Pharmacological and safety evaluation studies on cardamom elettaria cardamomum: an important ingredient of gahwa [arabian coffee]

An aqueous suspension of cardamom, Elettaria cardamomum was tested for its ability to inhibit gastric secretion and to protect gastric mucosa against the injuries caused by pylorus ligation, indomethacin and cytodestructive agents [80% ethanol, 0.2 M NaOH and 25% NaCI] in rats. The cardamom suspension at doses [250 and 500 mg/kg] exhibited significant decrease in basal gastric secretions and ulcers induced by Shay rats and indomethacin in rats. The suspension also significantly protected gastric mucosal against necrotizing agents. Histopathological evaluation revealed no significant pathological changes in the stomach of rats after 80% ethanol challenge. The LD[50] of cardamom was found to be 26.0 g/kg in mice. A large margin of safety was observed in animals in acute and chronic toxicity tests. Treatment with cardamom suspension did not induce any significant changes in the micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes [PCE] and the ratio of PCE and normochromatic erythrocytes [NCE] at both doses used as compared to control group. In conclusion, cardamom showed a significant antisecretory and antiulcer activities without causing any deleterious effects in acute, prolong administration and genotoxicity in the animals

Alkaloids of the legumes of Rhazya stricta decaisne. 13C-N M e spectral analysis of eburenine

Three alkaloids were isolated from the legumes [without seeds] of the Saudi Rhazya stricta Decaisne. The alkaloids were obtained from the chloroform extract [pH6] and were identified as [-]- quebrachamine, [+]- eburenine and [+]-akuammidine by 1H-NMR,13C-NMR and 2D-NMR. The hitherto unreported 13C-NMR data for eburenine has been assigned. This represents the first report for the occurrence of these three alkaloids in the legumes of R. stricta

Pharmacognostical and preliminary phytochemical investigations of huernia Saudi Arabica

Pharmacognostic studies on the stem and root of Huernia Saudi-arabica have been carried out. The macro and microscopical characters of the stem and root are described with illustrations. Fluorescence characteristic, ash values and extractive values are given. The results of the preliminary phytochemical investigation of the plant are also reported