PHARMACOGNOSTICAL EVALUATION AND ANTICONVULSANT ACTIVITY OF STEM OF ABUTILON INDICUM LINN SWEET

Objective: To investigate the pharmacognostical characteristics and in vivo anticonvulsant activity of chloroform, ethanol (90%) and aqueous extracts of Abutilon indicum Linn sweet stem.Methods: The Abutilon indicum Linn sweet stem were successively extracted using chloroform, ethanol and aqueous solvent (water). The extracts were screened for phytochemicals using HPTLC and GC-MS techniques. The extracts were also screened for acute toxicity and anticonvulsant activity, against MES and PTZ induced convulsions, using Wistar albino rats.Results: The phytochemical screening study reveals the presence of more chemical constituents in chloroform extract followed by ethanol and aqueous extract. We found no significant changes in average body weight of animals, up to tested oral dose of 3000 mg/kg, during acute toxicity study. The in vivo study reveals the anticonvulsant activity of chloroform and ethanol extract against MES and PTZ induced convulsions. The chloroform extract is found to be more potent, similar to Phenytoin, in controlling both MES and PTZ induced convulsions than ethanol and aqueous extracts.Conclusion: The results obtained suggest that the chloroform extract of Abutilon indicum stem has remarkable anticonvulsant activity. Also, our study indicates the potential application of Abutilon indicum stems in the treatment of convulsive disorders as a need of modern health science. However, the further studies are needed to screen the active constituent having an anticonvulsant effect.Â

Deciphering Genetic Diversity in Spathodea campanulata Beauv. from South India Based On Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA Markers

The African tulip (Spathodea campanulata) is a monophyletic species native to tropical forests of sub-Saharan Africa belonging to family Bignoniaceae. Although its endemism in sub-Saharan Africa, it is listed as potential alien invasive species in Pacific, Indian and Caribbean, but also Singapore, Papua New Guinea and Australia. The expansion of its range from ornamental to invasive is being observed in South India. In this study, RAPD based DNA markers have been used to determine genetic diversity of the monophyletic species. About 14 populations were studied from 6 states of South India using 41 random decamer primers. The total number of 517 bands were scored which are generated by 41 primers producing 12.6 bands on an average per primer, of these 517 bands produced 379 were polymorphic showing 73% polymorphism revealing higher level of genetic polymorphism in the study population. The similarity coefficient ranged from 0.312 to 0.837 and the dendrogram constructed by the UPGMA based on Jaccard\u27s similarity matrix farmed two clusters. In the present study, results showed the high degree of genetic diversity within the populations of S. campanulata supporting high degree of adaptation and its range expansion from ornamental to possible invasive species in South India

Evaluation of wound healing activity of Allamanda cathartica. L. and Laurus nobilis. L. extracts on rats

BACKGROUND: Allamanda cathartica. L. is a perennial shrub used in traditional medicine for treating malaria and jaundice. Laurus nobilis. L. is a tree and has been used for its astringent, healing and diuretic properties. The objective of this study was to investigate the aqueous extracts of Allamanda and Laurus nobilis to evaluate their wound healing activity in rats. METHODS: Excision and incision wound models were used to evaluate the wound healing activity of both the extracts on Sprague Dawley rats. In each model, animals were divided into four groups of 10 animals each. In both the model, group 1 served as control and group 2 as reference standard. In an excision wound model, group 3 animals were treated with Allamanda (150 mg kg(-1 )day(-1)) and group 4 animals were treated with Laurus nobilis (200 mg kg(-1 )b.w day(-1)) for 14 days respectively. In the case of incision wound model, group 3 and 4 animals were treated with the extracts of Allamanda and Laurus respectively for 10 days. The effects of vehicles on the rate of wound healing were assessed by the rate of wound closure, period of epithelialisation, tensile strength, weights of the granulation tissue, hydroxyproline content and histopathology of the granulation tissue. RESULTS: The aqueous extract of Allamanda promoted wound healing activity significantly in both the wound models studied. High rate of wound contraction (P < .001), decrease in the period of epithelialisation (10.2 ± 0.13), high skin breaking strength (440.0 ± 4.53), significant increase in the weight of the granulation tissue (P < .001) and hydroxyproline (P < .001) content were observed in animals treated with the aqueous extract of Allamanda. Histological studies of the granulation tissue from the Allamanda treated group showed the presence of a lesser number of inflammatory cells, and increased collagen formation than the control. In Laurus nobilis treated animals, the rate of wound contraction, weight of the granulation tissue and hydroxyproline content were moderately high (P < .05). The histological study of the granulation tissue of the Laurus nobilis treated animals showed larger number of inflammatory cells, and lesser collagen when compared with the Allamanda treated group of animals. However, it was better than the control group of animals. CONCLUSION: The data of this study indicated that the leaf extract of Allamanda possesses better wound healing activity than the Laurus nobilis and it can be used to treat different types of wounds in human beings too

Catharanthus roseus flower extract has wound-healing activity in Sprague Dawley rats

BACKGROUND: Catharanthus roseus L (C. roseus) has been used to treat a wide assortment of diseases including diabetes. The objective of our study was to evaluate the antimicrobial and wound healing activity of the flower extract of Catharanthus in rats. METHODS: Wound healing activity was determined in rats, after administration (100 mg kg(-1 )day(-1)) of the ethanol extract of C. roseus flower, using excision, incision and dead space wounds models. The animals were divided into two groups of 6 each in all the models. In the excision model, group 1 animals were topically treated with carboxymethyl cellulose as placebo control and group 2 received topical application of the ethanol extract of C. roseus at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight/day. In an incision and dead space model group 1 animals were given normal saline and group 2 received the extract orally at a dose of 100 mg kg(-1 )day(-1). Healing was assessed by the rate of wound contraction, period of epithelization, tensile strength (skin breaking strength), granulation tissue weight, and hydoxyproline content. Antimicrobial activity of the flower extract against four microorganisms was also assessed RESULTS: The extract of C. roseus significantly increased the wound breaking strength in the incision wound model compared with controls (P < 0.001). The extract-treated wounds were found to epithelialize faster, and the rate of wound contraction was significantly increased in comparison to control wounds (P < 0.001), Wet and dry granulation tissue weights, and hydroxyproline content in a dead space wound model increased significantly (p < 0.05). Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated sensitivity to C. roseus CONCLUSION: Increased wound contraction and tensile strength, augmented hydroxyproline content along with antimicrobial activity support the use of C. roseus in the topical management of wound healing

A single robust stability-indicating RP-HPLC analytical tool for apigenin quantification in bulk powder and in nanoliposomes: a novel approach

Abstract Background Apigenin (4′, 5, 7-trihydroxyflavone), a flavonoid, is present usually in fruits and vegetables possessing numerous biological properties like antioxidant, anti-viral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and chemoprevention activity. So present study was aimed to prepare and characterize nanoliposomes of apigenin and estimate its encapsulation efficiency by stability-assisted reverse-phase (RP)-HPLC method. Results The stability indication of the RP-HPLC method developed for apigenin-loaded nanoliposomes was successfully demonstrated and parameters were mainly the retention time which was 4.21 min, limit of detection (LOD) 0.49 μg/mL, limit of quantification (LOQ) 1.48 μg/mL, and %relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 2%. Therefore, the stability indication of the developed reverse-phase HPLC method for apigenin-loaded nanoliposomes was demonstrated successfully and parameters like accuracy, linearity, LOD, LOQ, precision, and %RSD were within the limit range and found to be satisfactory. Conclusion The developed RP-HPLC method was found to be suitable for the quantification or estimation of apigenin with its stability in apigenin-loaded nanoliposomes, and this method will be a powerful tool in the future for the estimation of apigenin present in any pharmaceutical preparations

EFFECTS OF AQUEOUS LEAVES EXTRACT OF CASSIA GLAUCA LAM. IN STREPTOZOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

Cassia glauca Lam. is a glabrous tree belonging to family Caesalpiniacea, found throughout India, tropical Asia and Australia. In folk medicine, leaves of Cassia glauca are used for the treatment of diabetes. The aim of this study therefore, was to investigate the antihyperglycemic and antidiabetic activity of aqueous extract of Cassia glauca leaves. The various parameters studied included effect on normoglycemic, oral glucose tolerance test, hypoglycemic activity in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats, fasting blood glucose levels, changes in body weight, serum lipid levels, liver glycogen content, serum insulin level and glycated hemoglobin in diabetic control and treatment rats. On oral administration, aqueous extract of Cassia glauca leaf at a dose of 500 mg/kg did not show significant effect on blood glucose levels in normoglycemic rats, whereas aqueous extract showed statistically significant (P < 0.05) effect by reducing the effect of external glucose load. In chronic model of diabetis, aqueous extract of Cassia glauca leaf at a dose of 500 mg/kg and glibenclamide (0.25 mg/kg) were administered for 21 days. At the end of the treatment period there was significant increase in the body weight, liver glycogen, serum insulin level and the HDL cholesterol levels. There was a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol and serum triglycerides, thus providing support to the potent antidiabetic property of the plant extract

Effect of Curcuma zedoaria Rosc root extracts on behavioral and radiology changes in arthritic rats

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of petroleum ether, chloroform, and methanol root extracts of Curcuma zedoaria Rosc (Family: Zingiberaceae) on behavioral and radiology aspects of Freund's Complete Adjuvant (FCA)-induced monoarthritis in left ankle joint of rats using open-field test. Traditionally, Curcuma zedoaria root has been used as anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic drug. Behavioral aspects include latency time to explore, ambulatory, rearing, grooming, urination, and defecation. Animals were divided into ten groups each of six rats, all the animals were subjected to open-field test before the induction of arthritis at 0 day and thereafter 3, 7, 14 21, 28, 35, and 42 days of postinoculation FCA injection. The rat was placed in an open field and observed all behavioral aspects for 5 minutes and radiography analysis was made on day 42. Selected doses were 10 mg/kg.i.p. Indomethacin 200 mg/kg.p.o. marketed herbal drug Rumalaya forte and 200 and 400 mg/kg.p.o. of each extracts, respectively. The results showed significant decrease in ambulation and rearing; however, increase in latency time to explore and grooming, urination, and defecation in control group, but in contrast, drug-treated groups showed significant recovery in all behavioral aspects except methanol groups. On the basis of radiography examination, control and methanol groups showed highest swelling compared with normal group; however, all drug-treated groups showed significant reduced swelling. Treatments with petroleum ether and chloroform extracts recovery were observed in behavioral and radiological aspects in arthritic rats

Review of selected herbal phytoconstituents for potential melanoma treatment

Malignant melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer, with a high mortality rate. The current chemotherapies have a relatively low success rate due to the development of multidrug resistance and side effects. Hence, there is need of discovering new compounds that are safe and more effective against melanoma to improve the efficiency and to lower the treatment cost for cancer care. Melanoma chemoprevention with natural herbal phytoconstituents is an emerging strategy to prevent, cure, or treat melanoma. This review summarizes the latest research in melanoma chemoprevention and treatment using the herbal phytoconstituents. Relevant mechanisms involved in the pharmacological effects of these phytochemical are discussed. Phytoconstituents that are discussed in this review are carotenoids, flavonoids, some polyphenols, piperine alkaloid, and sulforaphane having high anticancer potential mostly to be used for the treatment of melanoma