Anti-inflammatory and Anti-ulcerogenic Activities of Chantaleela Recipe

Chantaleela recipe is indicated for relieving fever in Thai traditional folk medicine. In the present study, Chantaleela recipe was investigated for anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic and anti-ulcerogenic activities. In preliminary investigation Chantaleela recipe was found to exert an inhibitory activity on the acute phase of inflammation as seen in ethyl phenylpropiolate-induced ear edema as well as in carrageenan-induced hind paw edema in rats. The results suggest that the anti-inflammatory activity of Chantaleela recipe may be due to an inhibition via cyclooxygenase pathway. In the analgesic test, Chantaleela recipe showed a significant analgesic activity in both the early and late phases of formalin test, but exerted the most pronounced effect in the late phase. The analgesic activity of Chantaleela recipe may act via mechanism at peripheral and partly central nervous system. In antipyretic test, Chantaleela recipe significantly decreased rectal temperature of brewer''s yeast-induced hyperthermia rats, probably by inhibiting synthesis and/or release of prostaglandin E₂ in the hypothalamus. Therefore, the key mechanism of anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic activity of the Chantaleela recipe likely involves the inhibition of the synthesis and/or release of inflammatory or pain mediators, especially prostaglandins. The oral administration of the Chantaleela recipe reduced ulcer formation in acute gastric ulcer models (EtOH/HCl-, indomethacin-, and stress-induced gastric lesions). In contrast, this recipe did not reduce the secretory rate, total acidity, and increase pH in rat stomach. These results indicated that Chantaleela seem to possess anti-ulcerogenic effect. This activity may be due to the increase of gastric mucosal resistance or potentiation of defensive factors and/or the decrease of aggressive factors but did not associate the anti-secretory activity. Moreover, the high oral doses treated did not cause acute toxicity in rats and the long term oral administration did not produce gastric and ileum lesions.     

Anti-Diarrheal Activity and Toxicity of Learng Pid Samud Recipe

Learng Pid Samud (LPS) recipe is a traditional remedy in Thai folk medicine to ease the common diarrhea. The anti-diarrheal potential of LPS recipe was herein examined in vitro using a guinea-pig ileum model. The LPS exerted an inhibitory effect on acetylcholine-induced smooth muscle contraction in the guinea pig ileum. Significantly, not only did the LPS reduce the total amount of feces in the induced diarrhea rats, but also the intestinal transit in the charcoal meal test. A single oral administration with the recipe at 5,000 mg/kg did not cause acute toxicity and the daily oral administration (1,000, 2,000 and 4,000 mg/kg) for 90 days in rats did not produce any toxic signs and symptoms. In conclusion, the Learng Pid Samud recipe remedy is evidently safe and effective for the anti-diarrheal treatment which supports its therapeutic uses in the alternative medicine.     

Community capacity for sustainable community-based dengue prevention and control: study of a sub–district in Southern Thailand

ObjectiveTo assess the level of community capacity for dengue prevention and control and to study household environments and larval indices in southern Thailand.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was designed for the study, enrolling two communities with higher dengue incidence rate than the standard over the past five years. Data gathering was conducted by the dengue leader group (DLG), including 15 leaders and 15 non-leaders trained by the research team. The dengue community capacity assessment tool (DCCAT) for leaders (115 items, 14 domains) and non-leaders (83 items, 11 domains). Participants were selected by the DLG based on their communities' dengue risk. In the low-dengue incidence (LDI) community, 32 leaders and 177 non-leaders were selected; while in the high-dengue incidence (HDI) community, 31 leaders and 199 non-leaders were chosen.ResultsThe leaders from the LDI and the HDI communities demonstrated high levels of dengue community-capacity (360.47±58.82, 416.22±57.72). Non-leaders in the LDI community demonstrated a moderate level of dengue community capacity competence (205.90±60.76), while the non-leaders in the HDI community had a high level (254.78±50.34).ConclusionsThese initial levels of dengue community capacity serves as a baseline for diagnosing each community. For a community that needed to improve its capacity, the DCCAT is essential tool to conduct a pre-post intervention assessment or a serial assessment. A participatory approach is taken to enable local communities to carry out anti-dengue efforts on their own, rather than have intervention by an outsider.     

Calreticulin mutation analysis in non-mutated Janus kinase 2 essential thrombocythemia patients in Chiang Mai University: analysis of three methods and clinical correlations

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The primary objective was to determine the prevalence of calreticulin (CALR) mutation in patients with non-JAK2V617F mutated essential thrombocythemia (ET). The secondary objectives were to evaluate the accuracy of CALR mutation analysis by high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) compared with DNA sequencing and to compare clinical characteristics of CALR mutated and JAK2V617F mutated ET.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study involving ET patients registered at Chiang Mai University in the period September 2015–September 2017 who were aged more than 2 years, and did not harbor JAK2V617F mutation. The presence of CALR mutation was established by DNA sequencing, HRM, and real-time PCR for type 1 and type 2 mutation. Clinical data were compared with that from ET patients with mutated JAK2V617F.

Results: Twenty-eight patients were enrolled onto the study. CALR mutations were found in 10 patients (35.7%). Three patients had type 1 mutation, 5 patients had type 2 mutation, 1 patient had type 18 mutation, and 1 patients had novel mutations (c.1093 C–G, c.1098_1131 del, c.1135 G–A). HRM could differentiate between the types of mutation in complete agreement with DNA sequencing. Patients with a CALR mutation showed a significantly greater male predominance and had a higher platelet count when compared with 42 JAK2V617F patients.

Discussion and Conclusions: The prevalence of CALR mutation in JAK2V617F-negative ET in this study is 35.7%. HRM is an effective method of detecting CALR mutation and is a more advantageous method of screening for CALR mutation.     

Inhibitory effect of Thai plant extracts on P-glycoprotein mediated efflux

Curcuminoids from Curcuma longa L. and extracts of Psidium guajava L., Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees, Phyllanthus emblica L. and Solanum trilobatum L. were investigated for their inhibitory effect on P-glycoprotein (P-gp) on the efflux transport of rhodamine 123 (Rho-123 ) in Caco-2 cells and rat ileum. Of the five tested samples, curcuminoids and an extract of P. guajava showed the highest inhibitory effect on P-gp mediated efflux of Rho-123 in Caco-2 cells. Additionally, they were found to have equal potential in inhibiting Rho-123 efflux transport from serosal to mucosal surfaces of the rat ileum.     

Antimalarial activity of biflavonoids from Ochna integerrima

During the screening of antimalarial substances, the 80% EtOH extract from the outer bark of Ochna integerrima Merr. (Ochnaceae) was shown to have a good anti-malarial activity (IC50 value: 6.5 microg/mL) whereas extracts from the inner barks of O.integerrima showed no antimalarial activity. Biflavanone (1), which had not been found previously from a natural plant source, was isolated as a potent antimalarial active ingredient (IC50 value: 80 ng/mL) from the extract of the outer barks. The stereoisomer of 1 ( = compound 2) was also isolated from this plant; however, its activity was significantly lower than that of 1.     

Aurocitrin and related polyketide metabolites from the wood-decay fungus Hypocrea sp. BCC 14122

The known gentisaldehyde antibiotic aurocitrin (1), its cis-olefinic isomer (2), a salicylaldehyde analogue (3), two new benzofuran derivatives (4 and 5), and a new dihydroisocoumarin (6) were isolated from the wood-decay fungus Hypocrea sp. BCC 14122. The structures were elucidated primarily by NMR and mass spectroscopic analyses.     

Acute and Subchronic Toxicity of Chantaleela Recipe in Rats

Acute and subchronic toxicities of Chantaleela recipe were studied in both male and female rats. Oral administration of the extract at a single dose of 5,000 mg/kg body weight (5 females, 5 males) did not produce signs of toxicity, behavioral changes, mortality or differences on gross appearance of internal organs. The subchronic toxicity was determined by oral feeding the test substance at the doses of 600, 1,200 and 2,400 mg/kg body weight for 90 days (10 females, 10 males). No signs of abnormalities were observed in the test groups as compared to the controls. The test and control groups (on the 90^th day) and the satellite group (on the 118^th day) were analyzed by measuring their final body and organ weights, taking necropsy, and examining hematological parameters, blood clinical chemistry and histopathology features. The results suggest that Chantaleela recipe did not cause acute or subchronic oral toxicities to female and male rats.     

Synergistic growth inhibitory effects of Phyllanthus emblica and Terminalia bellerica extracts with conventional cytotoxic agents：Doxorubicin and cisplatin against human hepatocellular carcinoma and lung cancer cells

AIM： To examine the growth inhibitory effects of Phyllanthus emblica （P. emblica） and Terminalia bellerica （T. bellerica） extracts on human hepatocellular carcinoma （HepG2）, and lung carcinoma （A549） cells and their synergistic effect with doxorubicin or cisplatin. METHODS： HepG2 and A549 cells were treated with P. emblica and T. bellerica extracts either alone or in combination with doxorubicin or cisplatin and effects on cell growth were determined using the sulforhodamine B （SRB） assay. The isobologram and combination index （CI） method of Chou-Talalay were used to evaluate interactions between plant extracts and drugs. RESULTS： P. emblica and T. bellerica extracts demonstrated growth inhibitory activity, with a certain degree of selectivity against the two cancer cell lines tested. Synergistic effects （CI 〈 1） for P. emblica /doxorubicin or cisplatin at different dose levels were demonstrated in A549 and HepG2 cells. The T. bellerica/ cisplatin or doxorubicin also showed synergistic effects in A549 and HepG2 cells. In some instances, the combinations resulted in antagonistic effects. The dose reduction level was different and specific to each combination and cell line. CONCLUSION： The growth inhibitory activity of doxorubicin or cisplatin, as a single agent, may be modified by combinations of P. emblica or T. bellerica extracts and be synergistically enhanced in some cases. Depending on the combination ratio, the doses for each drug for a given degree of effect in the combination may be reduced. The mechanisms involved in this interaction between chemotherapeutic drugs and plant extracts remain unclear and should be further evaluated.