M. A. Al-Yahya

Evaluation of turmeric (Curcuma longa) for gastric and duodenal antiulcer activity in rats

An ethanol extract of turmeric was studied in rats for its ability to inhibit gastric secretion and to protect gastroduodenal mucosa against the injuries caused by pyloric ligation, hypothermic-restraint stress, indomethacin, reserpine and cysteamine administration and cystodestructive agents including 80% ethanol, 0.6 M HCl, 0.2 M NaOH and 25% NaCl. An oral dose of 500 mg/kg of the extract produced significant anti-ulcerogenic activity in rats subjected to hypothermic-restraint stress, pyloruic ligation and indomethacin and reserpine administration. The extract had a highly significant protective effect against cystodestructive agents. The reduction in the intensity of ulceration of cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcers was not found to be statistically significant. Turmeric extract not only increased the gastric wall mucus significantly but also restored the non-protein sulfhydryl (NP-SH) content in the glandular stomachs of the rats.

Pharmacological Studies of Rhus Retinorrhaea

AbstractAn ethanol extract of Rhus retinorrhaea Steud. ex. A. Rich-has been studied for anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and analgesic activities in experimental models. The extract produced significant inhibition of carrageenan-induced paw edema, an insignificant cotton pellet granuloma in rats, a significant dose-dependent reduction of yeast-induced hyperpyrexia, and inhibition of acetic acid-induced writhing in mice. Other pharmacological studies revealed central nervous system depressing and negative inotropic and chronotropic activities. The acute toxicity studies showed no mortality and adverse effects up to a 3g/kg dose in mice.

Studies on ruta chalepensis, an ancient medicinal herb still used in traditional medicine

An ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of Ruta chalepensis was studied for its anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic and CNS depressant activities. The extract produced a significant inhibition of carrageenan-induced paw oedema and cotton pellet granuloma in rats. The studies on spontaneous motor activity in mice and conditioned avoidance responding (CAR) in rats showed a dose-dependent depression of the central nervous system in treated animals. Reduction of yeast-induced hyperthermia in mice confirmed its reputed antipyretic activity. The extract did not produce any significant changes in prothrombin time and fibrinogen level. It also failed to produce any analgesic activity in the hot plate reaction-time test in mice. Phytochemical screening of the aerial parts of the plant showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, tannins, volatile oil, sterols and/or triterpenes.

Anti-inflammatory activity of some Saudi Arabian medicinal plants

Five plants which have been used for the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis and gout in the traditional medicine of Saudi Arabia, were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory properties. Of these the ethanolic extract of Capparis decidua and the aqueous extract of Capparis spinosa were found to possess significant anti-inflammatory activity against carrageenan induced oedema in rats. These two plants were also tested for their antipyretic and analgesic activity. C. decidua was found to possess significant antipyretic effect. Both of them are devoid of analgesic activity.

Anti-inflammatory activity of Commiphora molmol.

The petroleum ether extract of the oleo-gum resin of Commiphora molmol, at a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight, produced significant inhibition of carrageenan induced inflammation and cotton pellet granuloma. The extract also showed significant antipyretic activity in mice. Further studies on the fractionation of phytoconstituents and their mechanism of action are in progress.

GASTRIC AND DUODENAL ANTIULCER AND CYTOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF AFRAMOMUM MELEGUETA IN RATS

AbstractAn ethanol extract of Aframomum melegueta (AMZ) has been studied for its ability to inhibit gastric secretion and to protect gastroduodenal mucosa against the injuries caused by pyloric ligation, hypothermic restraint stress, indomethacin, cysteamine and cytodestructing agents (80% ethanol, 0.6 M HCl, 0.2 M NaOH and 25% NaCl) in rats. The results of this study demonstrate that ethanol extract of AMZ had significant effects on various experimentally-induced ulcers. It produced a dose-dependent inhibition of basal gastric secretion in pylorus-ligated rats and reduced significantly the intensity of gastric lesions induced by pylorus ligation, hypothermic restraint stress, indomethacin, mucosal damaging agents and duodenal ulcers induced by cysteamine. The concentration of nonprotein-sulfhydryls was decreased significantly in gastric mucosa after administration of 80% ethanol. Treatment with AMZ extract replenished the reduced level of gastric mucosal nonprotein sulfhydryls. Acute toxicity tests showe...

Response of Najdi sheep to oral administration of Citrullus colocynthis fruits, Nerium oleander leaves or their mixture

Susceptibility of sheep to oral administration of Citrullus colocynthis fruits, Nerium oleander leaves or their mixture is described in 12 sheep assigned as untreated controls, C. colocynthis-treated at 0.25g/kg/day, N. oleander-treated at 0.25g/kg and plant mixture-treated at 0.25g of C. colocynthis/kg plus 0.25g of N. oleander/kg. The daily use of 0.25g of C. colocynthis/kg for 42 days was not fatal to sheep and caused slight diarrhoea, catarrhal enteritis, centrilobular hepatocellular fatty change and degeneration of the renal tubular cells. Single oral doses of 0.25g of N. oleander/kg were lethal to sheep within 18-24h and caused uneasiness, grinding of the teeth, dyspnoea, anorexia, frequent urination, ruminal bloat, ataxia and recumbency before death. The main lesions were widespread congestion and haemorrhage, pulmonary cyanosis and emphysema and severe hepatonephropathy. Rapid death was also observed in sheep receiving single doses of the mixture of the two plants. Effects were correlated with changes in the activities of serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate transaminase (AST) and concentrations of cholesterol, bilirubin, total protein, albumin, globulin and urea and haematological parameters.

Preliminary toxicity studies on ethanol extracts of the aerial parts of Artemisia abyssinica and A. inculta in mice.

Ethanolic extracts of the aerial parts of Artemisia abyssinica and A. inculta were subjected to acute toxicity observations in mice for 24 h and chronic toxicity evaluation for 3 months. External morphological changes, visceral toxicity, haematological changes, spermatogenic dysfunction and effect on body weight and vital organ weight were recorded. In both the chronically treated groups, no significant acute mortality was observed up to 3 g/kg p.o. There was no weight gain in A. abyssinica chronically-treated mice while the weight gain of A. inculta-treated animals matched that of the control group. Significant sperm damage was observed in A. abyssinica-treated mice while A. inculta failed to produce any significant spermatotoxic effect.

Preliminary toxicity study on the individual and combined effects of Citrullus colocynthis and Nerium oleander in rats.

The toxicity of diet containing 10% of Citrullus colocynthis fruits or 10% of Nerium oleander leaves or their 1:1 mixture (5%+5%) for rats treated for 6 weeks was determined. Dullness, ruffled hair, decreased body weight gains and feed efficiency, and enterohepatonephropathy characterised treatment with C. colocynthis and N. oleander given alone. Diarrhoea was a prominent sign of C. colocynthis poisoning. Organ lesions were accompanied by leucopenia, anaemia and alterations in serum AST, ALT and ALP activities and concentrations of total protein, albumin, urea, bilirubin and other serum constituents. Feeding the mixture of C. colocynthis and N. oleander caused more marked effects and death of rats.

Studies on Some Herbal Drugs Used in Fracture Healing

AbstractWe investigated the effect of Lepidium sativum and Sarsaparilla smilax used for fracture healing in Saudi folk medicine. These drugs were tested for their effect on collagen deposition and tensile strength in experimental models. L. sativum significantly increased collagen deposition at fracture position. The tensile strength of the broken tibiae also increased in the L. sativum treated group, supporting its folklore use. In the S. smilax treated group the effect was insignificant.