Pranav Kumar Prabhakar

Bio: Pranav Kumar Prabhakar is an academic researcher from Lovely Professional University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Diabetes mellitus & Medicine. The author has an hindex of 12, co-authored 26 publications receiving 990 citations. Previous affiliations of Pranav Kumar Prabhakar include Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

Mechanism of action of natural products used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus

Abstract: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder caused by insufficient or inefficient insulin secretary response and it is characterized by increased blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia). DM is a heterogonous group of syndromes. Glucose is the main energy source for the body, and in the case of DM, management of glucose becomes irregular. There are three key defects in the onset of hyperglycemia in DM, namely increased hepatic glucose production, diminished insulin secretion, and impaired insulin action. Conventional drugs treat diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity, increasing insulin production and/or decreasing the amount of glucose in blood. This article provides a comprehensive review of the mode of action of most popular hypoglycemic herbs, such as ginseng, bitter melon, fenugreek, banaba, Gymnema sylvestre and Coptis chinensis. The herbs act by increasing insulin secretion, enhancing glucose uptake by adipose and skeletal muscle tissues, inhibiting intestinal glucose absorption and inhibiting hepatic glucose production. Although evidence from animals and humans consistently supports the therapeutic effect of these phytomedicines, multicenter large-scale clinical trials have not been conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of these herbal medicines and their interaction with conventional drugs when administered simultaneously.

A target based therapeutic approach towards diabetes mellitus using medicinal plants.

Abstract: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is not one disease but is a heterogonous group of syndromes. Contrary to the popular belief DM is a metabolic disorder characterized by increased blood glucose level (hyperglycemia) and this is because of insufficient or inefficient insulin secretary response. Glucose is the main energy source for the body, and in the case of DM, management of glucose becomes irregular. There are around 410 experimentally proven medicinal plants having antidiabetic properties but the complete mechanism of action is available only for about 109. There are several medicinal plants whose extract modulate glycolysis, Krebs cycle, gluconeogenesis, HMP shunt pathway, glycogen synthesis and their degradation, cholesterol synthesis, metabolism and absorption of carbohydrates, and synthesis and release of insulin. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the mode of action of medicinal plants that exhibit anti-diabetic properties.

Synthesis, antioxidant evaluation, and quantitative structure–activity relationship studies of chalcones

Abstract: Synthesis, antioxidant activity, and quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) of 25 of chalcone derivatives is reported here. They were synthesized by Claisen–Schmidt reaction and were characterized by FTIR, NMR, and mass spectroscopy. Antioxidant activity is evaluated through four different methods namely, superoxide radical-scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging, reducing power, and DPPH radical-scavenging assays. Generally, compounds with –SCH3 and –OCH3 in the para position of the A-ring and –OH in the B-ring were more active than others. In few cases some of the compounds were more active than ascorbic acid or butylated hydroxytoluene. QSAR was developed correlating the antioxidant activity with the structural features of the compounds and the predictive capability of the models was estimated using internal and external validation methods. All the predictions were within the 99% confidence level. Spatial, structural, and lipophilic properties of the compounds determine their antioxidant properties.

Impact of dietary polyphenols on carbohydrate metabolism.

Abstract: Polyphenols, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, proanthocyanidins and resveratrol, are a large and heterogeneous group of phytochemicals in plant-based foods, such as tea, coffee, wine, cocoa, cereal grains, soy, fruits and berries. Growing evidence indicates that various dietary polyphenols may influence carbohydrate metabolism at many levels. In animal models and a limited number of human studies carried out so far, polyphenols and foods or beverages rich in polyphenols have attenuated postprandial glycemic responses and fasting hyperglycemia, and improved acute insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity. The possible mechanisms include inhibition of carbohydrate digestion and glucose absorption in the intestine, stimulation of insulin secretion from the pancreatic β–cells, modulation of glucose release from the liver, activation of insulin receptors and glucose uptake in the insulin-sensitive tissues, and modulation of intracellular signalling pathways and gene expression. The positive effects of polyphenols on glucose homeostasis observed in a large number of in vitro and animal models are supported by epidemiological evidence on polyphenol-rich diets. To confirm the implications of polyphenol consumption for prevention of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and eventually type 2 diabetes, human trials with well-defined diets, controlled study designs and clinically relevant end-points together with holistic approaches e.g., systems biology profiling technologies are needed.

Antioxidant Phytochemicals for the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases.

Abstract: Overproduction of oxidants (reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species) in the human body is responsible for the pathogenesis of some diseases. The scavenging of these oxidants is thought to be an effective measure to depress the level of oxidative stress of organisms. It has been reported that intake of vegetables and fruits is inversely associated with the risk of many chronic diseases, and antioxidant phytochemicals in vegetables and fruits are considered to be responsible for these health benefits. Antioxidant phytochemicals can be found in many foods and medicinal plants, and play an important role in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases caused by oxidative stress. They often possess strong antioxidant and free radical scavenging abilities, as well as anti-inflammatory action, which are also the basis of other bioactivities and health benefits, such as anticancer, anti-aging, and protective action for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, obesity and neurodegenerative diseases. This review summarizes recent progress on the health benefits of antioxidant phytochemicals, and discusses their potential mechanisms in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.

Nanobio Silver: Its Interactions with Peptides and Bacteria, and Its Uses in Medicine

Abstract: Silver, known in metallic form since antiquity, has very early been recognized by mankind for its antimicrobial properties, a phenomenon observed, for example, in the context of drinking water (a silver coin in a well), food (silver cutlery, water storage recipients), and medicine (silver skull plates, teeth). Silver compounds were also shown to be useful. For example, dilute solutions of silver nitrate served long, and still do in some countries, as antimicrobial ointment to be instilled into Published in \" \" which should be cited to refer to this work.

An Overview of Plant Phenolic Compounds and Their Importance in Human Nutrition and Management of Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract: In this paper, the biosynthesis process of phenolic compounds in plants is summarized, which includes the shikimate, pentose phosphate and phenylpropanoid pathways. Plant phenolic compounds can act as antioxidants, structural polymers (lignin), attractants (flavonoids and carotenoids), UV screens (flavonoids), signal compounds (salicylic acid and flavonoids) and defense response chemicals (tannins and phytoalexins). From a human physiological standpoint, phenolic compounds are vital in defense responses, such as anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-proliferative activities. Therefore, it is beneficial to eat such plant foods that have a high antioxidant compound content, which will cut down the incidence of certain chronic diseases, for instance diabetes, cancers and cardiovascular diseases, through the management of oxidative stress. Furthermore, berries and other fruits with low-amylase and high-glucosidase inhibitory activities could be regarded as candidate food items in the control of the early stages of hyperglycemia associated with type 2 diabetes.