Nupur Mehrotra | Mithibai CollegeUniversity of Mumbai (original) (raw)

Papers by Nupur Mehrotra

Annals of phytomedicine, Dec 1, 2022

The current COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is believed to be due to zoonotic emergence. T... more The current COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is believed to be due to zoonotic emergence. The infection leads to a variety of conditions, from mild discomfort to severe respiratory disorder requiring intensive care monitoring and at times even becoming life-threatening. The advent of multiple mutations led to variants wherein the severity and contagiousness of the disease have varied. In the initial days of the pandemic, supportive care measures such as providing oxygen for ventilation and using antivirals effective against various respiratory diseases were the pharmacological interventions used. Ongoing clinical trials are helping identify the most effective repurposed antiviral drug or a combination of such drugs to be effective against the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Researchers and healthcare personnel are putting in tremendous efforts to urgently identify prospective preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies on priority. Various research institutions and pharmaceutical companies put in intensive efforts and within a short duration, many vaccines were available that helped develop population immunity, thus preventing the severity of infection even when people got infected. Candidates for therapy include the use of: (i) medicinal aromatic plant, or active phytoconstituents, individually or as a combination; (ii) nanotechnological tools to encapsulate the drugs/plant phytoconstituents; (iii) food fortification with the prepared nanoparticles, amongst some prospective strategies. As phytomedicine is gaining significance in holistic wellbeing, the research and development in the field of polyherbal have intensified. Combinational therapy is being propagated through promising results obtained by multiple researchers. In most studies, compounds used had proven potential via in vitro or in vivo studies against viruses similar to SARS-CoV-2. Further, the infection rates and the severity of the disease have been drastically reduced, with population immunity being developed due to the use of vaccines. An array of vaccines ranging from DNA, mRNA, sub-unit, viral vector and viruslike particles, are already in various stages of clinical trials, with over 12.3 billion doses being delivered globally. This is a review of scientific work conducted toward developing pharmacological interventions against COVID-19. The data represented provides a resource to researchers and healthcare providers to help control the infection and the pandemic.

Annals of Phytomedicine: An International Journal

Diabetes is a group of metabolic disorder, characterized by increase in the level of glucose, res... more Diabetes is a group of metabolic disorder, characterized by increase in the level of glucose, resulting from defects in insulin secretion, its action or sometimes both. The effects associated are prolonged organ damage, dysfunction of especially the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels or at times even multiple organ failure. Oral medications may be prescribed, but they are associated with many side effects. Condiments, herbs, various spices and other plant products are considered to be safer in the treatment of diabetes. A commonly used spice is cumin, which is used in the present study to modulate the in vitro glucosidase inhibitory activity of hydroacetone extract of spice and its antidiabetic potential. The spice was also studied for its enzyme inhibitory activity post nanoencapsulation and for herb-drug (acarbose) intera ction. The IC 50 value of Cumin. Cyminum L. extract for -glucosidase inhibitory activity, was found to be 122.83 µg/ml while that of nanoencapsulated extract was 90.965 µg/ml, indicating that nanoencapsulation enhances enzyme inhibitory activity. Herb-drug interaction of nanoencapsulated C.cyminum extract along with acarbose, was also explored. A gradual increase in % -glucosidase inhibitory activity from 27.36 ± 1.45% at T 0 to 93.67 ± 0.21% at T 360 was observed indicating a 2.4% increase over a period of 6 h, suggestive of sustained release and prolonged enzyme activity. The results, thus depict that Cuminum cyminum L. can be a potent candidate for managing blood glucose levels in the diabetic patients by delaying the -glucosidase activity.

Annals of Phytomedicine: An International Journal, 2021

Across 218 countries, since March 2020, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV... more Across 218 countries, since March 2020, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been a reason for concern. Doctors as well as researchers, stand together to find a treatment for this pandemic. The virus attaches to the host cells via transmembrane spike glycoprotein. The glycoprotein has affinity for human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and is dimeric. Thus, the virus attaches to the ACE receptors through the receptor-binding domain (SARS-CoV-2 RBD Spro). Further, the main protease (Mpro), a chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro), plays a critical role in post-translational modifications, thereby affecting viral survival. Thus, targeting these viral mark ers ca n not only block the fusion with host cells, but also affect replication of the viru s. Ancient civilizations have been using plants, herbs as well as spices for their medicinal values as antiviral, antiinflammatory, antipyretic, antimicrobial and many more. The rich array of phytochemicals in these spices endows them with these beneficial properties, and hence they are largely being looked as agents for therapeutic use. However, the journey from laboratory for drug development is a time-consuming process as it starts from trying to identify the major therapeutic component to its pre-clinical studies, clinical and then its marketing as a drug. In the current pandemic where loss of human life has been in millions, a faster and more efficient modality like in silico studies can help escalate this search for a therapy thereby saving mankind. This study is a comprehensive review on results of in silico approaches conducted in near future in an attempt to evolve an ideal therapeutic candidate for ending the pandemic. Results of research conducted on phytochemicals from medicinal and aromatic plants as potential therapeutic candidates using tools of bioinformatics and computational modelling are hereby discussed.

Annals of Phytomedicine: An International Journal, 2020

Global health is at risk due to the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic which has posed a huge challenge.... more Global health is at risk due to the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic which has posed a huge challenge. The virus has several protein spikes termed peplomers, on its surface, and is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA enveloped virus. The number of infected people across the globe is in an exponential phase in many of the 220 countries infected by the pandemic, and currently is in its second phase of infection at many places. Scientists and researchers have set in a global race, the winning stride being successful discovery of a preventive vaccine and a specific treatment for COVID-19. Till such time, centers for ancient civilizations as India and China have intensified their search towards alternative medicine using herbal products, which hold immense pharmacological properties. In case of COVID-19, aromatic plants and herbs downregulate the pre-inflammatory mediators as IL-1, 6, 10 and 18, TNF-α and NF-κB associated with the cytokine storm, which has proved to be fatal. Simultaneously, enhancement of expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, production of IgG, IFN-γ and IL-4 and activation of T helper cells, and NK cells, promises to provide protection along with therapeutic potential. These can be instrumental in enhancing the body's immune system along with strengthening and maintaining the health of the respiratory tract, the preferred host for the SARS-CoV-2. Such a modality can reach help to people who are immune compromised due to comorbidities as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and other related disorders. The present review focuses on reporting aromatic herbs, medicinal plants and spices with potential antiviral and immunomodulatory properties. To cater to the global health till such time that targeted drugs for the viral infection are made publicly available, these herbal remedies can surely be our best defenders.

Annals of Phytomedicine: An International Journal, 2019

India is believed to be crowned as the diabetes capital of the world by 2030. Considering the sam... more India is believed to be crowned as the diabetes capital of the world by 2030. Considering the same, the present study was undertaken to elucidate the antidiabetic potential of selected Indian spices, viz., Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume, Cuminum cyminum L., Laurus nobilis L., Piper nigrum L. and Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton. Phytochemical constituents of the spices were qualitatively identified and enzyme inhibitory assays performed. The study used 50% hydroacetone extracts of the above-mentioned five spices to evaluate in vitro α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. The IC 50 for α-amylase inhibitory activity were 706.

Journal of Phytonanotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Annals of Phytomedicine: An International Journal

In March 2020, an infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 termed COVID-19, was declared by WHO, as a world... more In March 2020, an infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 termed COVID-19, was declared by WHO, as a world pandemic having affected 54.1 crores individuals across 230 countries to date (23rd June 2022). The infection is caused due to a fast-mutating virus that can best be controlled through one's immune system and strengthening the same is a challenge currently. Enriching immunity has persistently been a matter of study and conclusive results depict that nutritional status has a tremendous impact on strengthening immunity. Both macro-and micronutrients play a significant role in developing a strong immune response. Most of the mediators of immune response like cytokines, interferons, and antibodies along with surface markers such as MHC, toll-like receptors, membrane transporters, etc., are all proteinaceous, and hence an adequate protein intake is vital for ideal immune response. The fermentation of dietary fiber by the microflora in the gut leads to the generation of short-chain fatty acids known to be a ntiinflammatory. Poor status of nutrients such as vitamin A and zinc have been reported to be related to not only the increased ra te of infection risk but also higher levels of oxidative stress as well as inflammation. Both these factors down regulate the immunity and thereby lower the recovery rate. These nutrients mediate the immune signalling pathways including the transcription of factors as NF-kB and Nrf-2 and reduce the generation of cytokines as IL-6 which are associated with reducing inflammation. Nutrients like vitamin D besides working on immunity also play a substantial contribution in preventing infection as they modulate the surface receptors, thereby hindering the entry of viruses into the host cells. This article is aimed at emphasising the vital significance of nutritional status in enhancing the immune system and preventing infection during the current pandemic.

Journal of Phytonanotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2021

The green leafy vegetables are packaged with nutritional and medicinal benefits for holistic well... more The green leafy vegetables are packaged with nutritional and medicinal benefits for holistic wellbeing which ca n be contributed to presence of phytochemicals and micronutrients. Processing of food, affects the nutritional value, concentration, and biological activities of all components to different extent. In this perspective, the content of antioxidant activity in unprocessed food in relation to that in processed foods requires attention and has emerged as an important parameter to assess product quality. Further, most vegetables are consumed post cooking, though a few like green leafy ones are consumed raw, as in salads. This study aims to evaluate the effect of different cooking methods on the content of vitamin C in five most commonly used green leafy vegetables, viz., Spinacia oleracea L. or palak, Raphanus sativus L. or radish, Trigonella foenum-graecum L or fenugreek or methi, Coriandrum sativum L. or coriander or dhaniya and Anethum graveolens L.or shepu or sooa. Domestic heating methods used were blanching, steaming, and microwaving. Vitamin C was estimated through titrimetry a nd the results suggest that different methods of cooking result in significant reduction in ascorbic content in all five leafy vegetables with microwaving cooking accounting to maximum loss for all five samples. Highest vitamin C loss on blanching was in fenugreek (51.04 %), followed by shepu leaves (45.35%), coriander (44.64%), radish leaves (16.67%) and spinach (15.68%) while on steaming, highest loss of vitamin C amongst selected vegetable occurred in fenugreek leaves (35.77%), followed by radish leaves (33.34%), coriander leaves (25.67%), shepu (22.74%), spinach leaves (17.58 %). It, thus could be concluded that cooking by boiling with microwaving, steaming and blanching decreases the vitamin C contents in green leafy vegetables, and needs to be considered, so as to make available ascorbic acid, maximally.

Annals of Phytomedicine: An International Journal, 2021

Annals of Phytomedicine-an International Journal, 2021

Across the globe, the SARS-CoV-2 infection or the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed thousands of fata... more Across the globe, the SARS-CoV-2 infection or the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed thousands of fatalities every day. Researchers have been able to produce vaccines, however, it is as recent as December 2020, that the use of the same has been initiated, though all such products are still being studied for their long-term safety and efficacy, since the virus is fast mutating. The discovery of specific antiviral against SARS-CoV-2 also has not seen the light of the day. Thus, the strategy to control the pandemic is largely focused on use of supplements and nutraceuticals, mostly plant based. These products can be used as preventive as well as to mitigate the symptoms and thereby provide therapy. Such products are ahead of other pharmacological candidates, as they are comparatively cheaper, easily available locally and the adverse reactions are negligible, if any. The nutraceuticals being used work as immunomodulators, thereby manipulating the immune response in mitigating the infection. ...

Annals of Phytomedicine: An International Journal, Dec 1, 2019

Hyperglycemic exposure, ex vivo of erythrocytes is often employed as a model for understanding me... more Hyperglycemic exposure, ex vivo of erythrocytes is often employed as a model for understanding membrane modifications in erythrocytes due to enhanced oxidative stress in diabetes. Chronic hyperglycemia leads to free radicals' generation along with an increase in insulin resistance. In the current study, the effect of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume, hydroacetone extract on oxidative stress and membranes of erythrocytes exposed to hyperglycemic conditions was investigated. Hemolysis as a measure of lipid peroxidation was studied by exposing erythrocytes to an increasing glucose concentration in presence and absence of the cinnamon extract. In erythrocytes subjected to lower glucose concentrations, the percent hemolysis was higher. Higher glucose concentration attenuated hemolysis. Cinnamon extract supplementation reduced hemolysis by 91.20-50.10% in presence of 10-100 mM glucose, respectively. The results also illustrated that cinnamon extract supplementation significantly reduced oxidative stress induced-damage and enhanced activity of superoxide dismutase, evaluated by inhibition of pyrogallol auto-oxidation. It can, thus be hypothesized that cinnamon can prevent lipid peroxidation and enzyme glycation in human erythrocytes under diabetic condition.

Annals of phytomedicine, Dec 1, 2022

The current COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is believed to be due to zoonotic emergence. T... more The current COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is believed to be due to zoonotic emergence. The infection leads to a variety of conditions, from mild discomfort to severe respiratory disorder requiring intensive care monitoring and at times even becoming life-threatening. The advent of multiple mutations led to variants wherein the severity and contagiousness of the disease have varied. In the initial days of the pandemic, supportive care measures such as providing oxygen for ventilation and using antivirals effective against various respiratory diseases were the pharmacological interventions used. Ongoing clinical trials are helping identify the most effective repurposed antiviral drug or a combination of such drugs to be effective against the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Researchers and healthcare personnel are putting in tremendous efforts to urgently identify prospective preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies on priority. Various research institutions and pharmaceutical companies put in intensive efforts and within a short duration, many vaccines were available that helped develop population immunity, thus preventing the severity of infection even when people got infected. Candidates for therapy include the use of: (i) medicinal aromatic plant, or active phytoconstituents, individually or as a combination; (ii) nanotechnological tools to encapsulate the drugs/plant phytoconstituents; (iii) food fortification with the prepared nanoparticles, amongst some prospective strategies. As phytomedicine is gaining significance in holistic wellbeing, the research and development in the field of polyherbal have intensified. Combinational therapy is being propagated through promising results obtained by multiple researchers. In most studies, compounds used had proven potential via in vitro or in vivo studies against viruses similar to SARS-CoV-2. Further, the infection rates and the severity of the disease have been drastically reduced, with population immunity being developed due to the use of vaccines. An array of vaccines ranging from DNA, mRNA, sub-unit, viral vector and viruslike particles, are already in various stages of clinical trials, with over 12.3 billion doses being delivered globally. This is a review of scientific work conducted toward developing pharmacological interventions against COVID-19. The data represented provides a resource to researchers and healthcare providers to help control the infection and the pandemic.

Annals of Phytomedicine: An International Journal

Diabetes is a group of metabolic disorder, characterized by increase in the level of glucose, res... more Diabetes is a group of metabolic disorder, characterized by increase in the level of glucose, resulting from defects in insulin secretion, its action or sometimes both. The effects associated are prolonged organ damage, dysfunction of especially the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels or at times even multiple organ failure. Oral medications may be prescribed, but they are associated with many side effects. Condiments, herbs, various spices and other plant products are considered to be safer in the treatment of diabetes. A commonly used spice is cumin, which is used in the present study to modulate the in vitro glucosidase inhibitory activity of hydroacetone extract of spice and its antidiabetic potential. The spice was also studied for its enzyme inhibitory activity post nanoencapsulation and for herb-drug (acarbose) intera ction. The IC 50 value of Cumin. Cyminum L. extract for -glucosidase inhibitory activity, was found to be 122.83 µg/ml while that of nanoencapsulated extract was 90.965 µg/ml, indicating that nanoencapsulation enhances enzyme inhibitory activity. Herb-drug interaction of nanoencapsulated C.cyminum extract along with acarbose, was also explored. A gradual increase in % -glucosidase inhibitory activity from 27.36 ± 1.45% at T 0 to 93.67 ± 0.21% at T 360 was observed indicating a 2.4% increase over a period of 6 h, suggestive of sustained release and prolonged enzyme activity. The results, thus depict that Cuminum cyminum L. can be a potent candidate for managing blood glucose levels in the diabetic patients by delaying the -glucosidase activity.

Annals of Phytomedicine: An International Journal, 2021

Across 218 countries, since March 2020, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV... more Across 218 countries, since March 2020, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been a reason for concern. Doctors as well as researchers, stand together to find a treatment for this pandemic. The virus attaches to the host cells via transmembrane spike glycoprotein. The glycoprotein has affinity for human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and is dimeric. Thus, the virus attaches to the ACE receptors through the receptor-binding domain (SARS-CoV-2 RBD Spro). Further, the main protease (Mpro), a chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro), plays a critical role in post-translational modifications, thereby affecting viral survival. Thus, targeting these viral mark ers ca n not only block the fusion with host cells, but also affect replication of the viru s. Ancient civilizations have been using plants, herbs as well as spices for their medicinal values as antiviral, antiinflammatory, antipyretic, antimicrobial and many more. The rich array of phytochemicals in these spices endows them with these beneficial properties, and hence they are largely being looked as agents for therapeutic use. However, the journey from laboratory for drug development is a time-consuming process as it starts from trying to identify the major therapeutic component to its pre-clinical studies, clinical and then its marketing as a drug. In the current pandemic where loss of human life has been in millions, a faster and more efficient modality like in silico studies can help escalate this search for a therapy thereby saving mankind. This study is a comprehensive review on results of in silico approaches conducted in near future in an attempt to evolve an ideal therapeutic candidate for ending the pandemic. Results of research conducted on phytochemicals from medicinal and aromatic plants as potential therapeutic candidates using tools of bioinformatics and computational modelling are hereby discussed.

Annals of Phytomedicine: An International Journal, 2020

Global health is at risk due to the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic which has posed a huge challenge.... more Global health is at risk due to the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic which has posed a huge challenge. The virus has several protein spikes termed peplomers, on its surface, and is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA enveloped virus. The number of infected people across the globe is in an exponential phase in many of the 220 countries infected by the pandemic, and currently is in its second phase of infection at many places. Scientists and researchers have set in a global race, the winning stride being successful discovery of a preventive vaccine and a specific treatment for COVID-19. Till such time, centers for ancient civilizations as India and China have intensified their search towards alternative medicine using herbal products, which hold immense pharmacological properties. In case of COVID-19, aromatic plants and herbs downregulate the pre-inflammatory mediators as IL-1, 6, 10 and 18, TNF-α and NF-κB associated with the cytokine storm, which has proved to be fatal. Simultaneously, enhancement of expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, production of IgG, IFN-γ and IL-4 and activation of T helper cells, and NK cells, promises to provide protection along with therapeutic potential. These can be instrumental in enhancing the body's immune system along with strengthening and maintaining the health of the respiratory tract, the preferred host for the SARS-CoV-2. Such a modality can reach help to people who are immune compromised due to comorbidities as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and other related disorders. The present review focuses on reporting aromatic herbs, medicinal plants and spices with potential antiviral and immunomodulatory properties. To cater to the global health till such time that targeted drugs for the viral infection are made publicly available, these herbal remedies can surely be our best defenders.

Annals of Phytomedicine: An International Journal, 2019

India is believed to be crowned as the diabetes capital of the world by 2030. Considering the sam... more India is believed to be crowned as the diabetes capital of the world by 2030. Considering the same, the present study was undertaken to elucidate the antidiabetic potential of selected Indian spices, viz., Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume, Cuminum cyminum L., Laurus nobilis L., Piper nigrum L. and Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton. Phytochemical constituents of the spices were qualitatively identified and enzyme inhibitory assays performed. The study used 50% hydroacetone extracts of the above-mentioned five spices to evaluate in vitro α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. The IC 50 for α-amylase inhibitory activity were 706.

Journal of Phytonanotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Annals of Phytomedicine: An International Journal

In March 2020, an infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 termed COVID-19, was declared by WHO, as a world... more In March 2020, an infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 termed COVID-19, was declared by WHO, as a world pandemic having affected 54.1 crores individuals across 230 countries to date (23rd June 2022). The infection is caused due to a fast-mutating virus that can best be controlled through one's immune system and strengthening the same is a challenge currently. Enriching immunity has persistently been a matter of study and conclusive results depict that nutritional status has a tremendous impact on strengthening immunity. Both macro-and micronutrients play a significant role in developing a strong immune response. Most of the mediators of immune response like cytokines, interferons, and antibodies along with surface markers such as MHC, toll-like receptors, membrane transporters, etc., are all proteinaceous, and hence an adequate protein intake is vital for ideal immune response. The fermentation of dietary fiber by the microflora in the gut leads to the generation of short-chain fatty acids known to be a ntiinflammatory. Poor status of nutrients such as vitamin A and zinc have been reported to be related to not only the increased ra te of infection risk but also higher levels of oxidative stress as well as inflammation. Both these factors down regulate the immunity and thereby lower the recovery rate. These nutrients mediate the immune signalling pathways including the transcription of factors as NF-kB and Nrf-2 and reduce the generation of cytokines as IL-6 which are associated with reducing inflammation. Nutrients like vitamin D besides working on immunity also play a substantial contribution in preventing infection as they modulate the surface receptors, thereby hindering the entry of viruses into the host cells. This article is aimed at emphasising the vital significance of nutritional status in enhancing the immune system and preventing infection during the current pandemic.

Journal of Phytonanotechnology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2021

The green leafy vegetables are packaged with nutritional and medicinal benefits for holistic well... more The green leafy vegetables are packaged with nutritional and medicinal benefits for holistic wellbeing which ca n be contributed to presence of phytochemicals and micronutrients. Processing of food, affects the nutritional value, concentration, and biological activities of all components to different extent. In this perspective, the content of antioxidant activity in unprocessed food in relation to that in processed foods requires attention and has emerged as an important parameter to assess product quality. Further, most vegetables are consumed post cooking, though a few like green leafy ones are consumed raw, as in salads. This study aims to evaluate the effect of different cooking methods on the content of vitamin C in five most commonly used green leafy vegetables, viz., Spinacia oleracea L. or palak, Raphanus sativus L. or radish, Trigonella foenum-graecum L or fenugreek or methi, Coriandrum sativum L. or coriander or dhaniya and Anethum graveolens L.or shepu or sooa. Domestic heating methods used were blanching, steaming, and microwaving. Vitamin C was estimated through titrimetry a nd the results suggest that different methods of cooking result in significant reduction in ascorbic content in all five leafy vegetables with microwaving cooking accounting to maximum loss for all five samples. Highest vitamin C loss on blanching was in fenugreek (51.04 %), followed by shepu leaves (45.35%), coriander (44.64%), radish leaves (16.67%) and spinach (15.68%) while on steaming, highest loss of vitamin C amongst selected vegetable occurred in fenugreek leaves (35.77%), followed by radish leaves (33.34%), coriander leaves (25.67%), shepu (22.74%), spinach leaves (17.58 %). It, thus could be concluded that cooking by boiling with microwaving, steaming and blanching decreases the vitamin C contents in green leafy vegetables, and needs to be considered, so as to make available ascorbic acid, maximally.

Annals of Phytomedicine: An International Journal, 2021

Annals of Phytomedicine-an International Journal, 2021

Across the globe, the SARS-CoV-2 infection or the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed thousands of fata... more Across the globe, the SARS-CoV-2 infection or the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed thousands of fatalities every day. Researchers have been able to produce vaccines, however, it is as recent as December 2020, that the use of the same has been initiated, though all such products are still being studied for their long-term safety and efficacy, since the virus is fast mutating. The discovery of specific antiviral against SARS-CoV-2 also has not seen the light of the day. Thus, the strategy to control the pandemic is largely focused on use of supplements and nutraceuticals, mostly plant based. These products can be used as preventive as well as to mitigate the symptoms and thereby provide therapy. Such products are ahead of other pharmacological candidates, as they are comparatively cheaper, easily available locally and the adverse reactions are negligible, if any. The nutraceuticals being used work as immunomodulators, thereby manipulating the immune response in mitigating the infection. ...

Annals of Phytomedicine: An International Journal, Dec 1, 2019

Hyperglycemic exposure, ex vivo of erythrocytes is often employed as a model for understanding me... more Hyperglycemic exposure, ex vivo of erythrocytes is often employed as a model for understanding membrane modifications in erythrocytes due to enhanced oxidative stress in diabetes. Chronic hyperglycemia leads to free radicals' generation along with an increase in insulin resistance. In the current study, the effect of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume, hydroacetone extract on oxidative stress and membranes of erythrocytes exposed to hyperglycemic conditions was investigated. Hemolysis as a measure of lipid peroxidation was studied by exposing erythrocytes to an increasing glucose concentration in presence and absence of the cinnamon extract. In erythrocytes subjected to lower glucose concentrations, the percent hemolysis was higher. Higher glucose concentration attenuated hemolysis. Cinnamon extract supplementation reduced hemolysis by 91.20-50.10% in presence of 10-100 mM glucose, respectively. The results also illustrated that cinnamon extract supplementation significantly reduced oxidative stress induced-damage and enhanced activity of superoxide dismutase, evaluated by inhibition of pyrogallol auto-oxidation. It can, thus be hypothesized that cinnamon can prevent lipid peroxidation and enzyme glycation in human erythrocytes under diabetic condition.