ABSTRACT
Pharmacognostic and phytochemical evaluation are necessary for drug authentication and for prediction and confirmation of pharmacological activities of any plant part. Cosmostigma racemosum (Roxb.) Wight, a traditional and folklore drug in Kerala with many reputed usages, locally called as Vaattuvalli, is a shrubby twiner of Apocynaceae family. Leaves are the most used plant part. As no scientific data regarding its standards were available, preliminary pharmacognostic, physico-chemical and phytochemical evaluation of the leaves were done as per the guidelines of Ayurveda Pharmacopoiea of India and WHO. The study revealed that leaves of Cosmostigma racemosum (Roxb.)Wight are simple, opposite, exstipulate, apex caudate, base cordate and with a characteristic chilly odour. Microscopic examination of leaves revealed the presence of characteristic features such as lacticifers, secreting cells, absence of stomata on the upper epidermis, presence of paracytic stomata on the lower epidermis and presence of calcium oxalate crystals especially druse crystals. The preliminary phytochemical evaluation revealed the presence of tannins, alkaloids, steroids, saponins which indicates the wide range of pharmacological activities of the plant. The 13 peaks in the HPTLC profile indicate a wide pharmacological prospect of the leaves. The ICP-MS analysis confirmed that heavy metals like Cd, Cr, Zn, Cu, Pb and As present in the leaves are within permissible limits. Physicochemical parameters such as moisture content, different ash values, volatile oil content, different extractive values, ph, fibre content, and sugar content were also determined. All these findings can serve as standards for assuring the safety, quality and purity of the drug.
ABSTRACT
Background: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is the result of an osseous defect in the skull base coupled with a disruption of duramater and arachnoid mater with a resultant pressure gradient, leading to CSF leak. CSF leak can be categorized into spontaneous(idiopathic), traumatic, and non-traumatic. Endoscopic transnasal approach is an extracranial approach which has the advantage ofbeing less invasive, no external scar, excellent site localization with preservation of the surrounding anatomy, and shorter hospital stay.Aim of the Study: The aim of the study was to assess the outcome of repair, cause, site of leak, and efficacy of materials usedfor the repair, elucidate the advantages of endoscopic approach.Materials and Methods: A total of 25 patients with CSF rhinorrhea arising from anterior and middle cranial fossa not subsidingwith medical management were included in this prospective study. Patients of all ages and gender were included in the study.Patients with recent history of meningitis were excluded from the study. All the patients were evaluated for CSF rhinorrhea usingbattery of tests including clinical examination for reservoir sign, biochemical and microbiological analysis of fluid, radiologicalinvestigations, and diagnostic nasal endoscopy to assess the site of leak. The demographic data, CSF leak site and size, etiology,complications, surgical closure techniques, complications of surgery, and recurrences and its management were observed andrecorded. All the data were analyzed using standard statistical methods.Observation and Results: Among the 25 patients, 14/25 (56%) patients were aged below 30 years followed by 11/25 (44%)patients who were aged between 30 and 60 years. The mean age was 34.20 ± 2.35 years. 16/25 (64%) patients were (64%)female and 9/25 (36%) patients were male. 22/25 patients (88%) had spontaneous leaks and 3 patients (12%) had traumaticleaks. In 18/25 (72%) of the patients, the site of leak was in the cribriform plate, 4/25 (16%) from fovea ethmoidalis, 2/25(8%)from the sphenoid, and 1/25 (4%) from the frontal sinus. Immediate post-operative results were observed in 23/25 (92%) of thepatients and there was no CSF leak. 2/25 (8%) patients had CSF leak for 10 days which later subsided.Conclusions: The most common etiology of CSF rhinorrhea was spontaneous, most common site being the cribriform plate.Autologous fat graft was used as the first layer of underlay technique in most of the cases which act as a good sealant. The efficacyof transnasal endoscopic CSF leak repair in our study was found to be 100%, and it is a highly successful and safe procedure.
ABSTRACT
Amrtottara kvatha is a decoction which is used primarily in the management of hyperpyrexia (jwara). Fresh stem of Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers (Guduchi), dried fruit rind of Terminalia chebula Retz (Haritaki), and dried rhizome of Zingiber offficinale Roscoe (Shunti) in the ratio 3:2:1 are its ingredients. From the point of view of drug design, it has the peculiarity that, its ingredients are specified to be added in a particular ratio, rather than in equal amounts as is the case in most of the compound formulations in Ayurveda. But, the rationale behind the drug design are not detailed enough to give much information regarding the effect of alteration of the drug ratio etc. Thus, in the present study an exploration was made with respect to its phytochemistry, by comparing with the decoction prepared in the general ratio of 1:1:1. The compounds Gallic acid and Ellagic acid were used for quantitative evaluation and comparison using HPTLC method. Estimation of Gallic acid in the samples showed that the amount of Gallic acid in Amrtottara kvatha prepared in classical ratio of 3:2:1 is significantly higher than that prepared in the altered ratio of 1:1:1 with a p value <0.05, though the amount by weight of Haritaki (source of Gallic acid) was unaltered in both, thus indicating the possibility of some complex phytochemical interactions among the constituents. With respect to Ellagic acid, there was no statistically significant difference in its quantity in the two decoctions compared. The method developed for HPTLC analysis in this study can be used as a technique for standardization of Amrtottara kvatha.
ABSTRACT
Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn (Yashtimadhu) is a perennial herb commonly known as liquorice. The drug is used in many Ayurvedic formulations like Dasamoolarishtam, Aswagandharishtam, Phalasarpighrita, Khadiragulika, Madhuyastyaditaila etc. Ascertaining the identity, genuineness and purity of herbal drugs has an important role in the maintenance of the quality of the drug and its formulations. The present study was undertaken to assess the preliminary Phyto-chemical constituents of the drug. The preliminary phyto-chemical analysis including quantitative data, qualitative chemical analysis, Thin Layer Chromatography, High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy were determined. The preliminary Phyto-chemical characteristics observed in the herb may help in standardization, identification and in carrying out further research in Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn.
ABSTRACT
The quality control of herbal crude drugs and their bio constituents is of paramount importance in justifying their acceptability. The crude drugs can be identified systematically on the basis of their morphological, histological, chemical, physical and biological studies. Cyclea peltata (Lam) Hook. f. Thoms belonging to the family Menispermaceae is a common plant seen in South India. It is mentioned in Ayurvedic classics by the name Rajapatha and is one of the important drugs used in Ayurveda therapeutics and is used widely in different formulations in medical practice. The aim of the study is to evaluate the preliminary pharmacognostical and phytochemical characters of Cyclea peltata (Lam) Hook. f. Thoms. Pharmacognostical evaluation of the plant Cyclea peltata (Lam) Hook. f. Thoms. was done by studying the macroscopic and microscopic features of leaf and root of the plant. The physical parameters studied included foreign matter, moisture content, volatile oil, total ash, acid insoluble ash, water soluble extractive, alcohol soluble extractive, fibre content and sugar content. The preliminary phytochemical analysis included qualitative chemical analysis, Thin Layer Chromatography, High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Various pharmacognostic and preliminary phytochemical characters observed in this may help in standardization, identification and carrying out further research in Cyclea peltata (Lam) Hook. f. Thoms.
ABSTRACT
The incidence of cancer especially breast cancer is increasing alarmingly worldwide with a high percentage of death especially in developing countries. The Ayurvedic system treasures a host of medicinal formulations that have been shown to possess cytotoxic effects on tumor cell lines. Recently herbal medicines are coming to play a more vital role in the reduction and prevention of cancer. Boerhaavia diffusa L. (Punarnava), an annual herb has been used for managing wide range of diseases including cancer. This herb was also screened for various pharmacological activities like anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-angiogenic, anti-metastatic activities and others. The decoction of root of Boerhaavia diffusa L. (Punarnava) was not scientifically evaluated for cytotoxicity. So the current study investigates the In vitro Cytotoxicity of root of decoction of Punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa L.) in breast cell line (MCF-7). The five different concentrations of decoction of Punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa Linn.) were used for In vitro Cytotoxicity by MTT assay at 24 hours and 48 hours. The test sample exhibits cytotoxicity of about 65.1±1.2at 800 µg/ ml concentration (48 hours) of incubation in MCF-7 breast cell line. The results were also analyzed statistically. It showed that there is highly significant difference in the percentage of inhibition of test sample in concentration from 50µg/ml -800µg/ml. The findings of this investigation concluded that the study drug Boerhaavia diffusa L. (Punarnava) has anti-cancer activity in MCF-7 breast cell line.