Moringa oleifera-supplemented diet protect against cortico-hippocampal neuronal degeneration in scopolamine-induced spatial memory deficit in mice: role of oxido-inflammatory and cholinergic neurotransmission pathway

Metabolic Brain Disease - The therapeutic and pharmacological management of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is generally considered a major concern in ethnomedicine. Moreover, plant-based foods...     

Antioxidant activities of artesunate–procyanidin hybrid compound in erythrocyte and liver of Plasmodium berghei NK65-infected mice

Resistance of malaria parasites to conventionally used antimalarial drugs has necessitated the search for new potent antimalarials, especially those that can also ameliorate oxidative stress-mediated secondary complications. This has led to the synthesis of an antimalarial artesunate–procyanidin hybrid compound (PC14), but it has not been evaluated for its antioxidant activity. This study was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant activities of PC14 in the erythrocyte and liver of Plasmodium berghei NK65-infected mice. A hundred mice were randomly divided into 10 equal groups (A–J). Mice in Groups B–J were inoculated with P. berghei NK65 while group A mice were not inoculated. Starting from Day 3 post-inoculation, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (5%) was administered to mice in Groups A and B (normal and negative controls, respectively), while various doses of chloroquine, artesunate, procyanidin, and PC14 were administered to their respective groups for 3 days. Thereafter, antioxidant parameters were determined in the erythrocyte and liver on Days 6 and 10 post-inoculation. A significant increase (P < 0.05) was observed in malondialdehyde levels in the erythrocyte and liver of negative control on Day 10 post-inoculation compared to normal controls. Significant reduction (P < 0.05) was observed in activities of liver catalase and superoxide dismutase and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase and glutathione-S-transferase of negative control on Days 6 and 10 compared to normal controls. However, PC14 at various doses significantly (P < 0.05) reversed these alterations. The results suggest that PC14 possesses antioxidant activity, and it enhanced antioxidant defense in the erythrocyte and liver of P. berghei-infected mice.     

Localised insulin administration for wound healing in non-diabetic adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Insulin has the potential to restore damaged skin and due to its affordability and global availability, it is an agent of interest when it comes to pioneering new remedies to accelerate wound healing. The aim of this study was to explore the efficacy and safety of localised insulin administration on wound healing in non-diabetic adults. Studies were systematically searched, using the electronic databases Embase, Ovid MEDLINE and PubMed, screened, and extracted by two independent reviewers. A total of seven randomised controlled trials that met the inclusion criteria were analysed. Risk of bias was assessed using the Revised Cochrane Risk-of-Bias Tool for Randomised Trials and a meta-analysis was performed. The primary outcome, which explored rate of wound healing (mm²/day), concluded that there was an overall significant mean improvement in the insulin treated group (IV = 11.84; 95% CI: 0.64–23.04; p = 0.04; I² = 97%) compared to the control group. Secondary outcomes concluded that there is no statistical difference between the healing time (days) of the wound (IV = −5.40; 95% CI: −11.28 to 0.48; p = 0.07; I² = 89%); there is a significant reduction in wound area in the insulin group; no adverse events were noted with the administration of localised insulin; quality of life improves drastically as the wound heals, irrespective of insulin. We conclude that although the study showed an improved wound healing rate, other parameters were not statistically significant. Therefore, larger prospective studies are warranted to fully explore the effects of insulin on different wounds, where an appropriate insulin regime can be developed for clinical practice.