Reactive species produced in the cell during normal cellular metabolism can chemically react with cellular biomolecules such as nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids, thereby causing their oxidative modifications leading to alterations in their compositions and potential damage to their cellular activities. Fortunately, cells have evolved several antioxidant defense mechanisms (as metabolites, vitamins, and enzymes) to neutralize or mitigate the harmful effect of reactive species and/or their byproducts. Any perturbation in the balance in the level of antioxidants and the reactive species results in a physiological condition called "oxidative stress." A catalase is one of the crucial antioxidant enzymes that mitigates oxidative stress to a considerable extent by destroying cellular hydrogen peroxide to produce water and oxygen. Deficiency or malfunction of catalase is postulated to be related to the pathogenesis of many age-associated degenerative diseases like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, anemia, vitiligo, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, bipolar disorder, cancer, and schizophrenia. Therefore, efforts are being undertaken in many laboratories to explore its use as a potential drug for the treatment of such diseases. This paper describes the direct and indirect involvement of deficiency and/or modification of catalase in the pathogenesis of some important diseases such as diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, vitiligo, and acatalasemia. Details on the efforts exploring the potential treatment of these diseases using a catalase as a protein therapeutic agent have also been described.

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Role of Catalase in Oxidative Stress- and Age-Associated Degenerative Diseases.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the major health problems in the world, the incidence and associated mortality are increasing. Inadequate regulation of the blood sugar imposes serious consequences for health. Conventional antidiabetic drugs are effective, however, also with unavoidable side effects. On the other hand, medicinal plants may act as an alternative source of antidiabetic agents. Examples of medicinal plants with antidiabetic potential are described, with focuses on preclinical and clinical studies. The beneficial potential of each plant matrix is given by the combined and concerted action of their profile of biologically active compounds.

https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/9/10/551/pdf

Antidiabetic Potential of Medicinal Plants and Their Active Components.

The plant Aloe vera is used in Ayurvedic, Homoeopathic and Allopathic streams of medicine, and not only tribal community but also most of the people for food and medicine. The plant leaves contains numerous vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, natural sugars and other bioactive compounds with emollient, purgative, anti-microbial, anti inflammatory, antioxidant, aphrodisiac, anti-helmenthic, antifungal, antiseptic and cosmetic values for health care. This plant has potential to cure sunburns, burns and minor cuts, and even skin cancer. The external use in cosmetic primarily acts as skin healer and prevents injury of epithelial tissues, cures acne and gives a youthful glow to skin, also acts as extremely powerful laxative.

https://file.scirp.org/pdf/PP_2013110815081192.pdf

Therapeutic and Medicinal Uses of Aloe vera: A Review

After 35 years of development, immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) has evolved into a popular protein purification technique. This review starts with a discussion of its mechanism and advantages. It continues with its applications which include the purification of histidine-tagged proteins, natural metal-binding proteins, and antibodies. IMAC used in conjunction with mass spectroscopy for phosphoprotein fractionation and proteomics is also covered. Finally, this review addresses the developments, limitations, and considerations of IMAC in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography: a review on its applications

Cassia fistula stem bark was used for the preparation of aqueous extract and synthesis of gold nanoparticles to evaluate the hypoglycemic effects of the plant. The synthesized gold nanoparticles were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy for their absorbance pattern, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to identify possible functional groups, and scanning electron microscopy to determine the size of the nanoparticles. The present investigation reports the efficacy of the gold nanoparticles as promising in the treatment of hyperglycemia. Body weight, serum glucose concentrations, liver function tests, kidney function tests, and lipid profile were analyzed. A significantly larger decrease in serum biochemistry parameters and an increase in body weight, total protein levels, and high-density lipoprotein were observed in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes treated with gold nanoparticles than in the ones treated with the aqueous extract. The results of this study confirm that C. fistula gold nanoparticles have promising antidiabetic properties.

/pdf/biochemical-analysis-of-cassia-fistula-aqueous-extract-and-4hpay996j6.pdf

Biochemical analysis of Cassia fistula aqueous extract and phytochemically synthesized gold nanoparticles as hypoglycemic treatment for diabetes mellitus

An attempt was made to study the beneficial effects of Aloe vera (L.) Burm. fil. in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. In diabetic induced rats fed with A. vera (300 mg/kg body wt), the fasting plasma glucose levels were reduced to normal and body weight was found to be increased. In the pancreatic sections of diabetic rats fed with A. vera, the islets were comparable to normal rats. In liver, the changes caused after induction of diabetes are granular cytoplasm, dilated sinusoids, shrunken nuclei and inflammation, which was reduced after feeding with A. vera. Excess proliferation of epithelium in the small intestine was observed in diabetic rats, which was reduced after A. vera feeding. In diabetic rats and diabetic rats fed with A. vera, no change was noticed in the kidney and stomach.

Antidiabetic activity of Aloe vera and histology of organs in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. Plant extracts and their products are being used as an alternative system of medicine for the treatment of diabetes. Aloe vera has been traditionally used to treat several diseases and it exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing effects. Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced Wistar diabetic rats were used in this study to understand the potential protective effect of A. vera extract on the pancreatic islets. Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the A. vera extract on improvement of insulin secretion and pancreatic β-cell function by morphometric analysis of pancreatic islets in STZ-induced diabetic Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: After acclimatization, male Wistar rats, maintained as per the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals guidelines, were randomly divided into four groups of six rats each. Fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels were assessed. The effect of A. vera extract in STZ-induced diabetic rats on the pancreatic islets by morphometric analysis was evaluated. Results: Oral administration of A. vera extract (300 mg/kg) daily to diabetic rats for 3 weeks showed restoration of blood glucose levels to normal levels with a concomitant increase in insulin levels upon feeding with A. vera extract in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Morphometric analysis of pancreatic sections revealed quantitative and qualitative gain in terms of number, diameter, volume, and area of the pancreatic islets of diabetic rats treated with A. vera extract when compared to the untreated diabetic rats. Conclusion: A. vera extract exerts antidiabetic effects by improving insulin secretion and pancreatic β-cell function by restoring pancreatic islet mass in STZ-induced diabetic Wistar rats.

/pdf/improvement-of-insulin-secretion-and-pancreatic-b-cell-3t2i8r6mgt.pdf

Improvement of Insulin Secretion and Pancreatic β-cell Function in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats Treated with Aloe vera Extract

Purification and characterization of catalase from sprouted black gram (Vigna mungo) seeds.

Evaluation of In vitro Anti-Diabetic and Anti-Oxidant activities and Preliminary Phytochemical screening of Gel, Epidermis and Flower extract of Aloe vera

Objective: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of peptide/polypeptide fraction of Aloe vera through in vitro and in vivo studies. Methods: The peptide/polypeptide fraction from Aloe vera was obtained through trichloroacetic acid precipitation. The anti-inflammatory property of the peptide/polypeptide fraction was tested by protein denaturation, membrane stabilization assays. The effect of the fraction on RAW 264.7 cell viability was examined by MTT assays. The nitric oxide level was determined through Griess reagent. TNF-α and IL-6 levels were estimated using ELISA kits. In vivo studies were carried out in male Wistar rats through injection of Freund’s adjuvant in the hind paw. Paw edema was measured through the Vernier scale and levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, TNF-α, IL-6, and secretory phospholipase A2 were estimated through their respective kits after fourteen days of treatment. GraphPad Prism6 was used for analyzing the results. Results: The peptide/polypeptide extract inhibited protein denaturation with an IC50 value of (218.9±15.6) μg/mL and stabilized the membrane of red blood cells with an IC50 value of (275.9±19.1) μg/mL. The extract showed no changes in cell morphology or cytotoxicity up to the concentration of 20 μg/mL in MTT assays. The peptide/polypeptide fraction markedly reduced the levels of proinflammatory markers and mediators in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Conclusions: The results indicate that the peptide/polypeptide fraction of Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory property through inhibition of inflammatory markers and mediators responsible for NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways.

Aloe barbadensis Miller peptide/polypeptide fraction alleviates inflammation through inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines and mediators in vitro and in rats with Freund’s adjuvant-induced hind paw edema

Ayesha Noor

Papers

Antidiabetic activity of Aloe vera and histology of organs in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Improvement of Insulin Secretion and Pancreatic β-cell Function in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats Treated with Aloe vera Extract

Purification and characterization of catalase from sprouted black gram (Vigna mungo) seeds.

Evaluation of In vitro Anti-Diabetic and Anti-Oxidant activities and Preliminary Phytochemical screening of Gel, Epidermis and Flower extract of Aloe vera

Aloe barbadensis Miller peptide/polypeptide fraction alleviates inflammation through inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines and mediators in vitro and in rats with Freund’s adjuvant-induced hind paw edema