Phyllanthus niruri L. is a widespread tropical plant which is used in Ayurvedic system for liver and kidney ailments. The present study aims at specifying the most active hepatoprotective extract of P. niruri and applying a bio-guided protocol to identify the active compounds responsible for this effect. P. niruri aerial parts were extracted separately with water, 50%, 70% and 80% ethanol. The cytoprotective activity of the extracts was evaluated against CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity in clone-9 and Hepg2 cells. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the aqueous extract (AE) was accomplished for the isolation of the active compounds. Antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging method and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The in vivo hepatoprotective activity of AE was evaluated in CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity in rats at different doses after determination of its LD₅₀. Pretreatment of clone-9 and Hepg2 with different concentrations of AE (1, 0.1, 0.01 mg/ml) had significantly reduced the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) against CCl₄ injures, and restored the activity of the natural antioxidants; glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) towards normalization. Fractionation of AE gave four fractions (I-IV). Fractions I, II, and IV showed a significant in vitro hepatoprotective activity. Purification of I, II and IV yielded seven compounds; corilagin C1, isocorilagin C2, brevifolin C3, quercetin C4, kaempferol rhamnoside C5, gallic acid C6, and brevifolin carboxylic acid C7. Compounds C1, C2, C5, and C7 showed the highest (p< 0.001) hepatoprotective potency, while C3, C4, and C6 exhibited a moderate (p< 0.001) activity. The AE exhibited strong antioxidant DPPH (IC₅₀ 11.6 ± 2 μg/ml) and FRAP (79.352 ± 2.88 mM Ferrous equivalents) activity. In vivo administration of AE in rats (25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) caused normalization of AST, ALT, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total cholesterol (TC), triglycyrides (TG), total bilirubin (TB), glucose, total proteins (TP), urea and creatinine levels which were elevated by CCl₄. AE also decreased TNF-α, NF-KB, IL-6, IL-8, IL10 and COX-2 expression, and significantly antagonizes the effect of CCl₄ on the antioxidant enzymes SOD, catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione peroxidase (GSP). The histopathological study also supported the hepatoprotective effect of AE. P. niruri isolates exhibited a potent hepatoprotective activity against CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity in clone-9 and Hepg2 cell lines through reduction of lipid peroxidation and maintaining glutathione in its reduced form. This is attributable to their phenolic nature and hence antioxidative potential.

Background: Using probiotics have become popular. They are considered an alternative to Antibiotic Growth Promoters (AGP). Probiotics are supplemented into animal feed for improving growth performance along with preventing and controlling enteric pathogens. The aim of this work was to study the impact of dietary supplementation of Mannan-oligosaccharide and β-Glucan (Agrimos®) on broiler challenged with Escherichia coli O₇₈ (E. coli O₇₈ - marked with an antibiotic (320 μg ciprofloxacin/ml broth) on growth performance, serum biochemistry, immune organs-histopathology, E-coli colonization, and hepatic transcripts of Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-ϰB). A total of 125 one-day-old chicks were used for conducting the experiment. Five one-day-old chicks were slaughtered for measuring the initial weight of the lymphoid tissue. The remaining chicks (120) were allotted into four groups according to Mannan-oligosaccharide and β-Glucan supplementation, and E. coli infection. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Results: Results indicated significant alteration of growth performance, serum biochemistry, and selected liver gene expression with pathological lesions, especially in the lymphoid organs due to E. coli infection. These alterations were mitigated by Mannan-oligosaccharide and β-Glucan supplementation. Conclusion: It could be concluded, Mannan-oligosaccharide and β-Glucan supplementation in broiler’s diet improved the immune response of broilers and mitigated pathological lesion resulted from E. coli infection.

DDB1– and CUL4–associated factor 17 (Dcaf17) is a member of DCAF family genes that encode substrate receptor proteins for Cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligases, which play critical roles in many cellular processes. To unravel the function of DCAF17, we performed expression profiling of Dcaf17 in different tissues of wild type mouse by qRT-PCR and generated Dcaf17 knockout mice by gene targeting. Expression profiling of Dcaf17 showed highest expression in testis. Analyses of Dcaf17 transcripts during post-natal development of testis at different ages displayed gradual increase in Dcaf17 mRNA levels with the age. Although Dcaf17 disruption did not have any effect on female fertility, Dcaf17 deletion led to male infertility due to abnormal sperm development. The Dcaf17^−/− mice produced low number of sperm with abnormal shape and significantly low motility. Histological examination of the Dcaf17^−/− testis revealed impaired spermatogenesis with presence of vacuoles and sloughed cells in the seminiferous tubules. Disruption of Dcaf17 caused asymmetric acrosome capping, impaired nuclear compaction and abnormal round spermatid to elongated spermatid transition. For the first time, these data indicate that DCAF17 is essential for spermiogenesis.