ABSTRACT
Background: Pashanbhed is a commercially available diuretic and lithotropic drug, used to treat renal problems. It is a controversial name as it is assigned to various plants such as Bergenia ligulata, Kalanchoe pinnata, Coleus aromaticus and Rotula aquatica. Objective: To perform the comparative preliminary phytochemical screening, diuretic activity, and thin layer chromatography (TLC) fi nger printing profi le of three plants (B. ligulata, C. aromaticus, and K. pinnata), most commonly used as Pashanbhed. Materials and Methods: Diuretic potential of methanolic extract (ME) of three plants were evaluated at two dose levels (500 and 1,000 mg/kg p.o.), using normal Wistar rats (Lipschitz method). Furosemide (20 mg/kg p.o.) was used as a standard drug. The effect on urine output and electrolyte changes were measured for 24 h and compared. All MEs were screened preliminarily for their constituents and their TLC fi nger printing profi les were prepared. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Bonferroni’s multiple comparison test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically signifi cant. Results: The MEs of all three plants have shown diuresis in normal rats. However, in intercomparison of the ME C. aromaticus (1,000 mg/kg p.o.) produced more signifi cant diuresis (P < 0.05) and electrolyte excretion compared to other test groups, the effect was at par with furosemide. The ME of these plants showed presence of alkaloids, glycosides, steroids, terpenoids, saponins, fl avonoids, etc. Conclusion: The ME of C. aromaticus (1,000 mg/kg p.o.) has showed highest diuretic action (4.2) among the tested extracts. This suggests the use of C. aromaticus leaves as “Pashanbhed”; the most effective diuretic drug.
ABSTRACT
The chloroform (4.20% w/w), ethyl acetate (4.23% w/w) and aqueous decoction (12.11% w/w) extracts of the aerial parts of A. indica were screened for the antiepileptic activity against maximal electroshock (MES) model and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) models at doses of 200, 400 mg/kg, po once. Phenytoin and diazepam (25 and 2 mg/kg, ip) were used as standard drugs in MES and PTZ model, respectively. Further, ethyl acetate extract (active extract) was fractionated into flavonoid and tannin fraction, which were subsequently evaluated for the antiepileptic potential against both MES and PTZ models at a dose of 50 mg/kg, po. Pretreatment with ethyl acetate extract 200, 400 mg/kg, po, for 1 week showed significant antiepileptic activity against PTZ induced convulsions only. Isolated flavonoid fraction showed more potent antiepileptic activity as compared to ethyl acetate extract, without any neurotoxic effect. However, tannin fraction did not produce antiepileptic activity against PTZ induced convulsions. It may be concluded that the flavonoids fraction of ethyl acetate extract of aerial parts of A. indica, but not the aqueous decoction has antiepileptic potential, without producing neurotoxic effects.