Caesalpinia sappan – A medicinal and dye yielding plant

75-82Natural products have provided a variety of lead structures, which serve as templates for the development of new drugs. The water kept in Caesalpinia sappan Linn. (Sappan lignum) heartwood is being used in Kerala as herbal drinking water for its antithirst, blood purifying, antidiabetic, improvement of complexion and several other properties. The plant is also being used worldwide for a large number of traditional medicinal purposes. Modern day research confirms its cytotoxic, antitumor, antimicrobial, antiviral, immunostimulant and several other activities. Several triterpenoids, flavonoids, oxygen heterocycles, etc. were isolated. Brazilin is found to be the main constituent of the plant responsible for several of its biological activities. The use of heartwood as a colouring agent for wine, meat, fabric, etc. is well established. It has the potential to hit the market as a safe natural colouring agent with good medicinal value for food products, beverages and pharmaceuticals. There is also a scope for further research to establish its medicinal properties and to identify lead compounds for drug development

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective effect of the ethyl acetate extract of <i style="">Enicostemma axillare</i> (Lam). Raynal against CCl₄-induced liver injury in rats

896-904 Enicostemma axillare is used in Indian traditional medicine as a liver tonic. Its ethyl acetate extract has shown potent in vitro antioxidant activity and found to contain 7.26% of a bitter secoiridoid glycoside, swertiamarin. Hence, in the present study the ethyl acetate extract was screened for hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties against CCl4 induced hepatic injury in rats. The hepatoprotection was assessed in terms of reduction in histological damage and changes in serum enzymes and metabolites. The pretreatment with the extract at 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight doses given orally for eight days prior to CCl4 caused significant restoration of altered biochemical changes due to CCl4 towards the normal in serum, liver and kidney. The extract treatment at 200 mg/kg body weight was found to be more potent than the standard silymarin at 100 mg/kg body weight in reversing most of the biochemical parameters. Histopathological studies complemented the results of biochemical estimations in providing a proof of hepatoprotective and antioxidant actions of the extract. The study provides a support to the ethnomedical use of E. axillare in India.</smarttagtype

<b style=""><i style="">In-vitro </i>antioxidant properties of</b> <b style="">Indian traditional <i style="">paan </i>and its ingredients </b>

187-191 Indian traditional Paan is being used as a post meal digestive stimulant, astringent, aphrodisiac, nerve tonic, intoxicating agent and for several other purposes in India and is recommended in ancient scriptures of Ayurveda for normal well being. These properties might be due to the antioxidant nature of Paan. Hence, 50% methanol extracts of Paan and its ingredients were screened for antioxidant activity using DPPH method. Catechu, rose powder, betel nut and clove extracts exhibited potent antioxidant properties. Extracts of Paan, betel leaves and fennel showed moderate antioxidant activity. These results confirm the common beliefs and traditional uses of Paan in Indian tradition. </smarttagtype

Comparative evaluation of antioxidant properties of edible and non-edible leaves of <i>Anethum graveolens</i> Linn

168-173The study was conducted to compare in vitro antioxidant activities of ethanol extracts of edible and non-edible leaves of Anethum graveolens Linn. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using nine different standard methods. The green leaves extract exhibited high percentage of inhibition in most of the methods, when compared to the non-edible yellow leaves extract. The HPTLC of the yellow leaves extract exhibited six compounds instead of four observed for green leaves extract transformation towards inactive compounds. The total phenol content of the yellow leaves extract was found to be high, indicating there was no relationship between the activity and the total phenol content. The study supports the traditional use of green leaves as vegetable and food flavouring agent

Antioxidant potential of five Ksheerapaka’s and Kashaya’s, Ayurvedic decoctions

423-425Five milk decoctions and water decoctions prepared by using coriander; ginger, pepper, tulsi and turmeric were evaluated for in-vitro antioxidant activity using standard DPPH, ABTS and hydrogen peroxide methods. The milk decoctions exhibited potent antioxidant activity when compared to their corresponding water decoctions. The total phenol content of the milk decoctions was also found to be high supporting the antioxidant activity. The study provides a scientific validation of the common preference of milk decoctions over water decoctions in Ayurveda for a few plants