Evaluation of peripheral and central analgesic activity of ethanolic extract of Clerodendrum infortunatum Linn. in experimental animals.

Background: Clerodendrum infortunatum Linn. (Verbenaceae) is an important and widely used medicinal plant. Though variously used in Ayurveda, Unani, and Homeopathy system of medicine in the case of ailments such as diarrhoea, skin disorders, venereal and scrofulous complaints, wounds, post-natal complications, as anti-helminthic, and external applications on tumors, the plant needs thorough investigation for its specific medicinal activity. This study evaluates both the central and peripheral analgesic effect of the ethanolic extract of the leaves of C. infortunatum Linn. (EECI) in the experimental animals. Methods: Acute toxicity test was done following the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development guidelines. EECI (100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, and 400 mg/kg body weight [b.w.] p.o) was evaluated for central analgesic activity by the tail flick method and peripheral analgesic activity by the acetic acid (0.7%) induced writhing test, respectively. Using aspirin (300 mg/kg b.w. and 100 mg/kg b.w.) as the standard drug. Results: EECI significantly decreased the number of writhing in writhing test at all the doses (p<0.01) and increased the reaction time in tail-flick method (p<0.01) at all the doses. EECI in the dosage of 400 mg/kg b.w. produced effects which was comparable with that of the standard drug aspirin (p<0.001) in writhing test (p<0.001) and tail flick method (p<0.001). Conclusion: The study showed significant central and peripheral analgesic activity of EECI which may be attributed to the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis, phospholipase A2, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. C. infortunatum Linn. as a commercial source of analgesic drug should be subjected to further research.

Evaluation of antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic activity of ethanolic extract of Clerodendrum infortunatum Linn. in experimental animals.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most common non-communicable disease of the modern world. The study of plants having antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic activities may give a new approach in the treatment of DM. The study was intended to evaluate the antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic activity of ethanolic extract of Clerodendrum infortunatum Linn. (EECL) in alloxan-induced diabetic albino rats. Methods: Diabetes was induced in albino rats by administration of alloxan monohydrate (160 mg/kg, intraperitoneal). Rats were divided into six groups of six animals each. First group served as non-diabetic control, second group as diabetic control, third group as standard and was treated with 0.1 mg/kg/day of glibenclamide. Group 4, 5, and 6 received 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight of EECL. Blood samples were analyzed for blood glucose on day 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 and lipid profile on day 28. Results: The EECL showed a significant reduction (p<0.001) in blood glucose level and serum lipid profile levels with 400 mg/kg body weight in alloxan induced diabetic rats as compared with control. Conclusion: It is concluded that EECL is effective in controlling blood glucose levels and in improving lipid profile in diabetic rats.

Evaluation of anti-infl ammatory activity of ethanolic extract of Cananga odorata Lam in experimental animals.

Background: The current study evaluates the anti-infl ammatory activity of ethanolic extract of Cananga odorata Lam (EECO) in experimental animals. Methods: Acute toxicity test was done following OECD guidelines. Carrageenan induced paw edema method in Wistar Albino rats were used in this study. Aspirin in the dose of 300 mg/kg was used as the standard drug and three doses of EECO (100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg b.w. p.o) were used as the test drug. The results were measured at 1st hr, 3rd hr and 5th hr after carrageenan injection. Results: EECO in the doses of 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg showed highly signifi cant anti-infl ammatory activity (p<0.001) (p<0.001) (p<0.001) at 3rd hr and (p<0.001) (p<0.001) (p<0.001) 5th hr, respectively. In doses of 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, and 400 mg/kg of EECO showed the percentage of inhibition of 62.9% which is more than the standard drug aspirin, which showed 60.14% inhibition. Conclusion: EECO has signifi cant anti-infl ammatory activity.

Antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic activities of aqueous extract of Carica papaya Linn leaves in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

Background: India is considered as the diabetic capital of the world. The study of plants having antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic activities may give a new approach in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Objective: The study was intended to evaluate the antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic activity of aqueous extract of leaves of Carica papaya Linn. (AECPL) in alloxan-induced diabetic albino rats. Materials and Methods: Diabetes was induced in albino rats by administration of alloxan monohydrate (120 mg/kg, i.p.). Rats were divided into 6 groups of 6 animals each. First group served as non-diabetic control, second group as diabetic control, third group as standard and was treated with 0.1 mg/kg/day of glibenclamide. Group 4, 5, and 6 received 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg body weight of AECPL. Blood samples were analyzed for blood glucose on day 0, 1, 7, 14, 21 and lipid profi le on day 21. Results: The AECPL showed signifi cant reduction (P<0.01) in blood glucose level and serum lipid profi le levels with 400 mg/kg body weight in alloxan-induced diabetic rats as compared with the control. Conclusion: It is concluded that AECPL is effective in controlling blood glucose levels and in improving lipid profi le in diabetic rats.

Antidiarrheal activity of flowers of Ixora Coccinea Linn. in rats.

Ixora coccinea Linn (Rubiaceae), a small shrub cultivated throughout India, has been reported to possess a number of medicinal properties. It has traditionally been used for the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery. However the claims of Ayurveda have to be validated by suitable experimental models. The present study was therefore undertaken to evaluate the effect of aqueous extract of I. coccinea for its antidiarrheal potential against several experimental models of diarrhea in albino Wistar rats. Here, we report the effects of aqueous extracts of flowers of I. coccinea in the castor oil induced diarrhea model. The gastrointestinal transit rate was expressed as the percentage of the longest distance traversed by charcoal divided by the total length of the small intestine. Weight and volume of intestinal content induced by castor oil were studied by the enteropooling method. Loperamide was used as a positive control. The plant-extract showed significant (P<0.001) inhibitor activity against castor oil induced diarrhea and castor oil induced enteropooling in rats at the dose of 400 mg/kg. There was also significant reduction in gastrointestinal motility in the charcoal meal test. Results obtained in this study substantiate the antidiarrheal effect of the aqueous extract and its use by traditional practitioners in the treatment of diarrhea.