Bioassays | Natural Plant Extracts

A. Biochemical Assays

Medicinal flora of plant kingdom is not still fully investigated phytochemically and screened in context of pharmacologically. The discovery of biologically active molecules and isolation of them to crystallize into promising extracts put specific requirement on bioassays to be utilized for purpose.
Bioassays are simple, rapid, reproducible and cost effective in comparison with other assays. Bioassays are prerequisite to burgeon in High Throughput Screening and possible only by automated tools. Thus this pathway leads us to bioactivity guided fractionation and isolated domain of potential drug leads with help of Reverse Pharmacology & System Biology and Evidence Based Medicine.
In this Endeavour our R&D team has developed and in process of development of certain bioassays which has been enumerated as bellow,

N.B. – BIOASSAYS ARE SUBJECTED TO VARIATION IN RELATION WITH IPR STATUS OF CONTINENTS.

SL NO	CODE	BIOASSAY	PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE	TURN AROUND TIME
1.	BCA01	? - Amylase inhibition	Obesity, Diabetes	2 weeks
2.	BCA02	? - Glucosidase inhibition	Anti-diabetic	2 weeks
3.	BCA03	? - Glucuronidase inhibition	Hepatoprotective, Axillary odour	2 weeks
4.	BCA04	ABTS radical scavenging	Anti-oxidant	2 weeks
5.	BCA05	Acetylcholinesterase inhibition*	Cognition enhancement	2 weeks
6.	BCA07	Butyrylcholinesterase inhibition*	Cognition enhancement	1 week
7.	BCA08	Collagenase inhibition	Antiageing / Antiwrinkle	3 weeks
8.	BCA09	Nitric-oxide scavenging	Anti-oxidant, Alzheimer’s disease	2 weeks
9.	BCA10	Superoxide anion scavenging activity (PMS-NADH system)	Anti-oxidant	2 weeks
10.	BCA11	DPP IV inhibition	Anti diabetic, obesity	3 weeks
11.	BCA12	DPPH*	Anti-oxidant	2 weeks
12.	BCA13	Elastase inhibition	Anti wrinkle, Antiageing	2 weeks
13.	BCA14	Hyaluronidase inhibition	Anti-inflammatory. Anti wrinkle	2 weeks
14.	BCA15	Hydroxyl radical scavenging	Anti-oxidant	2 weeks
15.	BCA16	Lipase inhibition	Obesity	2 weeks
16.	BCA17	15 - Lipoxygenase inhibition	Anti-inflammatory	3 weeks
17.	BCA18	Trypsin inhibition	Anti-inflammatory	2 weeks
18.	BCA19	Xanthine oxidase inhibition	Gout	2 weeks
19.	BCA20	TC- PTPase inhibition	TC-PTPase inhibitors are likely to inhibit PTP-1B)	3 weeks
20.	BCA21	PTP-IB inhibition	Anti-diabetic, Anti-obesity	3 weeks
21.	BCA22	Aldolase inhibition	Obesity	2 weeks
22.	BCA23	COX-I inhibition	Done along COX II assay to know selectivity	5 weeks
23.	BCA24	COX II inhibition	Inflammation	5 weeks
24.	BCA25	Phosphodiesterase –I inhibition	Arthritis	2 weeks
25.	BCA26	Protein phosphatase-1 inhibition	Cognition enhancement	2 weeks
26.	BCA27	Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity	Anti-oxidant	2 weeks
27.	BCA28	Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) inhibition	Anti-psoriasis	2 weeks
28.	BCA29	RHO-kinase (ROCK-II) inhibition	Erectile dysfunction / Male impotency	3 weeks
29.	BCA31	Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition	Hypertension	5 weeks
30.	BCA32	Tyrosinase inhibition	Skin whitening	3 weeks
31.	BCA33	PARP inhibition	Neuro degenerative disorders, Diabetes	3 weeks
32.	BCA34	PLA2 inhibition	Anti-inflammatory	3 weeks
33.	BCA35	PAF acetylhydrolase inhibition	Atherosclerosis	3 weeks
34.	BCA36	IKK-beta (NF-B kinase) inhibition	Anti diabetic	4 weeks
35.	BCA37	Glucose-6-phosphatase	Anti diabetic	4 weeks
36.	BCA38	P70S6kinase inhibition	Anti diabetic	4 weeks
37.	BCA39	ORAC	Anti-oxidant	3 weeks

Note:
Each sample would be tested at five different concentrations, in duplicate, for calculating the IC50 value.

B. Cellular Assays

SL NO	CODE	BIOASSAY	PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE	TURN AROUND TIME
38.	CA01	Lymphocyte proliferation	Immune modulation	4 weeks
		a. Naïve and LPS treated lymphocytes
		b. Naïve and PHA-L treated lymphocytes
		c. Naïve and Con A treated lymphocytes
39.	CA02	NO release (in J774A.1 macrophages)	Immune stimulation	4 weeks
40.	CA03	NO scavenging (in LPS prestimulated macrophages)	Anti-oxidant / Anti-inflammatory	4 weeks
41.	CA04	Macrophage phagocytosis	Immune modulation	4 weeks
42.	CA05	LTB4 release	Anti-inflammatory	4 weeks
43.	CA06	Hepatoprotection using t-BH	Hepatoprotection	4 weeks
44.	CA07	Elastin release using IMR-90	Anti-wrinkle	4 weeks
45.	CA08	Histamine release using RBL-2H3	Anti-inflammatory, Anti-allergy	4 weeks
46.	CA09	Chromosomal aberration using human lymphocytes	Safety assessment	8 weeks
47.	CA10	Micronucleus assay using human lymphocytes	Safety assessment	8 weeks
48.	CA11	Melanin release using B-16 new	Skin tanning / lightening	4 weeks
49.	CA12	PGE2 release using J774A.1 macrophage cells new	Anti-inflammatory	4 weeks
50.	CA13	Insulin release	Anti diabetic	4 weeks
51.	CA14	Collagen release using NIH-3T3 new	Anti-wrinkle	4 weeks

Note:
The above cost includes determination of cytotoxic concentrations and EC50 / IC50 using five different concentrations, tested in triplicates.

C. Miscellaneous Assays

SL NO	CODE	BIOASSAY	PHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE	TURN AROUND TIME
52.	MA01	Brine Shrimp Lethality ++	Non specific general bioassay	3 weeks
53.	MA02	Anti-Staphylococcus aureus* (MTCC 737)	Antibacterial activity	3 weeks
54.	MA03	Anti-Escherichia coli (MTCC 1687)	Antibacterial activity	3 weeks
55.	MA04	Anti-Klebsiella pnemoniae (MTCC 109)	Antibacterial activity	3 weeks
56.	MA05	Anti-Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 1688)	Antibacterial activity	3 weeks
57.	MA06	Anti-Proteus vulgaris (MTCC 1771)	Antibacterial activity	3 weeks
58.	MA07	Anti-Staphylococcus epidermidis (MTCC 435)	Antibacterial activity	3 weeks
59.	MA08	Anti-Propionibacterium acne (MTCC 1951)	Antibacterial activity	3 weeks
60.	MA09	Anti-S.mutans* (MTCC 890)	Antibacterial activity	3 weeks
61.	MA10	Anti-S.salivarius (ATCC 13419-derived)	Antibacterial activity	3 weeks
62.	MA11	Anti-S.sanguis (ATCC 10556-derived)	Antibacterial activity	3 weeks
63.	MA12	Anti-Candida albicans (MTCC 183)	Antifungal activity	4 weeks
64.	MA13	Anti-Trichophyton rubrum (MTCC 296)	Antifungal activity	6 weeks
65.	MA14	Anti-Microsporum gypseum (MTCC 2819)	Antifungal activity	6 weeks

Some assays are available in the bio-autographic format also, to assist bioactivity guided fractionations.
++ Requires testing of minimum 4 compounds per set up

Quantity of sample required:

1 gm sample in a properly closed air tight container. In case the sample is scarce and expensive, lesser quantities could also suffice (Please specify the assays for us to provide the minimum sample quantity requirement).

Turn Around Time:

The table indicates the typical turn around time required for performing the assays. Please enquire at the time of order, as your sample may be in queue or the reagents required may not be available in ready stock.

Notes:

Samples with poor solubility profile in aqueous buffers may not be suitable for analysis.
IC50 / EC50 values can be calculated only for active samples. For samples which do not have sufficient activity the results may not be amenable to statistical analysis or graph plotting and they will be reported as such.
New assays are added every month; please send us a request for a comprehensive list.
The enclosed Analysis order form should be filled and sent with the sample for evaluation.
Details about methodology adopted, importance and relevance of these assays are available on request.

Click here for Analysis Order Form