Antistress activity of ethanolic extract of <i style="">Asparagus racemosus</i> Willd roots in mice

419-424Ethanolic extract of the roots of A. racemosus improved the stress tolerance in chemical writhing test and swimming endurance test at all the doses as compared to stress control group. Restraint stress induced elevation of blood glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol levels were significantly lowered by pretreatment with extract. Moreover, stress induced variations in levels of lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, protein and glutathione content in mouse brain were significantly ameliorated by pretreatment with extract. The extract attenuated the elevated weight of adrenal glands and increased the reduced weight of the spleen during stress. In conclusion, the results suggest antistress property of Asparagus racemosus in different model of stress

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of <i style="">Senecio rufinervis</i> DC. (Asteraceae)

44-47The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from the leaves and roots of Senecio rufinervis DC. was analyzed by GC, GC/MS and NMR. Germacrene D was the major constituent in both the oils studied (40.19 and 24.95%, respectively). The antimicrobial activity of the oil was determined by disc diffusion method. Results showed that both the oils exhibited significant antibacterial activity