VANILLA PLANIFOLIA PLACENTA

Vanilla pod tissue section

(A) A six-week old vanilla pod cross section. The pods at earlier developmental stages were
separated into three tissue samples (dark, light and seed).
(B) A twelve-week old vanilla pod cross section. The pods at later developmental stages were
separated into four tissue samples (mesocarp, placenta, hair cells, and seed).
The MAIN active constituents of vanilla are responsible for its various biological and therapeutic
activities:
1) ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES
In vitro and in vivo studies on antioxidant activity of vanilla extract or vanillin
Subject
Duration of the study
Dosage
Groups
Parameters analysed
Function
Vanilla extract posesses
antioxidant activity that
potentially be used as
nutraceuticals.
β-carotene-linoleate
DPPH assay
3 hour
50, 100, and 200 ppm
 Vanilla extract
 Vanilla standards
Bleaching of the β-carotene
Free radical scavenging
activity
Visible Benefits
Total polyphenol content in
the vanilla extract was found
to be 17±0.1%
4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl
alcohol and 4-hydroxybenzyl
alcohol showed appreciable
antioxidant activity
Vanillin and vanillic acid
exhibited much lower
antioxidant activity.
Male mice (n=25)
5, 15, 30 and 60 min
Oral: 100 mg/kg of vanillin (single
dose)
 Control group
 Treatment group
Plasma vanillin content by HPLC
Plasma ORAC assay
Visible Benefits
Vanillin had the strongest
antioxidant effect in the ORAC
assay.
The order of inhibition was
vanillin>vanillic acid>ferulic
acid>Trolox>ascorbic acid
Oral administration of vanillin to
mice increased the vanillin
concentration and the antioxidant
activity in plasma.
 2) RELAXATION PROPERTIES

In vivo study on effect of vanilla extract on anxiety

Subject Male rats (n=30)

 1 hr (acute)
Duration of the study
 10 days (chronic)

Dosage  10, 100mg/kg drug

 Control
 10mg/kg
Groups
 100mg/kg
 200mg/kg

Elevated plus maze

Parameters analysed
Bright and dark arena

Visible Benefits
Function
Vanillin (100 mg/kg) was able to reduce anxiety behaviour
Vanillin posesses
in both acute and chronic study.
antianxiolytic activtiy.
It could be due the antioxidant property.
 3) RELIEVE

In vivo study on effect of vanilla extract on depression

Subject Mice (n=30)

1 hr (acute)
Duration of the study
10 days (chronic)

Dosage 10, 100mg/kg drug

Distilled water
Groups 10mg/kg
100mg/kg

Forced swim test

Parameters analysed
Tail suspension test

Visible Benefits
Function
Vanillin reduced duration of immobility in both acute and chronic
Vanillin posesses
study.
antidepressant activtiy
It could be due to the agonistic action at α2 adrenergic or opioid
comparable
receptors or due to the antioxidant property.
 4) ANTI-CANCER PROPERTIES

In vitro and in vivo studies on effect of vanillin on cancer

 Mammalian cell line

Subject
 Mice (n=60)

Duration of the study 24 hr

Dosage 10, 100mg/kg drug

 Vehicle (saline)
Groups  Vanillin (25, 50 or 100 mg/kg)
 Positive control

 Chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay: Anti-angiogenic activity

 Acetic acid-induced writhing response: Anti-nociceptive activity
Parameters analysed  Nitrite analysis
 Cell viability
 RT-PCR analysis

Function Visible Benefits

Vanillin suppresses  Vanillin had anti-inflammatory activity using the acetic acid-
NO production induced permeability model in mice.
through inhibiting
transcriptional
induction of iNOS in  Vanillin reduced number of writhing in mice comparable with
the activated aminopyrine.
macrophages, which Vanillin inhibited production of nitric oxide (NO) and induction of
might support anti- inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) but not cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)
inflammatory and in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW264.7 macrophages.
anti-nociceptive
activities of vanillin.

5) ANTI-INFLAMMATION

In vivo study on effect of vanillin on inflammation

Subject Male rats (n=32)

Duration of the study 3 days

Dosage 150 mg/kg vanillin daily (intraperitoneally injected)

 Control group (C)

 Treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)
Groups
 Treated with Vanillin (Va)
 Va+ CCl4

Parameters analysed
 mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and GAPDH genes
 Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine
 Aminotransferase (ALT) activities
 Protein carbonyl content in liver (PCO)
  Malonaldialdehyde in liver (MDA)
 Antioxidant enzymes and glutathione level in liver

Visible Benefits

Function  Pretreatment with vanillin prior the administration of CCl4

The antioxidant and significantly prevented the decrease of protein synthesis and
antiinflammatory the increase in plasma ALT and AST.
effects of vanillin  It also inhibited hepatic lipid peroxidation (MDA) and PCO
against CCl4-induced formation and attenuated the (CCl4)-mediated depletion of
acute liver injury may antioxidant enzyme (SOD and GSH).
involve its ability to
block CCl4-generated  Vanillin markedly attenuated the expression levels of pro-
free radicals. inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) and
prevented CCl4-induced hepatic cell alteration and necrosis,
as indicated by liver histopathology.
 ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION:

PISUM SATIVUM PHYTOPLACENTA EXTRACT

Pea cross sectional
SOLANUM PHYTOPLACENTA EXTRACT

WATERMELON PLACENTA