurally and functionally novel drug. Critical analysis of available preclinical and clinical information on Andrographis paniculata extracts and pure andrographolide strongly suggest that they are pharmacologically polyvalent and that they possess adaptogenic properties. Aim of this communication is to summarize and critically analyze such data, and to point out some possibilities for more rationally exploiting their adaptogenic properties for discovering novel therapeutic leads, or for obtaining pharmacologically better standardized phyto-pharmaceuticals.

Therapeutic potentials of Brassica juncea: an overview

Vikas Kumar,Ajit Kumar Thakur,Narottam Dev Barothia,Shyam Sunder Chatterjee 셀메드 세포교정의약학회 2011 TANG Vol.1 No.1

Diverse medicinal uses of different types of products obtainable from Brassica juncea have been known for centuries. Most such traditionally known uses of the plant have been centered on its seeds and oils obtainable from them. During more recent decades diverse bio-active molecules and their therapeutically interesting pharmacological properties of its green edible leaves have also been described, and they are now often considered to be effective substitutes for other so called “healthy” Brassica vegetables. However, little concentrated effort has yet been made to obtain a pharmacologically better defined phyto-pharmaceutical from this easily cultivable plant of commercial interest in many underdeveloped and developing countries. The main aim of this overview is to point out some possibilities for designing and developing such products from the plant for combating the rapidly spreading obesity epidemic in the developed countries and some other countries. Efforts to achieve such goals could as well be an economically more feasible, and culturally more acceptable, starting point for better understanding the potential health benefits of other vegetarian foods.

Potential of some traditionally used edible plants for prevention and cure of diabesity associated comorbidities

Vikas Kumar,Ajit Kumar Thakur,Suruchi Verma,Vaishali Yadav,Shyam Sunder Chatterjee 셀메드 세포교정의약학회 2015 셀메드 (CellMed) Vol.5 No.2

Medicinal uses of edible and other plants for prevention and cure of obesity and overweight associated metabolic and mental health problems have since long been known to scholars and practitioners of Ayurvedic and other traditionally known system of medicine. Modernized versions of numerous edible plant derived formulations mentioned in ancient Ayurvedic texts are at present some of the most popular, or best selling, herbal remedies in India and numerous other countries suffering from double burden of diseases caused by malnutrition and obesity. Preclinical and clinical information now available on edible plants and their bioactive constituents justify traditionally known medicinal uses of products derived from them for prevention and cure of obesity associated type-2 diabetes, psychopathologies and other health problems. Such information now available on a few edible Ayurvedic plants and their formulations and suggesting that their stress response regulating effects are involved in their broad spectrums of bioactivity profiles are summarized in this communication. Implications of recent physiological and pharmacological observations made with numerous phytochemicals isolated from edible plants for better understanding of traditionally known medicinal uses of herbal remedies are also pointed out.

Potential mechanism of anti-diabetic activity of Picrorhiza kurroa

Gulam Mohammed Husain,Richa Rai,Geeta Rai,Harikesh Bahadur Singh,Ajit Kumar Thakur,Vikas Kumar 셀메드 세포교정의약학회 2014 TANG Vol.4 No.4

Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth. (Scrophulariaceae) is a traditional Ayurvedic herb known as Kutki. It is used as a remedy for diabetes by tribes of North Eastern Himalayan region of India. Present study was conducted to explore the mechanism of antidiabetic activity of standardized aqueous extract of Picrorhiza kurroa (PkE). PkE (100 and 200 mg/kg/day) was orally administered to streptozotocin induced diabetic rats, for 14 consecutive days. Plasma insulin levels were measured and pancreas of rat was subjected to histopathological investigations. Glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT-4) protein content in the total membrane fractions of soleus muscle was estimated by Western blot analysis. Plasma insulin level was significantly increased along with concomitant increase in GLUT-4 content of total membrane fractions of soleus muscle of diabetic rats treated with extract. There was evidence of regeneration of β-cells of pancreatic islets of PkE treated group in histopathological examinations. PkE increased the insulin-mediated translocation of GLUT-4 from cytosol to plasma membrane or increased GLUT-4 expression, which in turn facilitated glucose uptake by skeletal muscles in diabetic rats.