Amelioration of age associated neuroinflammation on long term bacosides treatment.

Bacopa monnieri (L.) is a revered medicinal plant of traditional Indian system of medicine effective against cognitive impairment in ageing and SDAT. In our previous study, long term administration of bacosides was found to exhibit remarkable anti ageing effect, ameliorate age associated neurochemical and neurobehavioral deficits and prevent hippocampal neuronal degeneration in middle aged and aged rat brain cortex. In continuation to the previous study, the present study aims to investigate the neuroprotective effect of bacosides against age related chronic neuroinflammation in Wistar rat brain on 3 months treatment. Recently, neuroinflammation has gained considerable interest in age associated neurodegeneration and pathologies like SDAT due to its slow onset and chronic nature. The results of the present study demonstrated the significant attenuation of age dependant elevation of pro inflammatory cytokines, iNOS protein expression, total nitrite and lipofuscin content in middle aged and aged rat brain cortex on long term oral administration of bacosides. Thus, the present results suggest that bacosides possess immense potential to act as a neuroprotective agent due to its pleiotropic action for the prevention of ageing complications and SDAT progression.

Prevention of age-associated neurodegeneration and promotion of healthy brain ageing in female Wistar rats by long term use of bacosides.

Bacopa monnieri (L.), popularly known as Brahmi, is a revered Ayurvedic medicinal plant used as nerve tonic since time immemorial. The present study aims to investigate the neuroprotective effect of bacosides, the active saponins of Bacopa monnieri (L.) against age associated neurodegeneration and its impact over the prevention of Senile Dementia of Alzheimer's Type (SDAT). The optimum dose of bacosides with no adverse effect was selected by screening its dose dependant activity on ageing biomarker lipofuscin and SDAT biomarker neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the aged female Wistar rat brain. The selected therapeutic dose of bacosides (200 mg/kg) was orally administered for 3 months in middle aged and aged rats and further investigated for its protective action against age associated alterations in neurotransmission system, behavioral paradigms, hippocampal neuronal loss and oxidative stress markers. The results of the present study suggest that bacosides may act as a potential therapeutic intervention in forestalling the deleterious effects of ageing and preventing the age associated pathologies like SDAT.

Evaluation of antipyretic potential of Cleome viscosa Linn. (Capparidaceae) extract in rats.

The antipyretic activity of a methanol extract of Cleome viscosa Linn. (CVME) was investigated for its potential on normal body temperature and yeast-induced pyrexia in albino rats. The CVME, at doses of 200, 300, and 400mg/kg BW p.o., showed significant reduction in normal body temperature and yeast-provoked elevated temperature in a dose-dependent manner. The effect also extended upto 5h after the drug administration. The anti-pyretic effect of CVME was comparable to that of paracetamol (150mg/kg p.o.), a standard anti-pyretic agent.

Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic properties of Clitoria ternatea root.

Clitoria ternatea roots methanol extract when given by oral route to rats was found to inhibit both the rat paw oedema caused by carrageenin and vascular permeability induced by acetic acid in rats. Moreover, the extract exhibited a significant inhibition in yeast-induced pyrexia in rats. In the acetic acid-induced writhing response, the extract markedly reduced the number of writhings at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg (p.o.) in mice.

Neuroprotective effect of curcuminoids against inflammation-mediated dopaminergic neurodegeneration in the MPTP model of Parkinson's disease.

The present study investigated the neuroprotective effect of curcuminoids, the active polyphenols of Curcuma longa (L.) rhizomes against inflammation-mediated dopaminergic neurodegeneration in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6- tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) model of Parkinson's disease (PD). Male C57BL/6 mice were pre-treated with curcuminoids (150 mg/kg/day) for 1 week, followed by four intra-peritoneal (i.p.) injections of MPTP (20 mg/kg) at 2 h intervals with further administration of curcuminoids or deprenyl (3 mg/kg/day) for 2 weeks. Our results show that oral administration of curcuminoids significantly prevented MPTP-mediated depletion of dopamine and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity. In-addition, pre-treatment with curcuminoids reversed glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein expression, as well as, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine and total nitrite generation in the striatum of MPTP-intoxicated mice. Significant improvement in motor performance and gross behavioural activity, as determined by rota-rod and open field tests were also observed. Taken together, our findings suggest that curcuminoids exert a neuroprotective effect against MPTP-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration through its anti-inflammatory action and thus holds immense potential as a therapeutic candidate for the prevention and management of PD.

Pharmamacgnostical evaluation of ionldium suffrlitlcosam ging (family: violaceae).

The macroscopic character of the whole plant, physical constant values, extractive values, behaviour on treatment with different chemical reagents. Fluorescence characters under uv light after treatment with different chemical reagents of the powdered whole plant of lonidium suffruticosam Ging (Family; violaceae) were studied to characterize some pharmacognostical parameters. Preliminary photochemical study on different extracts of the whole plant were also performed.

Evaluation of anti-diarrheal activity of Cleome viscosa L. extract in rats.

A study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of a methanol extract of the entire plant Cleome viscosa L. (CVME) (Family; Capparidaceae) for its anti-diarrheal potential against some of the experimental models of diarrhea in rats. CVME showed significant inhibitory activity against castor-oil-induced diarrhea and PGE2 induced enteropooling in rats. The extract also showed a significant reduction in gastrointestinal motility in the charcoal meal test in rats. The results obtained establish the efficacy and substantiate the folklore claim as an anti-diarrheal agent.

Evaluation of antitussive potential of Ionidium suffruticosam Ging. (Violaceae) extract in albino mice.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the antitussive potential of methanol extract of Ionidium suffruticosam Ging. (Violaceae) which was investigated for its effect on a cough model induced by sulfur dioxide gas in albino mice. It exhibited significant dose-dependent antitussive activity when compared with the control, 250 and 500 mg/kg (p.o.) of the extract showing 28.37% and 54.16% inhibition of the cough with respect to control group. The antitussive activity of the extract was comparable to that of codeine phosphate, a prototype antitussive agent.

Studies of pharmacognostical profiles of cleome viscosa L (family:capparidaceae).

The macroscopic characters of the whole plant, physical constant values, extractive values, behavior on treatment with different chemical reagents, fluorescence characters under ultra violet light after treatment with different reagents of the powered entire plant of Cleome viscose Linn.(Capparidaceae) were studied to fix some pharmacognostical parameters. Preliminary phytochemical screening on the methanol extract of the plant also performed. These studies will help in identification of this plant for further research.

Evaluation of antitussive activity of Lagerstroemia parviflora leaf extract.

The methanol extract of the leaves of Lagerstroemia parviflora Roxb was investigated for its effect on a cough model induced by sulfur dioxide gas in mice. It exhibited significant antitussive activity when compared with the control in a dose-dependent manner. The L. parviflora extract (100, 200, 300 mg/kg) showed maximum inhibition of cough reflex at 90 min after drug administration and the antitussive activity was comparable to that of codeine phosphate, a standard antitussive agent.