Muscle relaxant and antipyretic effects of pentacyclic triterpenes isolated from the roots of Diospyros lotus L.

The present article describes the muscle relaxant and antipyretic effects of pentacyclic triterpenes, oleanolic acid (OA), ursolic acid (UA) and betulinic acid (BA) isolated from roots of Diospyros lotus in animal models. The muscle relaxant effects of isolated pentacyclic triterpenes were determined by chimney and inclined plane tests. In the chimney test, pretreatment of pentacyclic triterpenes evoked significant dose dependent influence on muscle coordination. When administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) to mice at 10 mg/kg for 90 min, OA, UA, and BA exhibited muscle relaxant effects of 66.72 %, 60.21 %, and 50.77 %, respectively. Similarly, OA, UA, and BA (at 10 mg/kg) illustrated 65.74 %, 59.84 % and 51.40 % muscle relaxant effects in the inclined plane test. In the antipyretic test, significant amelioration was caused by pretreatment of all compounds in dose dependent manner. OA, UA, and BA (at 5 mg/kg) showed 39.32 %, 34.32 % and 29.99 % anti-hyperthermic effects, respectively 4 h post-treatment, while at 10 mg/kg, OA, UA, and BA exhibited 71.59 %, 60.99 % and 52.44 % impact, respectively. The muscle relaxant effect of benzodiazepines is well known for enhancement of GABA receptors. There may exist a similar mechanism for muscle relaxant effect of pentacyclic triterpenes. The in-silico predicted binding pattern of all the compounds reflects good affinity of compounds with GABAA receptor and COX-2. These results indicate that the muscle relaxant and antipyretic activities of these molecules can be further improved by structural optimization.

Authentication of important medicinal herbal species through DNA-based molecular characterization.

DNA-based molecular markers have great importance among other methods used for the authentication, detection, and identification of medicinal herbal species. Currently, it is more common to identify the medicinal herbal species (monoherbal or polyherbal forms) morphologically by using sensory, macroscopic, and microscopic methods. DNA-based markers made an easy for accurate detection of herbal species by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) which involves in vitro amplification of a particular region of DNA sequence. In the current study, we used heterogenic parts for isolation of DNA from twelve important medicinal herbal species followed by purity determination, and yield calculation. We optimized a PCR reaction using universal primer sets to amplify the target DNA followed by DNA sequencing, and species identification. We also performed phylogenetic analysis for determining the evolutionary relationship between the herbal species, by using MEGAX32 software. Further, we prepared adulterated herbal species samples to validate the method. The method was able to amplify the target gene through PCR in 11 out of 12 herbal species samples (sensitivity 91.66%).The DNA from cinnamon could not yield a truly amplified product. On DNA sequencing, all the amplified products were identified as true herbal species (specificity 100%). In the adulterated samples, non-specific DNA bands were observed after performing the PCR reaction, indicating the mixing of more than one herbal species. To conclude, DNA sequencing-based molecular analysis is advantageous for the correct identification, and detection of adulterated herbal species.

Antileishmaniasis effects of monoherbal skin ointment made from bark and leaf of Holoptelea integrifolia (Roxb.) Planch. in patients of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Prevalence of parasitic skin diseases, cutaneous leishmaniasis is very frequent in Pakistan, especially in Baluchistan where occurrence of phelbotomine sand flies (vector of protozoan parasite of genus Leishmania) is very common. This study was conducted to assess the antileishmaniasis activity of Intericutol plus ointment (2% and 3%) made with ethanolic extract of bark and leaves of Holoptelea integrifolia (Roxb.)Planch. The antileishmaniasis effect was observed by applying the ointments on the lesions of leishmaniasis patients. 150 patients were included in the study that had single and multiple painful wet and dry ulcerative lesions on the exposed area of the body. The patients were divided into two groups of 75 patients each, applying 2% and 3% ointment respectively for 28 days. Dose of 10gm/week was applied topically on wounds. Excellent antileishmaniasis effect was observed with significant quick healing properties in the patients receiving 3% Intericutol plus ointment as compare to 2% showing 89% and 81% cure (p=0.02) respectively. It can be concluded that ointment made from medicinal plant proved to be very effective in treating cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Comparative efficacy of cephradine-loaded silver and gold nanoparticles against resistant human pathogens.

Infections caused by drug-resistant bacteria are major health concerns worldwide. We successfully synthesized cephradine gold nanoparticles (Ceph-Au NPs) and cephradine silver nanoparticles (Ceph-Ag NPs) and compared their efficacy against resistant human pathogens. X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) results showed that average particle size of Ceph-Au NPs and Ceph-Ag NPs were 7 and 12 nm, respectively. Fourier Transform Infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra revealed the conjugation of -NH2 and -OH functional moieties with the nanoparticle (NP) surfaces. These NPs significantly inhibited the biofilm of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the range of 61.25-250 µg/mL. Ceph-Au NPs are more active than Ceph-Ag NPs and can be used to treat the diseases associated with MRSA and S. mutans.

A herbal treatment approach for the management of clinical, hormonal and ultrasound parameters in reproductive age group women with polycystic ovarian syndrome: A randomized clinical trial.

Around fifteen percent women of reproductive age have been effected by Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS); a complicated disorder; and apparently there is no standard therapy available. Considering this lack, we design present work; for the assessment of a herbal medicine (Femitex-SP4) in managing PCOs. During 2016-17; this study was carried out at Abbasi Shaheed hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 150 patients aged between 18-44 years were included as per Rotterdam criteria. Patients received 500 mg of powdered herbs in capsule form twice daily. The primary outcomes were regular menstruation and ovulation plus change in fasting blood sugar levels. Changes in free testosterone levels and ovarian morphology was secondary outcome measures. Continuous outcomes before and after treatment were compared by Student's t-test (one tailed, independent). P = 0.05 was considered as significant. Women menstrual cycle was considerably improved. Fasting blood sugar levels did not change (p=0.103392). Progesterone levels were same at the starting point and after treatment (P=0.318322). With complete recovery in 6 patients; a notable change was found in ovarian size. Free testosterone levels were also dropped significantly (p<0.00001). Our main success was drastic improvement in normalizing menstrual cycle during therapy. Herbal treatment is proven to be clinically effective in most of the patients; particularly PCOs patients with menstrual irregularities. Hence, Femitex-SP4 can be taken as a better treatment for PCOs.

Comparative antioxidant and analgesic effect of sesame oil, fish oil and their combination in experimental animal model.

Natural oils are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFs) like omega 3, omega 6 and other nutrients that boost physical and mental health. Traditionally these oils have been used to treat joint pain associated with several inflammatory conditions. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant and analgesic properties of the sesame oil (SO), fish oil (FO) and combination of these two oils (SO+FO). Different concentrations of the SO, FO and SO+FO combination 0.02-4mg/ml were used for assessing the free radical scavenging activity by DPPH method and the IC50 value was calculated. Acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing test, tail immersion and hot plate models were used to determined analgesic effect. Results showed that both oils were well tolerated as no signs of toxicity or death were noticed during the observational study period. SO+FO combination showed the best antioxidant properties as shown by DPPH assay. Similarly in analgesic models, SO and FO significantly reduced the number of abdominal contractions (p<0.05) however, SO+FO (1:1) exhibited highly significant results (p<0.001) in writhing reflex test. Furthermore, SO and FO both increased the reaction time on a hot plate as well as in tail flick test (p<0.05) whereas, SO+FO significantly increased reaction time (p<0.001) in hot plate and in tail flick test as compared to SO and FO single treatments. Conclusively, our results suggest that the combination of both oils (SO+FO) exhibited significant antioxidant and analgesic potential that it could be considered as one of the active combinations for relieving pain in adjunctive treatment for joint pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic absorption spectroscopic evaluation of Raphanus sativus L. seeds grown in Pakistan.

Raphanus sativus L. (Brassicacae) possesses numerous health benefits due to presence of a host of secondary metabolites in its various parts. The present study investigated the nutritive value of Raphanus sativus (RS) seeds and seed oil. Proximate and physico chemical analysis were carried out by official AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists) and AOCS (American oil chemist society) methods. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) together with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) described the surface morphology along with atomic elemental composition of the sample. Mineral contents were evaluated by Atomic absorption spectroscopy. Moisture content was 8.67±0.08% whereas protein, crude fiber, crude fat, carbohydrates, total ash values were reported as 20.13±0.15%, 7.86±0.15%, 32.27±0.25%, 27.32±0.85%, 3.75±0.02% respectively. EDS determined carbon, oxygen, magnesium, sulfur and potassium in seeds. All physico-chemical properties varied insignificantly for the two extraction methods, except for acid value and unsaponifiable matter, which were higher for Soxhlet's extracted oil than cold pressed oil. The mineral composition revealed potassium in the highest concentrations in seeds and seed oil i.e.1660.65±69.26 ppm and 47.80 ± 7.02 ppm respectively. The study suggested that the seed and seed oil could be a potential source of naturally originated raw material for the nutritive and pharmaceutical aid.

Phytochemical analysis and biological activities of "Cherchoomoro" (Nepeta adenophyta Hedge).

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Nepeta adenophyta Hedge (Lamiaceae) is an endemic therapeutic herb from Astore, Gilgit (Pakistan). This plant species has been reported among the local communities, especially for treating abdominal pain, kidney pain, menstrual pain, headache, and controlling bleeding disorders. Therefore, the scientific basis is provided for the relief of pain as it is used in various pain management among the natives, especially as ethnogynecological herbal remedy. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study investigates the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of the ethanolic extract of N. adenophyta in animal models. Furthermore, the extract was also studied to determine their valuable phytoconstituents. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The biological effects were determined via tail-flick, hot plate, and acetic-acid-induced abdominal writhing methods. At the same time, anti-inflammatory activity was assesed via oxidative burst and antioxidant DPPH assay. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques were employed to understand the phytochemicals present in the crude ethanolic extract of Nepeta adenophyta. RESULTS: In the current study, Nepeta adenophyta extract exhibited potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects on different pain models and indicated that the analgesic effect of N. adenophyta extract is mediated both in central and peripheral ways. Dose-dependent and significant (P < 0.05) increases were shown in pain threshold, at 45 min post-treatment, with 20 and 40 mg/kg of the extract in the tail-flick model. The effects of the extract were similar to aspirin but lower to those by morphine (2.5 mg/kg) in the same tests. The extract (20-40 mg/kg) showed dose-dependent inhibition of writhing with a significant (P < 0.001) increase protection against thermal stimuli in hot plate test as compared to control and similar to aspirin and morphine. Further, the anti-inflammatory activity of the crude in oxidative burst and DPPH assays showed significant inhibitory activity. The chemical profile analysis showed major phytochemicals, including long chain derivatives of alkane and alcohol, phenolics, naphthalene, naphthopyran, androsten phenanthrenone, nepetalactones, flavonoids etc. CONCLUSIONS: Nepeta adenophyta Hedge is suggested as a natural alternative for mild pain relief. Our findings endorse the folklore use of N. adenophyta in different pain managements which can be attributed to the presence of polyphenolic compounds, naphthalene derivatives, flavanoids and nepetalactones etc.

A comparative neurobehavioral study of sesame oil and fish oil on experimental animals.

Natural oils are enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) which are important for our health. Recent experimental data explained that PUFAs might have a beneficial effect on various brain functions such as anxiety, dementia, epileptic seizures, depression or bipolar and other neurobehavioral diseases. The objective of the current research work was to evaluate the effect of sesame oil, fish oil and mixture of both oils (1:1) on neurobehavioral changes and cognition. For this purpose shark fish oil and sesame oil were extracted out and there poly unsaturated and saturated fatty acids were analyzed by using GCFID that exposed the presence of different PUFs in shark fish oil, sesame oil and mixture of both oils. Neurobehavioral changes were seen after 5ml/kg/day sesame oil, 5ml/kg/day shark fish oil and 1:1 combination of both oil 5ml/kg/day administration on open field, cage crossing, light and dark, stationary rod, forced swimming induced depression test and water maze test. Our GCFID results showed sesame and fish oil enriched with higher amount of PUFs and showed significant anxiolytic and antidepressant like effect after 30 days of treatment (P<0.05) however combination of these both oils exhibited greater efficacy (P<0.01) in reducing anxiety and depression as imipramine standard drug. Results showed that combination of both oils (sesame oil and fish oil) could be a better option to treat neurobehavioral problems as compared to alone.

Pharmaceutical evaluation of Graphirine syrup formulated from some common indigenous herbs of Pakistan.

Since ancient times humans have relied on traditional medicine and herbal formulation for the cure of various diseases and disorders. Globally, interest in use of herbal medicine has increased; as drawbacks of modern medicine and have started getting more prominent. Most of the traditional system of medicine; all in their formulations depends on plants. Traditional herbal cough products have considered to be mild, nontoxic, non-sedative and even harmless. As Syrup is commonly taken for the relief of cough; we aimed to formulate a cough syrup (Graphirine) from some common indigenous herbs; Adhatoda vasica, Piper longum and Rosa Damasena and evaluate its physicochemical parameters along with the changes in accelerated stability testing. Preformulation studies, i.e. moisture content, ash, water and ethanol extractive values of all three herbs were defined. Physicochemical factors, quantitative spectral measurement, FTIR spectrum for identification of compounds; along with accelerated stability and possible microbial fungal growth; were also checked for the formulated syrup. Each and every parameter complied with the specifications.

Review: Herbs, Immunity and nCOVID-19: Old performers in new Pandemic.

The novel coronavirus (nCOVID-19) has spread to endless nations and turn out to be a pandemic around the globe. Because of the developing number of affirmed cases and open public hazard owing to its high risk of infection rate, it has expected a lot of consideration from world health organizations and national health regulatory and monitoring agencies. The world is in surge to explore or discover novel treatment options and vaccine that can lead to cure. There is no proven effective treatment for nCOVID-19 however along with available antiviral therapy Chinese researchers recommended herbal treatments as effective and alternative treatments options to treat this pandemic. Herbal products are wealthy in dynamic phytochemicals, such as the terpenoids, various collection of flavonoids, sulfides, lignans constiuents, coumarins concentrates, saponins moities, polyphenolics composite, numerous alkaloids, polyines, furyl mixtures, proteins and related compounds, thiophenes and peptides groups. In this review we discussed pathogeneis, immunity and current herbal treatment strategies of nCOVID-19 to cure this world wide pandemic.

Anti-Oxidant and digestive enzymes inhibitory based anti diabetic activity of crude and fractions of Carum carvi L. extracts.

In the present study crude ethanolic extract and its various fractions (ethyl acetate, hexane and aqueous) of medicinal plant Carum carvi L. were examined for α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition using an-in vitro model. Both digestive enzymes were extracted from bovine and green gram. The crude extract and its fractions were also studied for their antioxidant potential by DPPH and Nitric oxide activity. The quantitative assessment of phenol and flavonoid contents was also estimated. The crude extract and its fractions exhibited high in-vitro enzyme inhibitory activity against α-amylase and α-glucosidase at different concentrations with IC50 ranging from 421.4±7.8 to 810±5.71and 72±8.81 to 307.0±11.42µg/mL of each extract respectively. The plant showed highest total phenolic contents ranging from 29.5±0.49 to 112.5±0.36mg/g Gallic acid of extract, while the total flavonoid contents were estimated from3.08±0.02-85.4± 0.12mg/g Quercetin. The antioxidant activities of the all extracts, measured in terms of IC50 values were in the range of 53.05±1.98 to 211.5±31.06µg/mL. Nitric oxide scavenging ability exhibited their IC50 values from 26.3±5.51 to 121.3±5.32µg/mL. Ethanolic crude extract showed excellent result among all these fractions. GCMS analysis of ethanolic extract of Carum carvi L indicated the presence of several phytochemicals such as monoterpenes, unsaturated fatty acids, furan derivatives, phenolic and flavonoid contents.

Incidence of drug interactions in intensive care units in tertiary care settings: Classification, facts and measures.

Drug-drug interactions (DDIs) are extremely significant concern, particularly in sensitive population including pediatric and geriatric. Propensity for the development of DDIs is high in patients admitted at intensive care units (ICU). This study was conducted to evaluate the DDIs incidence, facts and measures in ICU. From a total of 150 cases studied for ICU patients, with the mean age of 56.37±12.45 years, 55.33% were male and the rest were female 44.66%. The demographic information like age, gender and main diagnosis details of study participants that were extracted from the patients' clinical record. A statistically significant association between the drug interaction and the number of drugs prescribed per prescription was observed (p<0.0001). Concerning the onset of outcome, 52% of DDIs distinguished as delayed onset of effect (past 24 hours) and 35% were categorized as rapid onset (within 24 hours). Despite the facts regarding patient safety and minimizing DIs error, polypharmacy is still frequent in critically ill patients admitted in ICU attributed high risk of adverse reactions due to use of multiple interventions to treat severity of disease condition. Such studies may be used to develop an effective tool for the diagnosis and management of DDIs.

Analgesic activities of crude ethanolic extract and various fractions of Adansonia digitata L. grown at the sindh province of Pakistan.

The current study aimed to evaluate the analgesic effects of crude extract and fractions of leaves of Adansonia digitata L. (Malvaceae). Fresh leaves were collected, dried under shade and then powdered. Moreover, powder was usedto extract with Ethanol and concentrated under reduced pressure, followed by partitioning with organic solvents i.e. Hexane, Ethylacetate, Butanol and Aqueous. These fractions were analyzed for analgesic effect at dose of 50, 100, 200; mg/kg body weight by acetic acid induced writhing, tail flick and hot plate analgesic models. No acute oral toxicity was observed and extracts considered being saved at a dose of 50-3000 mg/kg body weight. Orally administered extract of A. digitata showed analgesic activity described by decrease in writhes counts which was contrast to control. Significant (P<0.05-0.001) increased in latency period in hot plate analgesic test when compared Diclofenac sodium (50 mg/kg) which is used as a standard drug. Furthermore, in tail flick test a dose of (50, 100, 200mg/kg body weight) of extracts exhibited significant (P<0.05-0.001) analgesia which is dose dependent when compared to control group. These findings of analgesic testing have revealed that leaves extract of this nutritional plants possess remarkable antinociceptive effect.

Studies on antidiarrhoeal, antispasmodic and bronchodilator activities of Operculina turpethum Linn.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, Operculina turpethum has been used in a wide range of ailments such as, gastrointestinal disturbances and asthma. It is found in China, South Asia, Pacific Islands, and Australia. This study was aimed to provide a possible pharmacological basis for the medicinal use of O. turpethum in gut and airways disorders. METHODS: Castor oil-induced diarrhoeal mice model and isolated tissue preparations such as, rabbit jejunum and guinea-pig tracheal preparations were used to test the antidiarrhoeal, antispasmodic and bronchodilator effects and the possible mode of action(s) of the 70% aqueous-ethanolic extract of O. turpethum black variety (OTB). RESULTS: In the castor oil-induced diarrhoea in mice, the crude extract of OTB caused a dose-dependent (300-1000 mg/kg) protection from diarrhoea, similar to that of loperamide. In isolated rabbit jejunum preparations, OTB produced a dose-dependent inhibition of spontaneous and high K+(80 mM)-induced contractions with resultant median effective concentrations (EC50 with 95% confidence interval) of 1.04 mg/ml (0.59-1.54) and 0.12 mg/ml (0.10-0.15; n = 4) respectively, thus showing more potency against K+. Pretreatment of the tissue with OTB (0.01 and 0.03 mg/ml) caused a rightward shift in the concentration response curves of Ca++, similar to that of verapamil. In isolated guinea-pig tracheal preparations, OTB caused inhibition of carbachol and high K+-induced constriction at similar concentrations with respective EC50 value of 0.66 mg/ml (0.53-0.82) and 0.59 mg/ml (0.45-0.62). Activity-directed fractionation revealed that the ethyl acetate fraction was more potent than the parent crude extract and hexane fraction. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the crude extract of O. turpethum possesses antidiarrhoeal, antispasmodic and bronchodilator activities, mediated possibly through the presence of Ca++ antagonist like constituent(s), though additional mechanism(s) cannot be ruled out. Thus, this study provides the evidence for the medicinal use of plant in diarrhoea and asthma.

Antidepressant activity of ethanolic extract of Hibiscus rosa sinenesis Linn.

The present study was undertaken to assess the antidepressant effect of crude ethanolic extract of floral part of Hibiscusrosa sinensis (HRS) at doses 100mg/kg, 250mg/kg and 500mg/kg using three parameters which are forced induced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST) and open field test(OFT). Flouxetine (15mg/kg, body weight) was used as standard. Significant dose dependent decline in immobility time was observed in all the three doses in FST and TST while in case of OFT none of the dose of HRS exhibited effectual results. To determine MAO"A" and MAO"B" activity HRS extract was used and the results revealed that each dose of this plant exhibited marked effect on MAO"A", while on MAO"B" only 250mg/kg dose was found significant.

Antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of Hibiscus schizopetalus (Mast) Hook in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

The antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic activities of Hibiscus schizopetalus (Mast) Hook (Malvaceae) flower and leaves extracts were investigated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The hypoglycemic activity of both the extracts (100mg/kg, body weight) was tested in fasting normal rat, glucose loaded rats. Observation on body weight was also recorded. The extracts showed a significant (p<0.001) reduction in blood glucose level in normal fasting rats. In glucose tolerance test, significant (p<0.01) decreased observed in all glucose loaded animals. While in alloxan induced diabetic rats, the percent blood glucose reduction was 59.94% and 45.14% in extracts treated groups. The results obtained were compared with the reference standard drug Tolbutamide (100mg/kg, body weight). The diabetic rats showed sign of decreased in their body weight during the treatment period. Cholesterol and triglycerides levels were significantly decreased (p<0.001) by HFE. The results obtained demonstrated the potential hypoglycemic activity of methanolic extracts of H. schizopetalus. There is need of bioassay-directed assay of the active principles responsible for the anti-diabetic activity. The methanolic extracts showed the presence of carbohydrates, alkaloids, steroids, terpenes, saponins and glycosides.

Histopathologic changes in liver and kidney of male sprague dawley rats treated with extract of Cardiospermum halicacabum L.

In traditional medicine Cardiospermum halicacabum L. (Sapindeaceae) is used against various ailments such as rheumatism, nervous diseases, stiffness of the limbs and snakebite. Leaves are crushed and made into a tea, which aids itchy skin. Salted leaves are used as a poultice on swellings. Young leaves can be cooked and used as vegetables. The leaf juice has been used as a treatment for earache as well. In this study we evaluate acute toxicity (10, 50, 100 and 500 mg/kg) and pathologic changes in esophagus, stomach, liver and kidney tissues with a magnifying glass and microscope in a row to mark changes to both morphological and histological in comparison to control with the treatment of ethyl acetate extract (dose of 40mg/kg) in male Sprague Dawley rats. The rats were divided into 4 groups consisting of 3 rats per group for acute toxicity and histopathological change. In conclusion, no lethality was observed in acute toxicity study for 7 days. The treatment of ethyl acetate extracts at 40 mg/kg did not show lethal toxicological changes as observed by histopathological examination in the kidney and liver tissues.

Assessment of total phenolic content and antioxidant potential of methanol extract of Peltophorum pterocarpum (DC.) Backer ex K. Heyne.

Plants are rich in a variety of chemical compounds. Many are secondary metabolites including aromatic substances most of them are phenols or their oxygen substituted derivatives. Medicinal plants are rich in antioxidant constituents such as phenols, tocopherols, ascorbic acid, carotenoids, and flavonoids etc. They are found to acquire free radical scavenging activity and used worldwide for the treatment of various immune system dependent diseases. Peltophorum pterocarpum (DC) Backer ex K. Heyne (Caesalpiniaceae) is a beautiful ornamental tree, widely grown in tropical regions and its parts are used in traditional medicine as medicinal agents. Fresh pods of Peltophorum pterocarpum was evaluated for its antioxidant potential by using various methods including DPPH, superoxide anion, nitric oxide scavenging, and metal chelating activity. TPC via Folin-Ciocalteau's reagent and anti haemolytic activity red blood cells respectively have also been measured. The methanol extract of pods of Peltophorum pterocarpum was found to possess the significant amount 439.21±0.17 mg GAE (gallic acid equivalents) / g of TPC. The antioxidant potential of pods extract at mature stage showed potent activity and measured as, free radical scavenging activity 73.29±0.81%, superoxide anion scavenging activity 89.03±1.07%, nitric oxide scavenging activity 84.25±1.18%, and metal chelating activity 64.12±0.11%. The extract also showed potent anti haemolytic activity 79.09± 0.75%. Peltophorum pterocarpum exhibited strong but varying level of antioxidant and anti haemolytic activity in various methods along with total phenolic contents.

Analgesic activity of various extracts of Holoptelea integrifolia (Roxb.) Planch leaves.

The various extracts of leaves Holoptelea integrifolia (Ulmaceae) were investigated for analgesic activity in mice by tail flick method. The fresh plant leaves of H. integrifolia were collected, dried, cleaned, weighed and chopped into small pieces and percolated in ethanol. The fractionation of crude extract, followed by the addition of distilled water, ethyl acetate and n-butanol to an aqueous portion of each solvent, to obtain the dried masses of each four layers. Qualitative chemical examination indicates the presence of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavones, phenol, steroids, tannins and triterpenoids. No acute oral toxicity was observed and extracts considered being safe at the dose of 50-2000 mg/kg body weight. At the dose of 500 mg/kg various extracts of leaves of H. integrifolia were found statistically significant (P<0.05). A maximum effect was established at 150 min, after drug administration. Diclofenace sodium used as a standard.