Caralluma adscendens Roxb. is a succulent medicinal plant traditionally used in India and is reported to contain several classes of bioactive phytoconstituents. The plant was selected for the present study because of its traditional medicinal use and the limited experimental evidence regarding its possible antiurolithiatic activity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antiurolithiatic potential of an ethanolic leaf extract of C. adscendens using calcium oxalate (CaOx) nucleation and aggregation assays and to characterize major phytochemical constituents. CaOx crystallization was evaluated spectrophotometrically at 620 nm using separate working concentration ranges for the aggregation and nucleation assays. Cystone was used as the reference preparation. Preliminary phytochemical screening and HPLC-DAD profiling were also performed. The ethanolic leaf extract showed concentration-dependent changes in absorbance in the CaOx aggregation and nucleation assays. HPLC-DAD profiling indicated the presence of several phytochemical classes, with quercetin and chrysin reported in the analytical profile. The study provides preliminary in vitro evidence supporting further investigation of C. adscendens for antiurolithiatic activity. In vivo and mechanistic studies are required to confirm these findings.
This study evaluated the anti-hyperlipidemic and antioxidant effects of aqueous extract of Persea americana (PA) peel and its biosynthesised silver (PAAgNPs) and gold (PAAuNPs) nanoparticles in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hyperlipidemic rats. Forty rats (divided into eight groups, five animals each) were fed either a normal diet (ND) or a high-fat diet (HFD) treated with PAAgNPs, PAAuNPs, or PA peel extract for 56 days. Oral treatments at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight (bw) were used. The results revealed that treatment of HFD rats with PAAgNPs, PAAuNPs, and PA extract significantly (P < 0.05) delayed weight gain compared to HFD control rats. The treatment also significantly reduced the serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triacylglycerol (TG) levels (P < 0.05) but significantly increased serum HDL-C compared with HFD control rats. For antioxidant activity, the treatment significantly increased catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and Total Protein (TP). PAAuNPs and PA peel extracts ameliorated histopathological changes in the architectural arrangements of the rats’ organs (liver and kidney). This study established that PAAuNPs and PA extracts have protective potential against HFD-induced obesity and dyslipidaemia in rats. Hence, they could be used as therapeutic and prophylactic options for the control of hyperlipidemia-linked disease.
Neuroinflammation and gut-brain axis dysfunction contribute to Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis. Butyric acid and caffeic acid possess individual anti-inflammatory properties, but their combined therapeutic potential in PD, particularly through modulation of the gut-brain axis, remains unexplored. This study investigated whether combined butyric and caffeic acid treatment produces synergistic anti‑inflammatory effects via modulation of the gut-brain axis in rotenone‑induced experimental Parkinsonism. Fifty male mice were randomly assigned to five groups (n = 10/group): control, rotenone-induced PD, rotenone + butyric acid (250 mg/kg, oral), rotenone + caffeic acid (50 mg/kg, oral), and rotenone + combined treatment. Rotenone (3.0 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneal) was administered for 21 days to induce Parkinsonism. Treatments were given orally for eight weeks. Motor function was assessed using the rotarod, beam walk, and wire hanging tests. NF-κB, IL-10, and dopamine levels were quantified in serum, substantia nigra (SNgr), and duodenum using ELISA. Rotenone reduced SNgr dopamine (p < 0.0001) and paradoxically elevated serum dopamine (p < 0.0001). Combination therapy significantly improved SNgr dopamine (p = 0.0045) and restored serum dopamine (p < 0.0001 vs. rotenone). NF‑κB activity was suppressed in SNgr (p = 0.0010), serum (p = 0.0062), and duodenum (p < 0.0001). IL‑10 increased in the substantia nigra (p = 0.0004) and duodenum (p < 0.0001). Motor performance improved on rotarod (p < 0.0001) with significant restoration of beam walk coordination (p = 0.0002). Combined butyric and caffeic acid treatment produces supra-additive suppression of inflammatory signalling across the gut-brain axis and improves motor outcomes in experimental Parkinsonism, supporting further investigation as adjunctive therapy for Parkinson's disease.
Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease of substantial public-health importance; owing to the widespread human consumption of animal products. Accurate and timely diagnosis is therefore a cornerstone of the control and prevention programmes administered by veterinary authorities. In Iran, routine diagnosis relies on the Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) together with the complementary Wright (tube agglutination) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) assays. In many developed countries, the Wright and 2-ME tests have been superseded by more advanced techniques because they are laborious, time-consuming, and difficult to interpret. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is among the most suitable alternatives: its high sensitivity and specificity, together with its ease of use, have prompted its adoption within national brucellosis control and eradication programmes. As the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute has recently succeeded in manufacturing a licensed domestic ELISA kit, the present study evaluated the diagnostic performance of this indirect ELISA (I-ELISA) relative to the Wright and 2-ME tests as reference standards. A total of 250 fresh bovine serum samples, randomly selected from commercial dairy herds in Alborz province, were tested by RBPT, the complementary assays, and the domestic ELISA kit. Using a composite reference standard (Wright/2-ME), the diagnostic sensitivity of the I-ELISA and RBPT were 96.8
Dermatophilosis is an exudative bacterial dermatitis generally associated with Dermatophilus congolensis, widely described in domestic ruminants and cervids from the Northern Hemisphere, but poorly documented in Neotropical cervids. To describe a case of dermatophilosis compatible with Dermatophilus spp. in a female brown brocket fawn (Subulo gouazoubira) undergoing rehabilitation in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Clinical evolution, cytological and Gram-staining findings, ancillary diagnostic tests, therapeutic management and outcome were evaluated. Skin lesion material was examined by Giemsa-stained cytology and Gram staining. Skin scrapings and fungal culture were also performed. Treatment consisted of intramuscular long-acting penicillin, daily topical antisepsis with 1
