PubMed · 11609491
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H Röhrich. 1972. [Not Available].. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11609491/
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The effects of Aloe barbadensis gel and aloe gel constituents on the activity of microbial and human metalloproteinases have been investigated. Clostridium histolyticum collagenase (ChC) results dose-dependently inhibited by aloe gel and the activity-guided fractionation led to an active fraction enriched in phenolics and aloins. Aloins have been shown to be able to bind and to inhibit ChC reversibly and non-competitively. Aloe gel and aloins are also effective inhibitors of stimulated granulocyte matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The remarkable structural resemblances between aloins and the pharmacophore structure of inhibitory tetracyclines, suggest that the inhibitory effects of aloins are via an interaction between the carbonyl group at C(9) and an adjacent hydroxyl group of anthrone (C(1) or C(8)) at the secondary binding site of enzyme, destabilizing the structure of granulocyte MMPs.
Increasing evidence supports the role of excitotoxicity in neuronal cell injury. Thus, it is extremely important to explore methods to retard or reverse excitotoxic neuronal injury. In this regard, certain dietary compounds are beginning to receive increased attention, in particular those involving phytochemicals found in medicinal plants in alleviating neuronal injury. In the present study, we examined whether medicinal plant extracts protect neurons against excitotoxic lesions induced by kainic acid (KA) in female Swiss albino mice. Mice were anesthetized with ketamine and xylazine (200 mg and 2 mg/kg body wt. respectively) and KA (0.25 microg in a volume of 0.5 microl) was administered to mice by intra hippocampal injections. The results showed an impairment of the hippocampus region of brain after KA injection. The lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl content were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in comparison to controls. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity (EC 1.11.1.9) and reduced glutathione (GSH) content declined after appearance of excitotoxic lesions. As GPx and GSH represent a major pathway in the cell for metabolizing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), their depletion would be expected to allow H2O2 to accumulate to toxic levels. Dried ethanolic plant extracts of Withania somnifera (WS), Convolvulus pleuricauas (CP) and Aloe vera (AV) dissolved in distilled water were tested for their total antioxidant activity. The diet was prepared in terms of total antioxidant activity of plant extracts. The iron (Fe3+) reducing activity of plant extracts was also tested and it was found that WS and AV were potent reductants of Fe3+ at pH 5 5. CP had lower Fe3+ reducing activity in comparison to WS and AV. Plant extracts given singly and in combination 3 weeks prior to KA injections resulted in a decrease in neurotoxicity. Measures of lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl declined. GPx activity and GSH content were elevated in hippocampus supplemented with WS and combination of WS + CP + AV. However, when CP and AV were given alone, the changes in the GPx activity and GSH content were not significant. Although the major factors involved in these properties of phytochemicals remain to be specified, the finding of this study has suggested that phytochemicals present in plant extracts mitigate the effects of excitotoxicity and oxidative damage in hippocampus and this might be accomplished by their antioxidative properties.