Isha

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory bowel disease with rising global incidence; current therapies (5-aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, biologics) are limited by incomplete response and adverse effects. Emerging evidence indicates that intestinal inflammation in UC is bi-directionally linked to the central nervous system through the gut brain axis, with neuroinflammation, altered neurotrophin signalling, and behavioural disturbance accompanying colonic disease activity. Celastrus paniculatus Willd. (Celastraceae) seeds, a traditional Ayurvedic "Medhya Rasayana," possess documented antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, nervine, and gut motility modulating properties, making them a rational candidate for a dual gut brain therapeutic strategy in UC. Objective: To evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of an ethanolic Celastrus paniculatus seed extract (CPSE) in vitro, and it’s ameliorative and gut brain axis modulatory effects in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induced murine model of UC in vivo. Methods: CPSE was screened phytochemically and evaluated in vitro using DPPH radical scavenging, protein denaturation inhibition, and LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cytokine assays. Colitis was induced in Wistar rats using 3% DSS in drinking water for 7 days; animals were allocated to normal control, DSS control, DSS + sulfasalazine (100 mg/kg), DSS + CPSE (200 mg/kg), and DSS + CPSE (400 mg/kg) groups (n = 6/group) and treated orally for 14 days. Disease Activity Index (DAI), colon length, colonic histopathology, tissue cytokines/oxidative stress markers, and gut brain axis biomarkers (serum serotonin, hippocampal BDNF, serum corticosterone) with anxiety like behaviour (elevated plus maze, forced swim test) were assessed. Results: CPSE exhibited dose dependent free radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. In vivo, CPSE (400 mg/kg) attenuated body weight loss, reduced DAI and colon shortening, normalized colonic TNF-α/IL-6/IL-10 balance, and improved gut brain axis parameters (elevated hippocampal BDNF, normalized serotonin and corticosterone, improved anxiety like behaviour) relative to DSS controls, approaching the reference drug sulfasalazine. Conclusion: These findings support the hypothesis that CPSE ameliorates experimental colitis while concurrently modulating gut brain axis mediators, warranting further mechanistic and translational investigation of Celastrus paniculatus as an adjunct or complementary therapeutic in UC associated neurobehavioral comorbidity

Polyphenol oxidase(PPO) is a food enzyme which holds a very important place in the food industry mainly because of its impairing effects. This enzyme leads to the darkening of tissue when fruits are cut or any damage occurs which leads to the depreciation of nutritional value and food acceptability. It is not clear which roles this compound may have in cell metabolism. In plants, PPO contributes to defence mechanisms against pests and pathogens by producing toxic quinones that deter herbivory and inhibit microbial growth. In this report, the possible antifungal effects were examined. Analyses are carried out by properties of standard polyphenolic substances oxidized by PPO were assayed on Red delicious apple extract whose phenolics were previously isolated.

Curcuma longa is a widely used plant in folk medicine. In this study, we assessed the action of the ethanolic extract of C. longa on WHO strains of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi and Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis. Curcumin is one of the most active ingredients of C. longa. In the presence of the ethanolic extract of C. longa, the bacterial count of both Salmonella was remarkably increased which was statistically highly significant. We also could not demonstrate MIC value even at 50 mg/ml concentration of the extract in Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi, while Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis only showed MIC value at a very high concentration of 6.25 mg/ml. However, two common bacteria E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus showed a MIC value of 0.39 and 3.125 mg/ml respectively. Thus, the use of C. longa in materials for public use should be done cautiously.