Effect of Trigonella foenum Graecum (Fenugreek)-Loaded PLGA Nanoparticles on Non-Specific Esterase Enzyme Activity in Salivary Glands of Aging-Accelerated Male Mice

During oxidative stress, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generally produce structural and biochemical alterations in cells and cell organelles. Impairment of lysosomal and mitochondrial function is the key for understanding the degenerative changes due to aging. Nonspecific esterase enzyme is particularly present in lysosomes and microsomes. In order to find the antioxidant property of fenugreek, non-specific esterase activity was measured to study the lysosomal membrane integrity in submandibular and sublingual salivary glands of D-galactose-induced aging male mice without and with supplementation of fenugreek. Adult male albino mice (Mus musculus) were divided in to six groups of five each and treated as follows: a) control for D-galactose (Dg) treatment; b) Dgtreated; c) Dg⁺ fenugreek seed extract (FSE) treated concurrently; d) treated with Dg first, followed by treatment of FSE; e) Dg ⁺ FSE-loaded PLGA nanoparticle treated concurrently; and f) treated with Dg first followed by treatment of FSE-loaded PLGA nanoparticle. A significant decrease in non-specific esterase activity was observed in D-galactose treated mice, whereas FSE and FSE-PGLA groups of mice indicated protection against Dg-induced aging related oxidative stress in salivary glands. Thus, it is shown that fenugreek seed possesses antioxidant property, whereby non-specific esterase activity in salivary glands is increased but in a manner dependent on the treatment pattern, and the best result is obtained when FSE is administered post-treatment as loaded in PGLA nanoparticles.