ABSTRACT
In China and India, Nelumbo nucifera, a perennial aquatic plant, has been used as a medicinal herb. The various sections of plants, such as leaves, seeds, flowers and rhizomes, have been reported to have beneficial effects in the treatment of pharyngopathy, pectoralgia, spermatorrhoea, leucoderma, smallpox, dysentery, cough, haematemesis, epistaxis, haemoptysis, haematuria, metrorrhagia, hyperlipidaemia, fever, cholera, hepatopathy and hyperdipsia in the traditional medicine system. Different pharmacological activities such as anti-ischaemic activity, antioxidant activity, hepato- protective activity, anti-inflammatory activity, anti-fertility activity, anti- arrhythmic activity, anti-fibrosis activity, antiviral activity, anti-proliferative activity, anti-diarrhoeal activity, psychopharmacological activity, antipyretic activity, immune-modulatory activity, hypoglycaemic activity, aldose reductase inhibitory activity, antibacterial, aphrodisiac activity, anti-platelet activity, cardiovascular activity, anti-obesity activity, lipolytic activity, hypo-cholesterolaemic activity, hepato-protective activity, anticancer activitydiuretic activity, antioxidant activity have been clinically evaluated for N.nucifera. Different pharmacological activities such as anti-ischaemic activity, antioxidant activity, hepato-protective activity, anti-inflammatory activity, anti-fertility activity, anti-arrhythmic activity, anti- fibrosis activity, antiviral activity, anti-proliferative activity, anti-diarrhoeal activity, psychopharmacological activity, diuretic activity, antioxidant activity have been clinically evaluated for N.nucifera. A wide number of phytoprinciples from the plant have been isolated. The present review seeks to consolidate the traditional, ethno-botanical, phytochemical and pharmacological data available on N.nucifera stem and to explore its role as an immunity booster and anti-inflammatory food.
ABSTRACT
Platycladus is a distinct genus of evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae, containing only one species, Platycladus orientalis, also known as Chinese Arborvitae or Biota. It is a small, slowgrowing tree, to 15-20 m tall and 0.5 m trunk diameterThe different parts of the plant are traditionally used as a diuretic, anticancer, anticonvulsant, stomachic, antipyretic, analgesic and anthelmintic [4,5 ]. The plant has not been explored for its anti diarrhoeal activity so far. The bio active fraction has been prove that it contain three major iridoid glycosides. These iridoids glycoside was subjected to anti diarrhoeal activity against validated experimental models like Castor oil induced diarrhea, gastrointestinal motility tests & PGE2-induced enteropooling. The extract inhibited castor oil induced diarrhoea and PGE2 induced enteropooling in rats; it also reduced gastrointestinal motility after charcoal meal administration. The obtained data demonstrated the excellent anti-diarrhoeal activity of P.Orieantalis and thus have great potential as a source for natural health products.