Cryopreservation of in vitro/​grown shoot tips of Crateva nurvala Buch. Ham, an
important medicinal tree.

Sanayaima RK, Kaur A, Agrawal A, Babbar SB.

Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.

Cryopreservation of in vitro axillary shoot tips of Crateva nurvala Buch. Ham,
an important medicinal tree, was investigated. Axillary buds (c. 1mm in length)
excised from 4/​week/​old in vitro cultures, were pre/​cultured on liquid MS medium
supplemented with 0.4 M sucrose for 16 h. These were incubated in 2 M
glycerol+0.4 M sucrose for 20 min at 25 degree C before being dehydrated with
PVS2 solution for 40 min The dehydrated shoot tips were directly immersed in LN.
Following cryopreservation and after rapid warming at 40 degree C, shoot tips
were quickly washed with MS+1.2 M sucrose solution for 20 min and then plated on
top of filter paper placed on MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg l/​1 BAP, kept
in darkness for one day followed by placement of shoots directly on the medium
and incubation in darkness for a day more, before transfer of cultures to light.
Average survival in terms of normal shoot formation after 4 weeks of plating was
56.6 percent. The rescued shoot tips were bulked up by subsequent nodal cultures
and when put onto 0.02 mg l/​1 NAA showed a rhizogenic response. Thus, in
vitro/​grown shoot tips of Crateva nurvala were successfully cryopreserved
following the optimization of the PVS2/​vitrification protocol.

PMID: 17256072 [PubMed /​ in process]

2: J Pharm Pharmacol. 2005 Nov;57(11):1437/​44.

Role of lupeol and its ester on cyclophosphamide/​induced hyperlipidaemic
cardiomyopathy in rats.

Sudharsan PT, Mythili Y, Sudhahar V, Varalakshmi P.

Department of Medical Biochemistry, Dr. ALM. Post Graduate Institute of Basic
Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, Chennai 600113, India.

Cyclophosphamide, an alkylating agent widely used in cancer chemotherapy, causes
fatal cardiotoxicity. In this study, lupeol, a pentacyclic triterpene isolated
from Crataeva nurvala stem bark, and its ester, lupeol linoleate, were
investigated for their possible hypocholesterolaemic effects against
cyclophosphamide/​induced lipidaemic instabilities. Male albino Wistar rats were
categorized into 6 groups. Group I served as control. Rats in groups II, V and
VI were injected intraperitoneally with a single dose of cyclophosphamide (200
mg kg(/​1)) dissolved in saline. Cyclophosphamide/​treated groups V and VI
respectively received lupeol and lupeol linoleate (50 mg kg(/​1)), dissolved in
olive oil, for 10 days by oral gavage. Groups III and IV served as drug controls
and were administered lupeol and lupeol linoleate, respectively.
Cyclophosphamide administration induced abnormal changes in serum lipoproteins
and lipid fractions in both serum and cardiac tissue. The activity of lipid
metabolizing enzymes was distorted significantly in the cyclophosphamide/​treated
rats. The cyclophosphamide/​treated rats also showed extensive intermuscular
haemorrhage in histology. Lupeol and its ester reversed the above alterations
induced by cyclophosphamide. This study encapsulates the early lipaemic
abnormalities in the heart tissue of cyclophosphamide/​treated rats. Treatment
with lupeol linoleate was more effective than lupeol in rendering protection to
the cardiac tissue challenged by cyclophosphamide.

PMID: 16259776 [PubMed /​ indexed for MEDLINE]

3: Hum Exp Toxicol. 2005 Jun;24(6):313/​8.

Cardioprotective effect of pentacyclic triterpene, lupeol and its ester on
cyclophosphamide/​induced oxidative stress.

Sudharsan PT, Mythili Y, Selvakumar E, Varalakshmi P.

Department of Medical Biochemistry, Dr. ALM. Post Graduate Institute of Basic
Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani Campus, Chennai, India.

Cyclophosphamide (CP), an alkylating agent widely used in cancer chemotherapy,
causes fatal cardiotoxicity. In the present study, lupeol, a pentacyclic
triterpene, isolated from Crataeva nurvala stem bark and its ester, lupeol
linoleate were investigated for their possible cardioprotective effects against
CP/​induced toxicity. Male albino rats of Wistar strain were injected with a
single dose of CP (200 mg/kg body weight, ip). In CP/​administered rats,
activities of lactate dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase were elevated in
serum with a concomitant decline in their activities in the cardiac tissue.
Significant increases (P<0.001) in the levels of lipid peroxides and a decrease
(P<0.001) in the levels of enzymic (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione
peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glucose/​6/​phosphate dehydrogenase and
glutathione/​s/​transferase) and nonenzymic (reduced glutathione, vitamin C and
vitamin E) antioxidants in the heart were also observed. The cardioprotective
effects of lupeol (50 mg/kg body weight for 10 days orally) and its ester,
lupeol linoleate (50 mg/kg body weight for 10 days orally) were evident from the
significant reversal of the above alterations induced by CP. These observations
highlight the antioxidant property of triterpenes and their cytoprotective
action against CP/​induced cardiotoxicity.

Publication Types:
Comparative Study
Research Support, Non/​U.S. Gov't

PMID: 16004198 [PubMed /​ indexed for MEDLINE]

4: Planta Med. 1977 Nov;32(3):214/​6.

A new pentacyclic triterpene from the root bark of Crateva nurvala.

Lakshmi V, Chauhan JS.

PMID: 918156 [PubMed /​ indexed for MEDLINE]