ABSTRACT
Ocimumn sanctum, an Indian medicinal plant, has been on trial for its role in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in hospital based clinical set-up. Hamilton's brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS) and thorough clinical investigations were used to screen the subjects. Thirty-five subjects (21 male and 14 female; average age 38.4 years) were medicated with the plant extract in a fixed dose regime (500 mg/capsule, twice daily, p.o. after meal). They were thoroughly investigated clinically and using standard questionnaires based on different psychological rating scale at baseline (day 0), mid-term (day 30) and final (day 60). The observations exhibited that, O. sanctum significantly (p<0.001) attenuated generalized anxiety disorders and also attenuated its correlated stress and depression. It further significantly (p<0.001) improved the willingness to adjustment and attention in human. Therefore, it may be concluded that O. sanctum may be useful in the treatment of GAD in human and may be a promising anxiolytic agent in near future.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Anxiety Disorders/drug therapy , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Ocimum , Phytotherapy , Plant Extracts/therapeutic use , Plant Leaves , Treatment Outcome , Young AdultABSTRACT
The effect of Himoliv (HV) was evaluated in carbon tetrachloride or paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Liver necrosis was produced by administering single dose of either carbon tetrachloride (CCl4, 1 ml/kg, 50% v/v with olive oil, s.c.) or paracetamol (PC, 1 g/kg, p.o.). The liver damage was evidenced by elevated levels of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and hepatic thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). HV pretreatment (0.5 and 1.0 ml/kg, p.o.) significantly (P < 0.001) reduced CCl4 or PC-induced elevations of the levels of SGOT, SGPT, ALP and TBARS, while the reduced concentration of SOD due to CCl4 or PC was reversed. Silymarin (25 mg/ kg, p.o.), a known hepatoprotective drug showed similar results.
Subject(s)
Acetaminophen/antagonists & inhibitors , Alanine Transaminase/antagonists & inhibitors , Alkaline Phosphatase/antagonists & inhibitors , Animals , Aspartate Aminotransferases/antagonists & inhibitors , Carbon Tetrachloride/antagonists & inhibitors , Female , Liver/drug effects , Liver Diseases/chemically induced , Male , Plant Preparations/pharmacology , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , Rats , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
Wistar male rats pretreated with anti-stress agents like, Panax ginseng (Pg) and diazepam (Diaz) were stressed by restraining for 1 h and 5-HT content of brain and hypothalamus as well as plasma corticosterone were measured spectrophotoflurometrically. Diclofenac (DICLO), a prostaglandin (PG) synthesis inhibitor was used to confirm the role of prostaglandin in restraint stress-induced elevation of central 5-HT correspondingly confirmed by elevation of plasma corticosterone and modification of the above anti-stress agents. Pg, Diaz and DICLO per se did not modify brain and hypothalamic 5-HT in control rats. But they attenuated stress-induced elevation of brain and hypothalamic 5-HT. Anti-stress action of both Pg and Diaz reflected by inhibition of stress-induced elevation of brain and hypothalamic content of 5-HT as also stress-induced concurrent elevation of plasma corticosterone were further diminished by DICLO. The mediatory action of 5-HT in anti-stress effects of Pg and Diaz may be modulated through prostaglandins.