Cerebroside | Health Encyclopedia: Cerebroside

Cerebroside: From 1 Different Sources

n. one of a group of compounds occurring in the *myelin sheaths of nerve fibres. They are *glycolipids, containing a sphingolipid bound to a sugar, usually galactose (in galactocerebrosides) or glucose (in glucocerebrosides).

Health Source: Oxford | Concise Colour Medical Dictionary
Author: Jonathan Law, Elizabeth Martin

Lycium Barbarum

Linn.

Family: Solanaceae.

Habitat: Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Unani: Chirchataa, Chirchitaa, Chirchitta.

Folk: Kheechar Chirchataa.

Action: Immunostimulatory, antiproliferatory, antiageing; antioxidant.

The leaves and flowers contain free quercetin (1.28 and 1.58 mg/g dry weight, respectively), and bound kaem- pferol. Total alkaloid percentage is nearly the same in shoots (1.26%) and fruits (1.24%) but lower in cal- li (0.83%) and roots (0.67%). Fruits had highest atropine content (0.95%) and shoots the highest hyoscyamine content (0.33%).

Flavonoids are active against E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans (quercetin does not show activity against Candida albicans).

The polysaccharide extract from fruits showed antiageing, immunos- timulatory and antiproliferatory activities. The polysaccharide acts as an an- tioxidant and prevented CCl4-induced increases in lipid peroxidases in liver. It can also protect against genetic damage from mutagenic and genotoxic compounds. This activity leads to its potential use in preventing the adverse effects of chemotherapeutic agents.

The fruit contain beta-carotene (8 mg/100 g dry weight), also free amino acids (1.0-2.6%); major amino acid is proline.

The dried fruit and root bark reduce cholesterol level by preventing its absorption in gastrointestinal tract. A constituent of the root bark, kuko- amine exhibits cholesterol lowering, antihypertensive and hypoglycaemic effects. Hepatoprotective activity is attributed to a cerebroside constituent found in the fruit. (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.)

The fruit and root bark is contraindi- cated in bleeding disorders and hypoglycemia. (Sharon M. Herr.)... lycium barbarum

Tetragonia Expansa

Murr.

Synonym: T. tetragonioides (Pall.) O. Kuntze.

Family: Tetragoniaceae.

Habitat: Cultivated in the hills of North Bengal, Shillong and other hill stations, and in the Deccan, in Mysore.

English: New Zealand Spinach.

Folk: Chikesoppu (Karnataka).

Action: Used as a substitute for Spinacia oleracea, as a rich source of calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins A, B and C. Given in pulmonary and intestinal affections.

The shoots of the plant contain saponin, but the seeds do not. The saponin has low toxicity which disappears on boiling the leaves. A sample of the plant contained 1.2% oxalic acid, combined as calcium oxalate which is higher than found in common spinach. Losses of phosphorus and iron on cooking are also reported to be high.

The roots, leaves and immature fruits gave positive reaction for the presence of alkaloids. Cerebroside has been synthesized.... tetragonia expansa

Thevetia Peruviana

(Pers.) K. Schum.

T. neriifolia Juss. ex

Family: Apocynaceae.

Habitat: Native to tropical America; cultivated as hedge plant in the plains throughout India.

English: Yellow Oleander.

Ayurvedic: Pita-Karavira, Ash- vaghna, Divyapushpa. (White and red-flowered var. is equated with Nerium oleander, the yellow- flowered var with T. peruviana.)

Siddha/Tamil: Pachiyalari.

Action: See Nerium oleander. Bark and leaves—bitter cathartic, emetic; poisonous. Roots—a plaster is applied to tumours.

All parts of the plant produce poisonous latex. Karnels contained nearly seven times as much glycosides as leaves, stems, flowers or fruit pulp. The roots and bark also contain glycosides.

Of all Thevetia glycosides, peruvo- side is the most important cardiac gly- coside. It produced a fall in right arterial pressure and a rise in cardiac output. A few cases of arrhythmia responded well to peruvoside. Thevetin and other glycosides are reported to exhibit digitalis-like effect. As a cardiac glyco- side, the potency of neriifolin is moderate. Cerberin is even weaker than neriifolin. Cerebroside is the weakest glycoside in its cardiac effect.

In addition to seeds, neriifolin and peruvoside have been isolated from the bark in small amounts.... thevetia peruviana

fabry Disease

(Anderson–Fabry disease) an inherited disorder – an X-linked recessive condition (see sex-linked) – characterized by deficiency of the enzyme ?-galactosidase. It causes accumulation of glycosphingolipid (see cerebroside) in the body, leading to prominent and progressive involvement of the skin (with the formation of *angiokeratomas), heart, kidneys, and nervous system. The disease is treated with genetically engineered enzyme replacement therapy. [J. Fabry (1860–1930), German dermatologist]... fabry disease

Ganglioside

n. one of a group of *glycolipids found in the brain, liver, spleen, and red blood cells (they are particularly abundant in nerve cell membranes). Gangliosides are chemically similar to *cerebrosides but contain additional carbohydrate groups.... ganglioside

Gaucher’s Disease

a genetically determined (autosomal *recessive) disease resulting from the deposition of glucocerebrosides (see cerebroside) in the brain and other tissues (especially bone). It results in learning disability, abnormal limb posture and spasticity, and difficulty with swallowing. Carrier detection and *preimplantation genetic diagnosis are possible; enzyme replacement therapy may be used in treatment. [P. C. E. Gaucher (1854–1918), French physician]... gaucher’s disease