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
Feeding a diet containing 20% of sesame oil (SO) or coconut oil (CNO) along with 2% cholesterol to rats for two months showed differences in their serum and tissue lipid profile and certain enzyme activities. Hyperlipidemia and related oxidative effects were more pronounced in coconut oil fed rats than those fed sesame oil. Feeding a combination of the oils (10% CNO +10% SO) lowered significantly the hyperlipidemia and certain other deleterious effects of CNO. Feeding a polar fraction of garlic oil (PFGO) prepared in the same way as for ajoene and administered at a dosage of 100 mg/kg along with each of the above oil containing diets counteracted significantly the hyperlipidemic, oxidant and also most of the other deleterious effects of the oils like raised lipid levels in serum and tissues, raised serum levels of AST and tissue levels of HMGCoA reductase and the lowered serum and tissue levels of glutathione reductase. The results support the claims that ajoene, the major polar compound of garlic oil, has very good biological action, which warrants further study.