Evaluation of Rasna panchaka (indigenous drug) as oxidative stress down-regulator using serum-free explant culture system

CONTEXT: The importance of phytochemicals/natural products as potential therapeutic agents in the present context is gaining a lot of importance. India with a rich heritage of such preparations needs evaluation as potent drugs. Explant culture system is a method, which is sensitive, reliable, reproducible and is capable of mimicking the in situ conditions maintaining the tissue in sufficiently high level of integration. AIM: The current study aimed to test the antioxidant activity of test compounds, namely, traditional aqueous (4212) and aqueous-methanolic (4308) extracts of Rasna panchaka using liver explant cultures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dose-response optima of extracts (0.2–10 μg/mL) were determined using mouse liver explant culture system up to 48 h. The antioxidant property of extracts was assessed by primary oxidative defense parameters, namely, superoxide-dismutase (SOD), catalase, reduced glutathione (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA). RESULTS: The results indicated that the cellular architecture of the cultured tissue was well conserved in the first 6 h with a gradual display of specific changes in the next 24 h. There was a significant increase in MDA levels in experimental groups indicating the oxidative stress induction in explants. A dose of 2.0 μg/mL extracts have shown statistically significant (P < 0.05) protection against oxidative stress. MDA levels, a measure of lipid peroxidation, were significantly (P < 0.01) reduced by 50% in extract treated explants compared to control. This effect was accompanied by the increase in the first defense enzymes SOD (50%) and catalase (18%) with no change in reduced GSH levels. CONCLUSION: The study enforces the importance of “explant culture system,” as it not only reduces the use of nonclinical/animal model but also is rapid and sensitive. Further, results of the current study also suggest that aqueous-methanolic extract of Rasna panchaka is having superior antioxidant activity compared to traditional water extract.