@article {678, title = {Antidepressant-like Effects of Young Green Barley Leaf (Hordeum vulgare L.) in the Mouse Forced Swimming Test}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {december,2011}, pages = {22-26}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {22-26}, abstract = {

Background: Young green barley leaf is one of the richest sources of antioxidants and has been widely consumed for health management in Japan. In this study, we examined whether oral administration of young green barley leaf has an antidepressant effect on the forced swimming test in mice. Materials and Methods: Mice were individually forced to swim in an open cylindrical container, one hour after oral administration of young green barley leaf (400 or 1000 mg / kg) or imipramine (100 mg / kg). Expression of mRNA for nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and glucocorticoid receptor in the brain was analyzed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: There was a significant antidepressant-like effect in the forced swimming test; both 400 and 1000 mg / kg young green barley leaves, as well as the positive control imipramine (100 mg / kg), reduced the immobility duration compared to the vehicle group. The expression of mRNA for NGF detected in the hippocampus immediately after the last swimming test was higher than that in the non-swimming group (Nil). Oral administration of imipramine suppressed this increase to the level of the Nil group. Young green barley leaf (400 and 1000 mg / kg) also showed a moderate decrease in the expression of mRNA for NGF, in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: Oral administration of young green barley leaf is able to produce an antidepressant-like effect in the forced swimming test. Consequently it is possible that the antidepressant-like effects of the young green barley leaf are, at least in part, mediated by an inhibition of the increase in the hippocampus levels of NGF.

}, keywords = {Antidepressant-like effect, Corticosterone, Forced swimming test, Hippocampus, Nerve growth factor, Young green barley leaf}, doi = {10.4103/0974-8490.91030}, author = {Katsunori Yamaura and Noriyuki Nakayama and Maki Shimada and Yuanyuan Bi and Hideki Fukata and Koichi Ueno} } @article {647, title = {Protective Effects of Natsumikan (Citrus natsudaidai) Extract on Acetaminophen-induced Lethal Hepatotoxicity in Mice}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {October ,2012}, pages = { 234-236}, type = {Short Communication}, chapter = {234}, abstract = {

Background: Like other citrus fruits, natsumikan (Citrus natsudaidai ) contains several antioxidative nutrients which occur in higher concentrations in the peel than in the pulp. A high dose of acetaminophen (APAP) generates highly reactive intermediates and causes fatal liver injury. In this study, we examined whether an extract from immature natsumikan peel prevents lethal hepatotoxicity induced by a lethal dose of APAP in mice. Materials and Methods: Male ICR mice were treated orally with natsumikan extract (300 and 1,000 mg/kg) 2, 26, and 50 hr before single oral APAP (300 mg/kg) administration. Mice were fasted for 18 hr before APAP treatment, but given tap water ad libitum. Survival was assessed for 24 hr after APAP treatment. Results: Following administration of 300 mg/kg APAP, all mice died within 6 h. However, pretreatment with natsumikan extract (300 and 1,000 mg/kg) or silymarin (300 and 1,000 mg/kg) increased the survival rate to 16.7\%, 33.3\%, 16.7\%, and 50\%, respectively, at 24 hr. Conclusion: The results suggest that natsumikan has a protective effect on APAP-induced lethal hepatotoxicity.

}, keywords = {acetaminophen (APAP), Hepatoprotective effect, lethal hepatotoxicity, Natsumikan}, doi = {10.4103/0974-8490.102274}, author = {Katsunori Yamaura and Noriyuki Nakayama and Maki Shimada and Koichi Ueno} } @article {898, title = {Extract from peel of Citrus natsudaidai alleviates experimental chronic allergic dermatitis in mice}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {September 2011}, pages = {155-159}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {155}, abstract = {

Background: Citrus natsudaidai (natsumikan) is a typical citrus fruit containing several antioxidative nutrients which are found in higher concentration in the peel than in the pulp of the fruit. In this study, we examined whether extract from immature natsumikan peel prevents development of chronic allergic dermatitis in mice. Materials and Methods: Chronic allergic dermatitis was induced by repeated application of 2, 4, 6-trinitro-1-chlorobenzene in BALB/c mice and natsumikan was administrated orally for 30 days. Ear swelling and dermatitis score were measured after each challenge. The level of derivative-reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROM) in serum was measured on day 30. Results: Treatment of natsumikan significantly attenuated the increase in ear swelling and improved dermatitis scores. In addition, increases in serum d-ROM were attenuated by a treatment of natsumikan. Although the routine treatment with dexamethasone resulted in a clear and significant reduction in body weight, natsumikan treatment did not have such effects. Conclusion: Immature natsumikan peel is beneficial for the treatment of chronic allergic dermatitis.

}, keywords = {2, 4, 6-trinitro-1-chlorobenzene, Citrus natsudaidai, experimental model, Oxidative stress}, doi = {10.4103/0974-8490.84999}, author = {Noriyuki Nakayama and Katsunori Yamaura and Maki Shimada and Koichi Ueno} } @article {889, title = {Protective Effects of Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) on Acetaminophen-induced Hepatotoxicity through Inhibition of CYP2E1 in Rats}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {November,2011}, pages = {250-255}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {250}, abstract = {

Background: Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) inhibits various cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms such as CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, and CYP3A in vitro. High doses of acetaminophen (APAP) generate the highly reactive intermediate, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), catalyzed mainly by CYP2E1. The aim of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of orally administrated goldenseal against APAP-induced acute liver failure (ALF) via inhibition of CYP2E1. Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats were treated orally with goldenseal (300 and 1000 mg/ kg) 2, 18, and 26 h before and 6 hr\ after oral APAP (400 mg/kg) administration. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities as well as serum APAP concentration were evaluated. Results: Goldenseal extract inhibited CYP1A2, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, and CYP3A activity, and the inhibitory effect on CYP2E1 was the strongest (IC50 4.32 μg/mL). Treatment with goldenseal (300 mg/kg) significantly attenuated the APAP-induced increase in serum AST and ALT, and the hepatoprotective effect of goldenseal was stronger than that of silymarin (200 mg/kg). Moreover, serum APAP concentration was increased by goldenseal treatment, presumably as a result of the inhibitory effect of goldenseal on the metabolism of APAP to NAPQI. Conclusion: These results suggest that goldenseal ameliorates APAP-induced ALF and that this protection can likely be attributed to the inhibition of CYP2E1 activity, which generates the highly reactive intermediate of APAP.

}, keywords = {Acetaminophen, acute liver failure, CYP2E1, Goldenseal, Hepatoprotective effect}, doi = {10.4103/0974-8490.89745}, author = {Katsunori Yamaura and Maki Shimada and Noriyuki Nakayama and Koichi Ueno} }