Anti-dermatitis, anxiolytic and analgesic effects of Rhazya stricta from Balochistan

Current study was carried out on Rhazya stricta. Plant material was collected from Jhalmagsi Dist. Balochistan, Pakistan. Methanolic extract of Rhazya stricta was tested for anti-dermatitis, analgesic, anxiolytic effects, insecticidal activity and Brine shrimp Bioassay. Crude extract showed significant anti-dermatitis activity, as the results of intensity score showed mild Excoriation or erosion, moderate Edema or populations and absence of Erythema or hemorrhage, Scratching time was decreased to 1.45 and histological observations of mice treated with crude extract showed mild changes and few inflammatory cells in several microscopic fields. The results of analgesic activity were significant and the percentage inhibition of writhes were 73.54% and 69.38% at 300mg/kg and 500mg/kg respectively. The overall response of crude extract in anxiolytic activities were depressive and crude extract showed sedative effects. In Brine shrimp [Artemsia salina] lethality bioassay crude extract showed dose depended significant activity, and showed positive lethality with LD50 3.3004 micro g/ml. Insecticidal activity was positive against Callosbruchus analis, the percent mortality was 40%.

Hepatoprotective and toxicological studies of Salvia bucharica methanolic extract in rabbits

Most of the species of genus Salvia are famous for having medicinal properties due to their chemical constituents. Salvia bucharica [Lamiacea] is found in Balochistan near Quetta in Hannaurak and Kalat. It is used in traditional system of medicine and claims to cure liver ailments. In current study crude methanolic extract [CME] of Salvia bucharica was obtained from the leaves and tested for hepatoprotective activity and possible toxicity in rabbits. Liver toxicity was induced in rabbits by administration of carbon tetra chloride [CCl[4]] and evaluated by biochemical tests and histopathology of tissues. In this study rabbits were divided in to 3 groups [5 rabbit in each group]. Rabbits of group I [control] were administered only vehicle [0.9% sodium chloride] orally. Rabbits of group II were given CCl[4] and group III were treated with CCl[4] and S. bucharica CME orally. For hepatoprotective effect serum enzyme level and total protein level were calculated. Histopathology of liver sections of rabbits was also carried out to observe protective effect. Biochemical, hematological and histoptahological parameters were studied on rabbits for toxicological studies. S. bucharica CME showed significant liver protection with reduction in total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, Alanine aminotransferase [ALT], Aspartate aminotransferase [AST], Alkaline phosphatase [ALP], gamma glutamyl transpeptidase [gamma-GT]. And decrease in Albumin and globulin. In toxicological studies, biochemical and histoptahological parameters showed no significant toxicity in liver, heart and kidneys. It is concluded that S. bucharica CME showed hepatoprotective effects with nontoxic profile

Toxicity studies on herbal formulation used in diabetes mellitus

In current study herbal formulation was prepared for Diabetes mellitus [type 2]. It consists of the extracts of Salacia reticulate, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Camellia sinensis and Gymnema sylvester. Toxicity studies were carried out on heart, liver, kidney and blood of both male and female rabbits. Drug was administered in a dose of 15mg/kg body weight daily for 90 days. On 91[th] day, blood was drawn from animals and investigated for changes in biochemical and hematological levels. After that animals were sacrificed and their organs [liver, heart and kidney] were analyzed for histo-pathological changes. In biochemical tests for lipid profile, significant decreased [male-70.64 +/- 0.321; female-69.80 +/- 0.365] in triglycerides level were observed, no significant change was recorded in Cholesterol HDL ratio, LDL, VLDL level. A significant increase [male-16.00 +/- 1.418; female-10.00 +/- 0.709] was observed in HDL level. In liver function test significant decrease was observed in Gamma GT [male-10.08 +/- 0.862; female-7.00 +/- 0.709]. Alkaline phosphatase [male-79 +/- 0.838; female-51.1 +/- 1.810], SGPT [male-54 +/- 0.709; female- 43.04 +/- 2.060], direct bilirubin [male-0.024 +/- 0.005; female-0.014 +/- 0.002] and total bilirubin [male-0.109 +/- 0.003; 0.106 +/- 0.049] were observed. Non-significant changes were observed in serum total protein, globulins, albumin and A/G ratio. No significant changes were noticed in urea level and serum electrolytes. In cardiac enzymes significant decrease was observed in LDH [male-443 +/- 5.61; female-360 +/- 1.848] and SGOT [male-27 +/- 0.709; female-28 +/- 1.418] level and highly significant rise in CPK [male- 3128 +/- 8.478; female-1598 +/- 7.483] and CK[-]MB [male-446 +/- 2.308; female- 438 +/- 2.819]. In hematological profile, significant decrease was observed in Hb [male-12.3 +/- 0.392; female-12.4 +/- 0.1], RBC count [male-6.60 +/- 0.167; female-5.74 +/- 0.25] and Hematocrit [HCT/PCV] % in both male and female rabbits [male- 45.70 +/- 0.255; female-43.50 +/- 0.448] and significant [p<0.5] increased in WBC count [male-8.40 +/- 0.401; female- 9.10 +/- 0.054]. Significant [p<0.5] decrease in blood glucose level and HbA1c [male-3.36 +/- 0.113; female-3.16 +/- 0.076] was observed. In histopathological studies mild edema was observed in heart and there was no change in histo-architecture of liver and kidneys. It is concluded that formulation does not showed any chronic toxicity in adult dose