Sandhiya Sriraman

Bio: Sandhiya Sriraman is an academic researcher from SRM University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Stigmasterol & Bambusa bambos. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 21 citations.

Indian Medicinal Plants and Formulations and Their Potential Against COVID-19-Preclinical and Clinical Research

Abstract: The cases of COVID-19 are still increasing day-by-day worldwide, even after a year of its first occurrence in Wuhan city of China. The spreading of SARS-CoV-2 infection is very fast and different from other SARS-CoV infections possibly due to structural differences in S proteins. The patients with severe diseases may die due to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by systemic inflammatory reactions due to the excessive release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines by the immune effector cells. In India too, it is spreading very rapidly, although the case fatality rate is below 1.50% (https://www.statista.com), which is markedly less than in other countries, despite the dense population and minimal health infrastructure in rural areas. This may be due to the routine use of many immunomodulator medicinal plants and traditional AYUSH formulations by the Indian people. This communication reviews the AYUSH recommended formulations and their ingredients, routinely used medicinal plants and formulations by Indian population as well as other promising Indian medicinal plants, which can be tested against COVID-19. Special emphasis is placed on Indian medicinal plants reported for antiviral, immunomodulatory and anti-allergic/anti-inflammatory activities and they are categorized for prioritization in research on the basis of earlier reports. The traditional AYUSH medicines currently under clinical trials against COVID-19 are also discussed as well as furtherance of pre-clinical and clinical testing of the potential traditional medicines against COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2. The results of the clinical studies on AYUSH drugs will guide the policymakers from the AYUSH systems of medicines to maneuver their policies for public health, provide information to the global scientific community and could form a platform for collaborative studies at national and global levels. It is thereby suggested that promising AYUSH formulations and Indian medicinal plants must be investigated on a priority basis to solve the current crisis.

Structural Features and Potent Antidepressant Effects of Total Sterols and β-sitosterol Extracted from Sargassum horneri.

Abstract: The purified total sterols and β-sitosterol extracted from Sargassum horneri were evaluated for their antidepressant-like activity using the forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) in mice. Total sterols and β-sitosterol significantly reduced the immobility time in the FST and TST. Total sterols were administered orally for 7 days at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, and β-sitosterol was administered intraperitoneally at doses of 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg. β-sitosterol had no effect on locomotor activity in the open field test. In addition, total sterols and β-sitosterol significantly increased NE, 5-HT, and the metabolite 5-HIAA in the mouse brain, suggesting that the antidepressant-like activity may be mediated through these neurotransmitters.

Preparation and characterization of Betasitosterol-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers for butter enrichment

Abstract: At the present time cardiovascular diseases are increased with saturated fat consumption and therefore, there is a growing need for modified dairy products which could decreases the hazards of cholesterol and fat eating. Nutraceuticals have medicinal and nutritional properties that prevent many diseases. Phytosterols, are one of the most important bioactive nutraceuticals which are reported to show positive effects on reducing total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and accordingly arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. This work aims to encapsulate betasitosterol using nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) and subsequently addition into butter in order to improve butter nutritional property including acid and peroxide values as well as antioxidant property. Betasitosterol-loaded NLCs were formulated using hot homogenization method and encapsulation efficiency (EE) as well as the characteristics of the optimized formulation were analyzed by laser light scattering and scanning electron microscopy methods and incorporated in to the butter. The optimized prepared NLCs showed particle size of 165 nm with a uniform size distribution (PDI=0.21), zeta potential of −13.5 mV and the EE of 99.96%. Betasitosterol-loaded NLCs, incorporated in butter, showed good stability during three months’ storage period. Furthermore, both acid and peroxide values as well as antioxidant property of enriched butter were increased and did not changed during the storage period. This study paves a way to produce functional dairy products and the applicability of nanotechnology in the food stuff offers interesting opportunities for the food industry and promises great market potential.

Analysis of Molecular Mechanism of Erxian Decoction in Treating Osteoporosis Based on Formula Optimization Model

Abstract: Osteoporosis (OP) is a highly prevalent orthopedic condition in postmenopausal women and the elderly. Currently, OP treatments mainly include bisphosphonates, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) antibody therapy, selective estrogen receptor modulators, teriparatide (PTH1-34), and menopausal hormone therapy. However, increasing evidence has indicated these treatments may exert serious side effects. In recent years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has become popular for treating orthopedic disorders. Erxian Decoction (EXD) is widely used for the clinical treatment of OP, but its underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear thanks to its multiple components and multiple target features. In this research, we designed a network pharmacology method, which used a novel node importance calculation model to identify critical response networks (CRNs) and effective proteins. Based on these proteins, a target coverage contribution (TCC) model was designed to infer a core active component group (CACG). This approach decoded the mechanisms underpinning EXD's role in OP therapy. Our data indicated that the drug response network mediated by the CACG effectively retained information of the component-target (C-T) network of pathogenic genes. Functional pathway enrichment analysis showed that EXD exerted therapeutic effects toward OP by targeting PI3K-Akt signaling (hsa04151), calcium signaling (hsa04020), apoptosis (hsa04210), estrogen signaling (hsa04915), and osteoclast differentiation (hsa04380) via JNK, AKT, and ERK. Our method furnishes a feasible methodological strategy for formula optimization and mechanism analysis and also supplies a reference scheme for the secondary development of the TCM formula.