Assessment of Antioxidant Potential and Nutraceutical Efficacy of Traditional Indian Spices (P06-077-19)

Objectives • To antioxidant capacity of traditional Indian spices • To ascertain their nutraceutical efficacy Methods Extracts of seventeen commonly used Indian spices namely Extracts of seventeen commonly used Indian spices namely y onion, ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin, fennel, mint, mustard, fenugreek, clove, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, curry leaves and bay leaves were prepared by steam distillation process and assessed for their antioxidant activity on copper induced in vitro protein oxidation. Inhibitory ratio of each extract was calculated by comparing the total oxidation taking place in absence of any spice extract i.e., control to the sulphydryl groups which could be saved due to the presence of extracts of some spices in the reaction mixture. An extensive survey was conducted on usage of selected spices to fight various disorders by local ji of Kurukshetra. Results Varying percentages of antioxidant activity were shown by the tested spices. Extracts of mustard, cumin, turmeric, fennel, coriander and mint exhibited maximum inhibition. Excellent results were observed in turmeric, fennel and mint extracts as they inhibited oxidation process completely even at 50% dilution indicating the presence of strong antioxidants. Inhibitory ratio observed with cardamom, cinnamon, curry leaves, bay leaves, fenugreek seeds, nutmeg and black pepper was in range of 30–35%. Diluted extracts of nutmeg and black pepper were ineffective to prevent oxidation of BSA. Very low inhibitory ratio was observed in ginger and onion extracts. Inclusion of cardamom, nutmeg, clove and garlic had not shown any protection against oxidation suggesting the absence of antioxidants or inefficacy of steam distillation process in extraction of antioxidant principles. However, all studied spices are known to exert several beneficial physiological effects on human body as indicated by findings of survey. Conclusions Further research is needed on determination of correlation between antioxidant capacity and chemical composition of bioactive compounds in spices. Therapeutic potential of these spices may further be explored and exploited to develop new formulations in order to crack their utility as a nutraceutical. Funding Sources Kurukshetra University. Supporting Tables, Images and/or Graphs

Upsetting the excitatory-inhibitory balance hypothesis of autism

Increased excitatory-inhibitory ratio of neuronal activity may be protective rather than pathological in mouse model of autism.

Early prediction of therapeutic efficacy of bevacizumab (Bmab) by measuring plasma concentration of βmab-unconjugated free VEGF-α in patients with recurrent or metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC).

e14510 Background: Although Bmab plus chemotherapy is widely accepted as the standard treatment for recurrent or metastatic CRC, some patients (Pts) are eventually poor responders. We hypothesized that monitoring of Bmab-unconjugated free VEGF-A concentration (conc.) in plasma is useful for predicting the therapeutic efficacy. Methods: Plasma samples were obtained from 20 (13 males & 7 females) recurrent or metastatic CRC Pts with informed consent before Bmab administration and at 1- and 2-M of the 1st administration. VEGF-A conc. was measured by ELISA. For measuring Bmab-unconjugated free VEGF-A, Bmab-conjugated VEGF-A was immuneprecipitated by using protein A/G-Agarose. VEGF inhibitory ratio (%) was calculated by free VEGF-A / total VEGF-A. Clinical response was evaluated according to RECIST, and Pts achieving CR/PR and remaining NC more than 6 months were defined as good responders. Results: Baselineplasma conc. of VEGF-A was 78.45 ± 113.67 pg/ml (mean ± SD), which was significantly higher than that of healthy volunteers. Administration of Bmab did not result in significant decrease in the conc. of total VEGF-A (1- and 2-M: 85.26 ± 41.42 & 99.63 ± 44.87 pg/ml, respectively). In contrast, Bmab-unconjugated free VEGF-A conc. decreased significantly (30.24 ± 91.94 & 45.22 ± 51.23 pg/ml, respectively) (p<0.05), and each inhibitory ratio was 70.18 ± 25.67 and 65.12 ± 32.15%. We then set inhibitory ratio of 70% as the cut-off level, and analyzed the correlation between inhibitory ratio and therapeutic efficacy. Among 11 Pts whose inhibitory ratio reached ≥70% at both 1- and 2-M, 9 Pts (81%) were good responders. Contrary, among the remaining 9 Pts, only 3 Pts (33%) were good responders. There was no correlation between therapeutic efficacy and total or free VEGF-A conc. Conclusions: We consider that early prediction of therapeutic efficacy of Bmab is possible by monitoring the inhibitory ratio of VEGF-A, and that future prospective study for validating its usefulness was warranted.

Determination of Reduce of Arsenic (III) Toxicity to Pseudomonas fluorescens Using Iron by Combined Methods

A series of microcalorimetric experiments were performed to evaluate the As(III), Fe(II), P and their joint effects by analyzing the thermodynamic parameters, microbial growth rate constant k, total heat evolution QT, inhibitory ratio I and highest heat flow Pmax. They were obtained from power-time curves of the growth of P. fluorescens. The effect of mixed As(III), Fe(II) and P were moderate, compared with control, single As(III) or Fe(II). In addition, FT-IR spectra of dry P. fluorescens after the adsoption of As(III) and Fe(II) and their mixture showed that Fe influenced the C-H bonds of the functional groups on the cellwall, the As(III) caused litter effect.

Hypothermia and hypoxia inhibit the Hering-Breüer reflex in the marsupial newborn

The effects of lowering body temperature (Tb) on metabolic rate, ventilation, and the strength of the Hering-Breüer expiratory promoting reflex (HB reflex; determined from an inhibitory ratio calculated from volumetric measurements of the respiratory rhythm) were examined in 18-day-old ectothermic pouch young of the tammar wallaby during normoxia or hypoxia (10% O2). Hypoxia and hypothermia, either singularly or combined, depressed metabolic rate. At all Tb, the hypoxic hyperventilation was associated with a significant hyperpnea. At pouch Tb (36.5°C) during normoxia, inflation of the lungs with -5 or -10 cmH2O extrathoracic pressure induced a significant HB reflex. Exposure to cold reduced the strength of the reflex, almost abolishing it at 28°C. For Tb above 28°C, the reflex in hypoxia was always less than the corresponding normoxic value. Taken in context with the changes in metabolic state that occurred, these data in the ectothermic marsupial newborn suggest that the decline in the HB reflex during moderate hypothermia is the result of a direct effect of Tb on vagal mechanisms rather than a temperature-driven decline in metabolic rate that should have acted to strengthen the HB reflex. Therefore, it seems that inputs inhibitory to breathing are more negatively affected during cold than those inputs that are excitatory.

Effects of hypoxia and hypercapnia on the Hering-Breuer reflex of the conscious newborn rat

We asked whether hypoxia and hypercapnia, singly or combined, affect the lung volume-dependent ventilatory inhibition [Hering-Breuer (HB) reflex] in newborn rats. Conscious rats 2, 5, and 8 days old were breathing in a flow plethysmograph. Mean lung volume was increased by applying a negative body surface pressure of 6 or 12 cmH2O. HB reflex was quantified as the inhibitory ratio (IR) of the apnea during the inflation expiratory time (TEinfl) to the control expiratory time (TEc), i.e., IR = TEinfl/TEc. In normoxia-normocapnia (control), IR with 6 cmH2O was approximately 8–12 at all ages and approximately doubled with inflation at 12 cmH2O. In hypoxia (HPX; 10% O2) or hypercapnia (HPCN; 3% CO2), IR decreased at 8 days, whereas it did not differ from the control value at 2 and 5 days. In HPX + HPCN, IR decreased at all ages. In HPX (at both 6- and 12-cmH2O inflations), in HPCN (6 cmH2O), or in HPX + HPCN (6 and 12 cmH2O), IR decreased significantly more at 8 days than at 2 days. Metabolic rate, simultaneously measured, decreased during HPX or HPX + HPCN by a similar amount at all ages. The ventilatory response to HPX or to HPCN was significantly more pronounced at 8 days than at 2 days. We conclude that, during the early postnatal development of the rat, HPX or HPCN, singly or combined, reduces the HB reflex inhibition in the oldest pups, with minimal or no effects in the youngest. These developmental differences cannot be explained by differences in metabolic drive on ventilation but are contributed to by differences in chemosensitivity.