To investigate the protective effect of Thymus vulgaris (T. vulgaris) leaves 70% alcoholic extract against alcohol-mediate hepatotoxicity rats. The protective effect of T. vulgaris extract was investigated at dose of 500 mg/kg/day (as 0.1 of LD50) orally against alcohol-mediate hepatotoxicity using adult male Wister albino rats during 21 days. Protective effect of T. vulgaris extract was evaluated comparing with silymarin standard drug at recommended dose (25 mg/kg/day) orally for 21 days. Serum liver and kidney functions, serum lipid profile, liver antioxidant enzymes activities, liver glutathione concentration (GSH), liver oxidative parameters and histopathological study of liver and kidney were estimated to find out protective effect of T. vulgaris extract. Alcohol-mediate hepatotoxicity rats (alcohol-control) showed hepatocytes distortion represented as marked increment on liver biomarkers; alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) activities, as well as pronounced reduction on total protein and its fractions albumin and globulin production corresponding to normal ranges. Oxidative stress status was appeared on alcohol-control evident as significant depletion on GSH concentration, antioxidant enzymes activities; catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione- S- transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) recorded significant dwindling, concurrence with significant augmentation on oxidative stress parameters; malondyaldehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentrations with respect to normal values. Serum lipid profile was affected by alcohol administration, total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were significantly reduced, meanwhile high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was raised comparing to normal ranges. Co-administration of T. vulgaris extract with alcohol showed protective effect on hepatocytes manifested as remarkable minimizing on ALP, AST and ALT activities and marked increment on total protein, albumin and globulin production compared to alcohol-control. Amelioration was achieved on oxidative stress status on rats co-administrated T. vulgaris extract with alcohol. Accordingly, antioxidant enzymes activities; CAT, SOD, GR, GST and GPx were significantly magnified, while oxidative stress parameters; MDA and H2O2 concentration were significantly lessened corresponding to alcohol-control. Also, lipid profile was markedly improved and risk ratio was lowered by T. vulgaris extract co-administrated in comparison with alcohol-control. All these obvious results were confirmed by histopathological examination, which illustrated that extract showed normalization of degenerated and fibrotic liver tissue as of alcohol-control. T. vulgaris extract protected hepatocytes from damaging by alcohol reflecting improvement on liver performance and inhibition of oxidative stress status of liver. T. vulgaris extract appeared hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities on alcohol-mediate hepatotoxicity rats compared to silymarin.

To evaluate in-vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antitumor abilities against human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7) and human prostate cancer (PC3) as well as the suppressor effect of bacterial exopolysaccharide (BAEPS) on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC). In-vitro antioxidants characters of BAEPS were determined using various methods, while anti-inflammatory activity was estimated against cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2). In-vitro study, anticancer against MCF7 and PC3 were assessed by the mitochondrial dependent reduction of yellow MTT. In in-vivo study against EAC progression, mice were inoculated with EAC cells and then were orally administered BAEPS at 200 mg/kg after 24 h (equals to 0.10 of determined LD50)/10 d. BAEPS was acidic exopolysaccharide contained uronic acid (12.3%) and sulfate (22.8%) with constitution of glucose, galactose and glucuronic acid in a molar ratio 1.6:1.0:0.9, respectively, with a molecular mass of 3.76 × 104 g/mol. BAEPS appeared potent antioxidant characters as free radical scavenging, oxygen reactive species scavenging and metal chelation, while its reducing power was low. BAEPS showed selective anti-inflammatory activity against COX-2 than COX-1, COX-2 selective. BAEPS exhibited potent and selective effect to breast cell cancer MCF7, the death percentage was 65.20% with IC50 = 70 μg/mL and IC90 = 127.40 μg/mL. BAEPS decreased counted viable EAC cells and induced non-viable cells. BAEPS improved all assessed hematological parameters. These improvements were reflected in the increasing median survival time and significant increment (P < 0.05) in life span. BAEPS has anti-tumor activity with a good margin of safety. The anti-tumor activity of BAEPS may be due to its content from sulfated groups and uronic acids and they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Launaea nudicaulis is used in folk medicine worldwide to treat several diseases. The present study aimed to assess the antidiabetic activity of L. nudicaulis ethanolic extract and its effect on diabetic complications in streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemic rats. The extract was orally administrated at 250 and 500 mg/kg/day for 5-weeks and compared to glibenclamide as a reference drug at a dose of 5 mg/kg/day. Administration of the extract exhibited a potential hypoglycemic effect manifested by a significant depletion of serum blood glucose concurrent with a significant elevation in serum insulin secretion. After 5-weeks, extract at 250 and 500 mg/kg/day decreased blood glucose levels by about 53.8 and 68.1%, respectively, compared to the initial values (p ≤ 0.05). The extract at the two dosages prevented weight loss of rats from the 2nd week till the end of the experiment, compared to diabetic control rats. The extract further exhibited marked improvement in diabetic complications including liver, kidney and testis performance, oxidative stress, and relative weight of vital organs, with respect to diabetic control. Histopathological examinations confirmed the previous biochemical analysis, where the extract showed a protective effect on the pancreas, liver, kidney, and testis that degenerated in diabetic control rats. To characterize extract composition, UPLC-ESI–qTOF-MS identified 85 chromatographic peaks belonging to flavonoids, phenolics, acyl glycerols, nitrogenous compounds, and fatty acids, with four novel phenolics reported. The potential anti-diabetic effect warrants its inclusion in further studies and or isolation of the main bioactive agent(s).

Portulaca oleracea has been listed in the World Health Organization as one of the most used medicinal plants. Portulaca oleracea stems (POS) acts about 75% from weight of plant. The production of stems was the most economic between other organs. This study carried out to investigate the hypolipidemic effect of POS preparations. Three preparations of POS were tested: stem powder (POS-powder), stem infusion (POS-infusion) and stem 70% ethanolic extract (POS-ethanolic 70%). POS preparations contained useful components with different proportion such as polyphenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, saponins and mucilage. The effect of POS on weight and lipid profile investigated on dietary hyperlipidemic Wister Albino rats fed on hyperlipidemic diet contained 20% fat, 1% cholesterol and 0.25% colic acid. The experimental period was 8-weeks. POS-powder form was supplemented at 10% in hyperlipidemic diet while POS-infusion and POS-ethanolic 70% force fed by 1.0g/kg body weight. The hyperlipidemic model described with elevated weight, feed intake, total cholesterol (TC), total lipids (TL), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) levels and risk ratio was significantly, compared with untreated control after 4 and 8weeks. Contrary high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) of hyperlipidemic control was decreased significantly. POS preparations improved all obvious abnormal lipid parameters and risk ratio compared with hyperlipidemic control. The abnormalities, which was shown on liver status of hyperlipidemic rats were ameliorated by administration of POS preparations significantly. Liver histology showed significant improvement after treating hyperlipidemic rats by POS form compared with hyperlipidemic control