HEPATOPROTECTIVE ACTIVITY OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF OXALIS DEBILIS KUNTH AGAINST CCL4 - INDUCED LIVER DAMAGE

  Objective: To evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of aqueous extract of Oxalis debilis Kunth in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity in Swiss albino mice.Methods: Hepatotoxicity was induced by CCl4 30% in olive oil (1 ml/kg intraperitoneally). Mice were treated with aqueous extract of O. debilis at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight orally for 14 days. There were two groups, pre-treatment (once daily for 14 days before CCl4 intoxication) and post-treatment (2, 6, 24, and 48 hrs after CCl4 intoxication). The observed effects were compared with a known hepatoprotective agent, silymarin.Results: Pre-treatment and post-treatment groups of aqueous extract of O. debilis significantly reduced elevated serum levels of serum transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin and increased the level of total protein as compared to CCl4-treated group. The histopathological study also confirms the hepatoprotection. Preliminary qualitative phytochemical analysis of the plant revealed the presence of phenolic compounds, tannins, flavonoids, and saponins.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that O. debilis can be used as safe, cheap, and alternative preventive and protective drugs against liver injury. The protective effect observed could be attributed to the presence of various phytochemicals which are responsible for the restoration of liver damage

STUDIES ON TOXICOLOGICAL AND NEUROBEHAVIORAL PROFILE OF METHANOL EXTRACT OF MUSSAENDA ROXBURGHII HOOK. F. LEAVES IN MICE

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of Mussaenda roxburghii with special reference to the nervous system. Methods: For the study, 15 mice were obtained from Pasteur Institute, Shillong. The mice were then divided into three groups containing five mice in each group. The groups were, namely Group I, Group II, and Group III; Group I mice received distilled water and acted as a control group, Group II mice received plant extract at a dose of 600 mg/kg body weight (BWT.), and Group III mice received plant extract at a dose of 800 mg/kg BWT. The doses were administered orally through oral gavage tube for 28 days and the BWT of the mice was measured at 7th, 14th, 21th, and 28th days. The behavior of mice was evaluated for anxiety, locomotion, immobility, learning, and memory with the elevated plus maze test (EPMT), open field test (OFT), forced swim test (FST), and Morris water maze test (MWMT), respectively. Results: The result of the experiment showed a decrease in the BWT of mice exposed to plant extracts significantly as compared to the control. In the OFT, there is a significant decrease in total distance travel in OFT and also total distance travel in the central zone in mice treated with the plant extracts as compared to the control mice. In the EPMT, the plant extract treated mice showed a decreased in the time spent in open arms. The FST results in increased immobility in mice exposed to plant extracts as compared to control. In the present study, MWMT results in an increased escape latency and path length and in decreased annulus crossovers in plant extract treated group as compared to control. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that the plant extract alters the behavior of the treated mice and possesses neurotoxic activity

NEUROPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF HYDROCOTYLE JAVANICA IN AMELIORATING NEUROBEHAVIORAL ALTERATION INDUCED BY MERCURY

Objective: This study aims to assess the effects of the aqueous extract of Hydrocotyle javanica (HJ) in ameliorating mercury-induced neurobehavioral toxicity.Methods: For the study, 36 adult male Swiss albino mice of 25–30 g in weight were taken. They were equally divided into six groups. Group I was treated with distilled water, Group II was treated with mercuric chloride (1.5 mg/kg), Group III was treated with HJ extract low dose (100 mg/kg), Group IV was treated with HJ extract high dose (200 mg/kg), Group V was treated with mercuric chloride plus HJ extract low dose, and Group VI was treated with mercuric chloride plus TB extract high dose. In all the groups, the doses were administered orally through oral gavage tube and the treatment lasted for 14 days. The behavioral effects evaluated were locomotor activity in the open field test, immobility in forced swimming test and anxiety in elevated plus maze test, spatial learning ability, and memory in the Morris water maze test.Results: The present study showed that mercury exposure significantly decreased the locomotor activity (p<0.001), number of annulus crossovers (p<0.001), number of open arm entries (p<0.01), time spent in open arms (p<0.001), and increased escape latency (p<0.01), path length (p<0.001), and immobility (p<0.001) in mice. The aqueous extract of HJ significantly alleviated the neurotoxic effects of mercury. The aqueous extract of HJ showed to increase the locomotor activity (p<0.01), number of annulus crossovers (p<0.001), number of open arm entries (p<0.05), and time spent in open arms (p<0.05), which was decreased in mercury-exposed mice. The HJ extract also showed to decrease the immobility (p<0.001), escape latency (p<0.05), and path length (p<0.001) in mercury-exposed mice.Conclusion: The result of the study shows that neurobehavioral changes induced by mercuric chloride were significantly reversed by the aqueous extract of HJ. Thus, base on the present study, it is concluded that HJ is effective in ameliorating the neurobehavioral deficits induced by mercury

MERCURY-INDUCED NEUROBEHAVIORAL DEFICIT AND ITS AMELIORATING EFFECTS OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF TRAPA BISPINOSA

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of aqueous extract of dry fruits of Trapa bispinosa (TB) in alleviating mercury (Hg)-induced neurobehavioral toxicity.Methods: A total of 36 adult male Swiss albino mice weighing 25–30 g were equally divided into six groups, namely I–VI. Group I received distilled water, Group II received mercuric chloride (1.5 mg/kg), Group III received TB extract low dose (150 mg/kg), Group IV received TB extract high dose (300 mg/kg), Group V received mercuric chloride plus TB extract low dose, and Group VI received mercuric chloride plus TB extract high dose. All the groups received doses orally through oral gavage tube and the treatment lasted for 14 days. The behavioral effects were evaluated with locomotor activity in the open field test (OFT), spatial learning ability and memory in the Morris water maze test (MWM), immobility in Forced swimming test (FST) and anxiety in Elevated plus maze test (EPM).Result: In the present study, it was observed that Hg-exposed mice significantly decreased the locomotor activity (p<0.001), time spent in open arms (p<0.001), number of open arm entries (p<0.01), number of annulus crossovers (p<0.001) and increased immobility (p<0.001), escape latency (p<0.01), and path length (p<0.001) in mice. The aqueous extract of TB significantly reduced the neurotoxic effects of Hg. The aqueous extract of TB showed to increase the locomotor activity (p<0.01), time spent in open arms (p<0.01), number of open arm entries (p<0.05), and number of annulus crossovers (p<0.001), which was decreased in Hg-exposed mice. TB extract also showed to decrease the immobility (p<0.001), escape latency (p<0.05), and path length (p<0.001) in Hg-fed mice.Conclusion: On the basis of the results obtained from the behavioral study, the present study indicates that mercuric chloride caused neurobehavioral changes which were significantly reversed by the aqueous extract of TB. Thus, TB was found to be effective in ameliorating the neurobehavioral deficit induced by Hg exposure

Some Antipyretic Ethno-medicinal Plants of Manipuri Community of Barak Valley, Assam, India

This ethnobotanical survey was carried out to collect the information on the use of some antipyretic activity plants used by Manipuri community of Barak valley, Assam. A total of 26 nos. of antipyretic plant species belonging to 20 families and 23 genera have been recorded through structured questionnaires in consultations with the community practitioners. For curing fever the use of aboveground plant parts was higher (65.38%) than the underground plant parts (15.38%). Of the aboveground plant parts, leaf was used in the majority of cases (13 species), followed by whole plant part (5 species), fruit (1 species), bark (1 species), flower (2 species), root (2 species ), and rhizome (2 species ), were also found to be in use by the Manipuri community of Barak valley, Assam having antipyretic activity plants. The present paper implies the potential of the traditional knowledge for the mankind.Some of the interesting plants are Canna indica L., and Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L) P.Beauv

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE TOXIC EFFECTS INDUCED BY DATURA STRAMONIUM L. LEAVES ON MICE: A BEHAVIORAL, BIOCHEMICAL AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL APPROACH

ABSTRACT This study was designed to document toxic properties of aqueous extract of Datura stramonium L. leaves (AEDSL) by investigating the neurobehavioral, biochemical and ultrastructural alterations using mice model. The extract was studied in several paradigms which included locomotor activity, forced swimming test and hole-board test. Control mice were intraperitoneally treated with vehicle (distilled water) and positive control mice with diazepam (1mg/kg and 2mg/kg i.p) and fluoxetine (10mg/kg i.p). Mice treated with the extract (20mg/kg & 40mg/kg intraperitoneally) showed decrease in locomotor acivity. Forced swimming test revealed that the extract was able to promote significant increase in the immobility time. In the hole-board assay, it caused decrease in the number of head dips from that of the control animals. The effect of intraperitoneal administration of the plant extract on the activities of catalase (CAT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the brain tissues of the experimental animals were analyzed and compared with that of the control. The extract showed a significant decrease in CAT activity whereas there was a significant increase in the LDH activity. The cerebral cortex of the mice treated with the extract was studied under transmission electron microscopy. The photomicrograph of the sections demonstrated various prominent ultrastructural changes. AEDSL possessed remarkable central nervous system depressant properties, altered biochemical parameters and have potential to cause damage to the ultrastructure of the brain cells. However further study is needed for pharmacological and toxicological characterization

PROMISING NEUROPROTECTIVE PLANTS FROM NORTH-EAST INDIA

Neuroprotection is a broad term commonly used to refer therapeutic strategies that can prevent, delay or even reverse neuronal damage. Herbal medicines are widely used across the globe as economical, effective and safer alternative remedies. North-East (NE) India harbours a large number of medicinal plants, it falls under Indo-Burma global hotspot one of the 34 global biodiversity hotspots. In traditional practice of medicines, people here uses a variety of medicinal plants for the treatment of various ailments. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the plants with neuroprotective potential from NE India and to provide the reference for future study of new and alternative remedies for the treatment of neurological ailments. Â