• Title/Summary/Keyword: ethnopharmacology

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Pharmacological study of 'treenoponchomul'-an Ayurvedic diuretic preparation

  • Haque, Sabera;Hannan, JMA;Shahriar, Masum;Islam, M Naimul;Sattar, Mafruhi;Choudhuri, MSK
    • Advances in Traditional Medicine
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    • v.3 no.1
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    • pp.21-28
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    • 2003
  • The pharmacological effects of an Ayurvedic diuretic drug 'Treenoponchomul' (TPM) was investigated in animal model. The pharmacological actions of the test drug along with that of the components thereof, on the Central Nervous System (CNS) were studied. The drug under study TPM showed little effect on the CNS, the same can not be said about the components. The most prominent CNS depressant effect was observed with Saccharum officinarum Linn. (EE) in that it lowered the spontaneous motor activity as well the exploratory -behavior of the animals. An exploration retarding effect of moderate degree, was evident with Imperata cylindrica Beauv. (UU), and Phragmites maxima Blatter & McCann (NN). Although the test drug did not alter the normal locomotor and/ or exploratory behavior of the treated animals, it did significantly (p<0.01) lower the locomotion of the amphetamine induced hyperactive animals. TPM along with its components (especially Desmostachya bipinnata Stapf. Root, KU), significantly reduced the gastro-intestinal motility of the treated animals (p<0.01). The test drug and its components lowered the body weight of the treated animals, on being administered chronically (30 days), with EE being the only exception.

Pharmacognostic Evaluation of Curcuma caesia Roxb. rhizome

  • Verma, Durgesh;Srivastava, Sharad;Singh, Vineet;Rawat, A.K.S.
    • Natural Product Sciences
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    • v.16 no.2
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    • pp.107-110
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    • 2010
  • Curcuma caesia Roxb. (Zingiberaceae) is commonly known as 'Black turmeric'. In India it grows in West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, North-East and Uttar Pradesh and is widely used by ethnic communities for various ailments. Rhizomes of the plant are used for sprains and bruises and are also employed in cosmetics. In West Bengal it is an important place in traditional system of medicine and is also used as a substitute for turmeric in fresh stage. Present communication deals with the detailed pharmacognostical evaluation of the rhizome sample. Inner part of the rhizome is bluish-black in colour and emits a characteristic sweet smell, due to the presence of essential oil. On steam distillation the rhizome yields an essential oil rich in camphor. A detailed HPTLC studies has been carried out for quantitative evaluation of active marker component. HPTLC, physico-chemical, morphological and histological parameters presented in this paper may be proposed as parameters to establish the authenticity of C. caesia rhizome and may possibly help to differentiate the drug from its other allied species.

Hepatoprotective Effect of Coccinia indica Against $CCl_4$ Induced Hepatotoxicity

  • Rao, GM Mohana;Vijayakumar, M.;Rao, ChV;Rawat, AKS;Mehrotra, S.
    • Natural Product Sciences
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    • v.9 no.1
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    • pp.13-17
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    • 2003
  • The hepatoprotective effect of the ethanolic extract of Coccinia indica fruits in rats treated with carbon tetrachloride. In hepatotoxic rats, liver damage was studied by assessing parameters such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (AlT), alkaline phosphatase (AIP) and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) in serum, and concentrations of total proteins, total lipids, phospholipids, triglycerides and cholesterol in both serum and liver. The effect of co-administration of ethanolic extract on the above parameters was further investigated. Histopathological study of the liver in experimental animals was also undertaken. Hepatic damage as evidenced by a rise in the levels of AST, AIT, AIP and GGT in serum, and also changes observed in other biochemical parameters In serum and liver showed a tendency to attain near normalcy in animals co-administered with the extract. The normal values for AST (IU/L), AIP (IU/I), protein (g/100 ml) and total lipids (mg/100 ml) in serum (i.e.,20.24, 70.04, 5.72 and 135.54 respectively) were found to alter towards values 32.61, 127.11, 3.83 and 265.91 in hepatotoxic rats. These parameters Attained near normal values (I.e.,22.82, 79.30, 5.22 and 151.24 for AST, AIP protein and total lipids respectively) in ethanolic extract co-administered rats. Profound steatosis, ballooning degeneration and nodule formation observed in the hepatic architecture of $CCl_4$ treated rats were found to acquire near-normalcy in drug co-administered rats, thus corroborating the biochemical observations. Thus the study substantiates the hepatoprotective potential of ethanolic extract of Coccinia indica fruits.

Pharmacognostic evaluation of the roots of Berberis lycium royle

  • Srivastava, Sharad Kumar;Rawat, Ajay Kumar Singh;Mehrotra, Shanta
    • Advances in Traditional Medicine
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    • v.10 no.3
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    • pp.184-190
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    • 2010
  • Berberis lycium (family Berberidaceae) has a close affinity with B. aristata, used in India Traditional Systems of Medicine as a drug 'Daruharidra' for skin disease, jaundice, affection of eyes, and rheumatism. Various species of Berberis are being sold in India herbal drug market. During the market surveillance of different herbal drug markets of India, it was observed that almost all the markets either comprise of Berberis lycium or Berberis asiatica. Keeping this in view, in the present study attempts have been made to identify marker characters of this potent species.

Pharmacognostic Evaluation of Ratanjot-Arnebia nobilis Rech.f.

  • Khatoon, Sayyada;Mehrotra, B.N.;Mehrotra, Shanta
    • Natural Product Sciences
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    • v.9 no.4
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    • pp.286-290
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    • 2003
  • Ratanjot is attributed to eight species of Boraginacae species belonging to genera Alkanna, Arnebia, Maharanga and Onosma and regarded as one of the important herbal drugs of indigenous systems of medicine. The root and root stock, which form the actual drug, are considered to be an anthelmintic, antipyretic and antiseptic. They are also claimed to be useful in burn, eczema, wounds and eruptions, and used for treating the diseases of eyes, bronchitis, abdominal pains, itch, etc. Several workers reported that the Naphthaquinones (arnebins), the main active constituents of the drug, are responsible for its colour and therapeutic efficacy. It is claimed that the Arnebia nobilis was imported to India from Afghanistan but the red coloured roots resembling with A. nobilis were found to be gathered by local people for commercial purposes during the course of botanical surey of Himalayan region. Hence, it is decided to evaluate Arnebia nobilis pharmacognostically. The important macro-microscopic features of this species are roots 1-5 cm broad; outermost xylem with broad vessels and innermost with groups of radially arranged narrow vessels while the middle region occupied by alternate rings of clusters of broad and narrow vessels and presence of pith. Besides the percentage of arnebin-1, -3 and 4 are 9.37, 10.53 and 1.72 respectively.

Antimicrobial Studies of Stem of Different Berberis Species

  • Singh, Meenakshi;Srivastava, Sharad;Rawat, Aks
    • Natural Product Sciences
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    • v.15 no.2
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    • pp.60-65
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    • 2009
  • Berberis is an important medicinal plant, of the family Berberidaceae. Different Berberis species and their parts are very common in herbal drug markets of India and world over as an adulterant/substitute to 'Daruharidra' i.e. B. aristata DC. Antimicrobial activity of 50% hydroalcoholic extracts of stem of four Berberis species viz. B. aristata DC., B. asiatica Roxb. ex DC., B. chitria Lindl. and B. lycium Royle and the isolated alkaloid berberine were tested against eleven bacterial and eight fungal strains. The extracts with the strongest antibacterial activity was obtained from B. lycium followed by B. aristata, B. asiatica and B. chitria. Based on these results it is possible to conclude that the hydroalcoholic extract and alkaloid (berberine) has stronger and broader spectrum against bacterial strains as compared to fungal strains. The result obtained in the present study authenticates and support the use of these plants in folklore medicine for treatment of various infectious diseases caused by the bacterial pathogens. However, an attempt has been made to explore the possibilities of utilizing stem part rather than roots of these species with the aim to conserve this species which is over exploited due to diverse use of its root. These findings will stimulate the search for novel, natural products as new antibacterial/antifungal agents which may be useful to pharmaceutical industries.

The Indian Magical Herb 'Sanjeevni' (Selaginella bryopteris L.) - A Promising Anti-inflammatory Phytomedicine for the Treatment of Patients with Inflammatory Skin Diseases

  • Paswan, Shravan Kumar;Gautam, Arti;Verma, Pritt;Rao, Chandana Venkateswara;Sidhu, Om Prakash;Singh, Ajeet Pratap;Srivastava, Sajal
    • Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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    • v.20 no.2
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    • pp.93-99
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    • 2017
  • Objectives: Selaginella bryopteris L. (family: Selaginaceae), is often used in traditional Indian systems of medicine for the prevention and cure of several disorders and for the treatment of patient with spermatorrhoea, venereal disease, constipation, colitis, urinary tract infections, fever, epilepsy, leucorrhoea, beri-beri and cancer. It is also used as a strength tonic. This study aimed to evaluate the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of topically administered aqueous, polar and non-polar methanolic fractions ($10mg/20{\mu}L$) of Selaginella bryopteris. Methods: An acute oral toxicity study of Selaginella bryopteris at doses from 250 to 2,000 mg/kg body weight (bw) was performed. Aqueous, polar and non-polar methanolic extracts ($10mg/20{\mu}L$) applied topically for 5 days were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory effects against 12-tetra-O-decanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA)- induced inflammation by using the redness in the ear, the ear's weight (edema), oxidative stress parameters, such as lipid-peroxide (LPO) and nitric oxide (NO), and the pro-inflammatory cytokines involved in inflammation, such as tumour necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$, interleukin $(IL)-1{\beta}$ and IL-6. Indomethacine ($0.5mg/20{\mu}L$) was used for the positive control. Results: Selaginella bryopteris produced no mortalities when administered orally at doses from 250 to 2,000 mg/kg bw. Topical treatment with the non-polar methanolic fraction ($10mg/20{\mu}L$) significantly suppressed redness ($2.4{\pm}0.5$) and edema ($30.4{\pm}1$) and effectively reduced the LPO level ($32.3{\pm}3.3$). The NO level was ($8.07{\pm}0.55$), and the $TNF-{\alpha}$, $IL-1{\beta}$, and IL-6 levels were decreased to $69.6{\pm}15.5$, $7.7{\pm}4.8$ and $82.6{\pm}5.9$, respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrated for the first time the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory effect of medicinal plants like Selaginella bryopteris and quantified the pharmacological interactions between them. The present study showed this herbal product to be a promising anti-inflammatory phytomedicine for the treatment of patients with inflammatory skin diseases.

Pharmacognostic Evaluation of the Roots of Berberis tinctoria Lesch

  • Rawat, Ajay Kumar Singh;Srivastava, Sharad Kumar
    • Natural Product Sciences
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    • v.13 no.1
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    • pp.27-32
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    • 2007
  • Berberis tinctoria (Berberidaceae), commonly known as Nilgiri Barberry is a common allied species to B. aristata, used in India Traditional Systems of Medicine by the name of 'Daruharidra' for skin disease, jaundice, affection of eyes, and rheumatism. Keeping this in view, in the present study attempts have been made to identify marker characters of B. tinctoria. Some of the diagnostic features of the root are patches of pericyclic fibre, pitted sclerieds, crystals, berberine containing cells and heterocyclic medullary rays. Besides, the physicochemical characters such as total ash; acid insoluble ash; alcohol and water soluble extractive; tannins; sugar and starch percentages has also shown some variations. The percentage of berberine as berberine hydrochloride was also calculated through HPTLC densitometric method and it was found almost similar to B. aristata, B. asiatica and B. chitria i.e. 3.36%. Thus it can be explored as a possible source of substitute to B.aristata.

Evaluation of Pharmacognostical Characters and Comparative Morphoanatomical Study of Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipchitz and Arctium lappa L. Roots

  • Pandey, Madan Mohan;Rastogi, Subha;Rawat, Ajay Kumar Singh
    • Natural Product Sciences
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    • v.13 no.4
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    • pp.304-310
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    • 2007
  • Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipchitz syn S. lappa C. B. Clarke (commonly known as 'Kuth') belonging to the family Asteraceae is a well known medicinal plant which finds wide usage in different indigenous systems of medicine of India, China, Korea & Tibet. In different folk medicines the roots of S. costus are used to treat various disorders like ulcer, stomachache, malaria, leprosy, dysentery and toothache. However due to over exploitation, it has become endangered and has become the concern of different governmental bodies in India. The increasing demand of this endangered Himalayan species has resulted in a situation where it is often substituted, knowingly or unknowingly, by other morphologically similar species. Arctium lappa, belonging to the same family, is one such plant that has often been found to be present in the market samples of 'Kuth'. The present study was thus carried out and morphoanatomical characters, physicochemical as well as chemical parameters were developed for proper identification of roots of S. costus and its differenciation from A. lappa as well as authentication of the commercial market samples. The detailed morphoanatomical studies revealed that roots of S. costus can be distinguished from A. lappa on the basis of some important microscopial characters eg. the schizogenous resin ducts observed in roots of S. costus, were absent in A. lappa.. Besides, the HPTLC fingerprint profile showed a distinct band at Rf. 0.72 in S. costus, which was totally absent in A. lappa and a band at $R_f$ 0.64 in A. lappa which was absent in S. costus Chlorogenic acid, used as a chemical marker for HPTLC analysis, was estimated to be 0.077% in S. costus as compared to 0.107% in A. lappa. Thus these detailed pharmacognostical parameters can be successfully used to distinguish between roots of S. costus and A. lappa.

Antinociceptive, Immunomodulatory and Antipyretic Activity of Nymphayol Isolated from Nymphaea stellata (Willd.) Flowers

  • Pandurangan, Subash-Babu;Paul, Antony Samy;Savarimuthu, Ignacimuthu;Ali, Alshatwi A
    • Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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    • v.21 no.5
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    • pp.391-397
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    • 2013
  • In the present study, we aimed to analyze the antinociceptive, immunomodulatory and antipyretic activities of nymphayol were investigated in wistar rats and mice. Antinociceptive effect was evaluated by acetic acid induced writhing, formalin induced paw licking and hot-plate tests. Immunomodulatory activity was assessed by neutrophil adhesion test, humoral response to sheep red blood cells, delayed-type hypersensitivity, phagocytic activity and cyclophosphamide induced myelosuppression. Antipyretic activity was evaluated by yeast induced hyperthermia in rats. Nymphayol produced significant (p<0.05) antinociceptive activity in acetic acid induced writhing response and late phase of the formalin induced paw licking response. Pre-treatment with nymphayol (50 mg/kg, oral) evoked a significant increase in neutrophil adhesion to nylon fibres. The augmentation of humoral immune response to sheep red blood cells by nymphayol (50 mg/kg) was evidenced by increase in antibody titres in rats. Oral administration of nymphayol (50 mg/kg) to rats potentiated the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction induced by sheep red blood cells. Treatment with nymphayol showed a significant (p<0.05) reduction in pyrexia in rats. The results suggest that nymphayol possesses potent anti-nociceptive, immunomodulatory and antipyretic activities.