There has been an enormous interest in the development of alternative medicines for type 2 diabetes, specifically screening for phytochemicals with the ability to delay or prevent glucose absorption. The goal of the present study was to provide in vitro evidence for potential inhibition of alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase enzymes, followed by a confirmatory in vivo study on rats to generate a stronger biochemical rationale for further studies on the ethanolic extract of Andrographis paniculata and andrographolide. The extract showed appreciable alpha-glucosidase inhibitory effect in a concentration-dependent manner (IC(50)=17.2+/-0.15 mg/ml) and a weak alpha-amylase inhibitory activity (IC(50)=50.9+/-0.17 mg/ml). Andrographolide demonstrated a similar (IC(50)=11.0+/-0.28 mg/ml) alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase inhibitory activity (IC(50)=11.3+/-0.29 mg/ml). The positive in vitro enzyme inhibition tests paved way for confirmatory in vivo studies. The in vivo studies demonstrated that A. paniculata extract significantly (P<0.05) reduced peak blood glucose and area under curve in diabetic rats when challenged with oral administration of starch and sucrose. Further, andrographolide also caused a significant (P<0.05) reduction in peak blood glucose and area under the curve in diabetic rats. Hence alpha-glucosidase inhibition may possibly be one of the mechanisms for the A. paniculata extract to exert antidiabetic activity and indicates that AP extract can be considered as a potential candidate for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

/pdf/in-vitro-alpha-glucosidase-and-alpha-amylase-enzyme-vmn47nw72s.pdf

In vitro alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase enzyme inhibitory effects of Andrographis paniculata extract and andrographolide.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Endothelial dysfunction represents the earliest stage of atherosclerosis.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of chronic inflammatory state on endothelial function in patients with RA by measuring endothelial reactivity in young patients with RA with low disease activity …

https://heart.bmj.com/content/heartjnl/90/4/378.full.pdf

Endothelial dysfunction in young patients with rheumatoid arthritis and low disease activity

Antioxidant and free radical-scavenging activities of seeds and agri-wastes of some varieties of soybean (Glycine max)

Quercetin (1) is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant flavonoid. However, the oral administration of 1 did not lead to beneficial effects in experimental animal colitis models, which involve cytokines and oxidative stress. A possible explanation is that the absorption profile of 1 prevents its activity. Therefore, it was reasoned that the controlled release of 1 would improve its therapeutic effect. Thus, the therapeutic effect and mechanisms of 1-loaded microcapsules in acetic acid-induced colitis in mice were evaluated. Microcapsules were prepared using pectin/casein polymer and 1. The oral administration of 1-loaded microcapsules decreased neutrophil recruitment, attenuated histological alterations, and reduced macroscopical damage, edema, and IL-1β and IL-33 production in the colon samples. Microcapsules loaded with 1 also prevented the reduction of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and the antioxidant capacity of the colon. These preclinical data indicate that pectin/casein polymer microcapsules loaded with 1 improved the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of 1 compared to the nonencapsulated drug. Therefore, quercetin seems to be a promising active molecule in inflammatory bowel disease if provided with adequate controlled release.

Quercetin-Loaded Microcapsules Ameliorate Experimental Colitis in Mice by Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Mechanisms

Foods containing bioactive components are receiving increasing attention due to their functionality in disease prevention and treatment. Soybean products contain a plethora of bioactive phytochemicals such as isoflavones, saponins, phytic acids, phytosterols, trypsin inhibitors, and peptides. Research has implicated soybean phytochemicals as functioning in cholesterol reduction, cardiovascular disease prevention, diabetic symptoms prevention, bone loss prevention, and cancer prevention. However, some bioactive compounds in soybean are reported to have some adverse effects to health also. Nevertheless, the benefits of soybean bioactive components exceed by far their potential adverse effects. The main objective of this article is to discuss the different soybean bioactive components and their implications to human health.

Soybean bioactive components and their implications to health--A review

Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of soybean extract by different in vitro methods and investigation of this activity after its incorporation in topical formulations.

Fabiana Testa Moura-de-Carvalho Vicentini

Papers

Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of soybean extract by different in vitro methods and investigation of this activity after its incorporation in topical formulations.

Quercetin attenuates zymosan-induced arthritis in mice.