From the clinical researcher’s desk

The antioxidant stress has a key role in the mechanism involving hypovolemic hemorrhage stress. Studies on hemorrhagic brain tissues have rendered oxidative stress to be responsible for damage to brain tissues. 

Mulmina® consists of fruit pulp of Mangifera indica, which is a rich source of dietary antioxidant, carotenoid, phenolic compounds, and ascorbic acid which has been confirmed by the spectrophotometric and HPLC studies. In preclinical trials, the flavonoids from Mangifera indica showed an elevation in free radical scavenging enzymes and a decrease in lipid peroxidation levels. Another important component of Mulmina® is Centella asiatica, an important medicinal herb that is mainly composed of saponins (also called triterpenoids). Its active constituents possess antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, neuroprotective, antioxidant and wound healing activities. In preclinical trials that evaluated its antioxidant activity, Centella asiatica showed a decrease in the generation of ROS and oxidative stress as well as a significant decrease in SOD levels. Polyphenol, flavonoid, β-carotene, tannin, Vitamin C and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) compounds are readily found in C. asiatica contributing to significantly higher antioxidant activity in the herb.

Curcuma longa present in Mulmina® possesses a potential antioxidant property which was much more than ginger and indomethacin in rats with rheumatoid arthritis. The components from Mangifera indica, Centella asiatica and Curcuma longa present in Mulmina® might be effective in reducing oxidative stress. Additionally, intake of Mulmina® during hypovolemic hemorrhage stress or post-donation of blood in humans may help in compensating the blood volume lost.

A study determined the total antioxidant capacity of Mulmina® in normal and stress-induced mice.

Methodology

• The acute hypovolemic hemorrhagic stress was induced in BALB/c mice by the withdrawal of 10% blood of total blood volume.
• The estimation of total antioxidant capacity was carried out in plasma samples of both normal- and stress-induced mice. The observations of the study were as follows-
• In normal animals, the treatment of Vitamin E (40 mg/kg) or Mulmina® (40 mg/kg and 80 mL/kg) did not elevate total antioxidant capacity as compared to normal control.
• In stressed animals, the treatment with Mulmina® resulted in significant improvement in total antioxidant capacity.
• Mulmina® treatment group showed a significant improvement in the total antioxidant capacity as compared with baseline (58.15±7.465 vs. 788.1±105).
• Treatment of Mulmina® after induction of stress significantly elevated the total antioxidant capacity as compared with baseline (45.11±11.28 vs. 946.3±202.3).

Conclusion

Thus it was concluded that treatment with Mulmina® is effective in stressed BALB/c mice in attenuating oxidative stress by increasing the total antioxidant capacity.

This increase in total antioxidant capacity can be attributed to the components of Mulmina® such as curcumin, Mangifera indica, Centella asiatica and Curcuma longa which are powerful antioxidants.