D. Sasmal

Wound healing activity of latex of Euphorbia caducifolia.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE [corrected] Euphorbia caducifolia is a Euphorbiaceae species native to Thar Desert of India, where latex of E. caducifolia (ECL) is used by the local inhabitants for treatment of bleeding wound, cutaneous eruption and other skin diseases. Looking to the medicinal importance of the plant, it was considered worthwhile to scientifically evaluate the ECL for the wound healing activity. MATERIAL AND METHODS In vitro methods, clotting of platelet free plasma and angiogenesis in chick chorioallantoic membrane (CCM) were used for studying effect of ECL on clotting and angiogenesis. Excision and incision wounds model were used to study effect of ECL on wound contraction, tensile strength and hydroxyproline and DNA content. RESULTS ECL treatment stimulates the blood vessel formation in CCM, at the all dose levels. 56.77, 74.48 and 78.09% increase in area of angiogenesis was observed in ECL 2.5, 5.0 and 10mg/ml treated groups respectively. The excised skin of ECL 5.0 and 10mg/ml treated animals found to have higher content of hydroxyproline and DNA, when compared with control group. An acceleration of the wound closure was observed with an enhanced number of fibroblasts and collagen content in ECL treated mice. CONCLUSION Result of in vitro and in vivo experiments indicate that ECL exerts significant wound healing activity, demonstrating its relevant therapeutic potential.

Aerva lanata: A review on phytochemistry and pharmacological aspects.

Aerva lanata (L.) A. L. Juss. ex Schultes. (Amaranthaceae) locally known as ‘bui’ is an erect or prostrate undershrub with a long tap-root and many wolly-tomentose branches, found in the wild, throughout India. In traditional medicine the plant is used in cough, strangury (slow to be and painful discharge of urine), headache and urolithiasis. The photochemical constituents present in the plant include alkaloids (ervine, methylervine, ervoside, aervine, methylaervine, aervoside, ervolanine, and aervolanine), flavanoids (kaempferol, quercetin, isorhamnetin, persinol, persinosides A and B), methyl grevillate, lupeol, lupeol acetate benzoic acid, β-sitosteryl acetate and tannic acid. Pharmacological studies reported diuretic, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, anti-diabetic, antiparasitic, antimicrobial, hepoprotective, anti-urolithiasis, antiasthmatic, antifertility and hypolipidemic properties of Aerva lanata. This review article includes the detailed exploration of the morphology, phytochemistry, and pharmacological aspects of Aerva lanata in an attempt to provide a direction for further research.

CNS depressant and anticonvulsant activities of the alcoholic extract of leaves of Ziziyphus nummularia.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Ziziyphus nummularia (family: Rhamnaceae) is a xerophyte, grows in the grazing lands of the Thar Desert of Rajasthan. Ziziyphus nummularia (ZN) is used as sedative in ethnomedicine. The objective of this study is to investigate the anticonvulsant, anxiolytic and sedative activities of the alcoholic extract of leaves of Ziziyphus nummularia (EZN). MATERIALS AND METHODS The anticonvulsant effect of the EZN (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg) was evaluated in mice using the pentylenetetrazole and maximal electroshock induced seizure models. Its anxiolytic activity was evaluated using the elevated plus maze, hole board and open field models board methods, while the pentobarbital induced sleep was used to evaluate the sedative activity. The acute toxicity and effect on motor coordination were also assessed. RESULTS EZN (100-300 mg/kg) protected the mice against the pentylenetetrazole induced convulsions; it causes a significant (P<0.05) dose dependent increase in latency of convulsion. Treatment with EZN reduced the duration of the tonic hind limb extension induced by electroshock. Mice treated with EZN preferred the open arm of the plus maze and were found to be devoid of open-arm avoidance. EZN potentiation the barbiturate induce sleep in mice, it causes a decrease in the sleep latency and increases the duration of sleep. CONCLUSION The results obtained from the experiments indicate that the EZN has CNS depressant and anticonvulsant activities.

Determination of Deltamethrin in Mice Plasma and Immune Organs by Simple Reversed-Phase HPLC

Deltamethrin, a well-known type 2 synthetic pyrethroid insecticide, is a widespread environmental toxicant. It has potential to accumulate in body fluids and tissues due to its lipophilic characteristics. The immune system is among the most sensitive targets regarding toxicity of environmental pollutants. Various methods are available in the literature to analyze deltamethrin (DLM) concentration in plasma and tissues, but regarding the immune organs, only one gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) method (on spleen tissues) has been reported. In the present investigation, a rapid and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed and validated to determine DLM concentration in plasma, thymus, and spleen using zaleplone as an internal standard. Liquid chromatography (LC) separation is performed on an Agilent Zorbax® C8 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, i.d., 5 μm) with isocratic elution using a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile–5 mM KH2PO4 (70:30, v/v) at a f...

Ayurveda the Ancient Science of Healing: An Insight

The term Ayurveda, a Sanskrit word, translates into knowledge (Veda) of life (Ayur); Veda also means science. After being transmitted orally for thousands of years, the ancient Ayurvedic texts finally were written and preserved in Sanskrit (an ancient Indian language). Founded on the collective wisdom of ancient Hindu saints and healers, Ayurveda grew into a medicinal science. Ancient Ayurveda was meant essentially to promote health, however, rather than fight disease. The Ayurvedic text, an offspring of the Atharvaveda, appeared sometime in 1500 to 1000 BC and described two schools of learning physicians Atreya and surgeons Dhanvantari. Charak Samhita (1000 BC) and Sushrut Samhita (100 AD) are the main classics. Ayurveda materia medica gives detailed descriptions of over 1500 herbs and 10,000 formulations. Madhav Nidan (800 AD) a diagnostic classic provides over 5000 signs and symptoms. There are eight branches of study in Ayurveda: Kaya Chikitsa (General Medicine), Kaumara Bhruthya (Paediatrics), Bhutha Vidhya (Psychiatry), Salakya (ENT and Ophthalmology and dentistry), Shalya (Surgery), Agada Tantra (Toxicology), Rasayana (Rejuvenation Therapy) and Vajeekarana (sexual vitality) (Lad, 1995; Agnihotri, 2000; Chopra and Doiphode, 2002; Mukherjee and Wahile, 2006; WHO, 2010; Balasubramani et al., 2011).