Effect of morphine tolerance on vascular reactivity of rat aorta to dopamine

[No abstract available

Pharmacological and toxicological investigations on foeniculum vulgare dried fruit extract in experimental animals

The ethanol extract of the dried ripe fruit of Foeniculum vulgare (500 mg/kg) was tested for diuretic, analgesic, antipyretic, antimicrobial, cytotoxic activities and its effect on bile secretion in rats. Also, the acute toxicity after 0.5, 1 and 3 gkg was investigated in mice. The extract showed diuretic, analgesic, antipyretic activities and it enhanced bile secretion. As an antimicrobial agent, the extract inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aweus and Bacillus subtilis and showed a marked mitodepressive effect. At a dose of 3 fig, it caused piloerection and it depressed locomotor activity but caused no deaths when administered acutely to mice.This work was performed in the College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh-Saudi Arabia and was funded by a grant from King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology

Protective effect of swertia chirata against indomethacin and other ulcerogenic agent-induced gastric ulcers

The effect of Swertia chirata has been studied on experimentally induced gastric ulcers in rats. The ethanolic extract of chirata significantly reduced the intensity of gastric mucosal damage induced by indomethacin and necrotizing agents. It produced a significant decrease in gastric secretion •in pylorus-ligated rats. The extract inhibited acetylcholine-induced contraction of guinea pig ileum, suggesting its anti-cholinergic activity. Pretreatment of rats with the extract significantly prevented ethanol-induced gastric wall mucus depletion and restored the non-protein sulfhydryl (NP-SH) content in the glandular stomachs. These findings support the use of chirata for the treatment of gastric ulcers in traditional medicine.Corresponding Author: Dr. Syed Rafatullah, Medicinal, Aromatic and Poisonous Plants Research Center, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh-11451, Saudi Arabia. Email: [email protected]