Use of Herbal Drugs in Local Health Traditions in Purnagiri Hills, District Champavat, Uttarakhand

The state Uttarakhand is rich with floral and faunal diversity including plants used by local inhabitance to cure health problems. Himalayan region always has been the treasure of herbs from ancient time. Himalayan herbs are highest in quality and potency. There are numbers of side effect are noted using allopathic medicines which leads towards reuse of medicinal plants available locally. Keeping this in view an attempt has been made to enumerate the common medicinal plants used in traditional therapeutic system of Uttarakhand, India. Results reveal that 29 plant species are used for primary healthcare. Purnagiri hills located in Champavat district of Uttarakhand is reservoir for a large number of medicinal herbs during the field survey large number of medicinal plants like Adina cordifolia (Roxb.) Hook. (Rubiaceae), Asparagus adscendence Roxb. (Liliaceae), Artemesia nilgirica (Clarke) Pamp. (Asteraceae), Berberis aristata DC. (Berberiridaceae), Colebrookea oppositefolia Sm. (Lamiaceae), Elephantopus scaber L (Asreraceae), Pinus longifolia Roxb. (Pinaceae), Tamarix gallica L. (Tamaraceae), Urtica dioica L. (Urtecaceae) and many more with their use in local health traditions by local habitants were recorded. One of the serious challenges to biodiversity and ecological functioning is climate change. Climate change and global warming are well known issue that has had an impact on the biodiversity. Second thing over exploitation of Himalayan forest leads these valuable herbs in endangered category. Some of the plants recorded are critically endangered and rare. We have to pay attention towards the conservation, cultivation of these herbs.

Thought of Treatment of Orifices Based on Correspondence Between Drugs and Symptoms in Chinese Herbal Classics in Past Dynasties / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo discuss the thought of treatment of orifices in the Chinese herbal classics in the past dynasties based on the correspondence between drugs and symptoms to guide the clinical treatment based on syndrome differentiation. MethodAll the literature data of Chinese herbal classics were retrieved from the database of the Chinese Medical Dictionary， involving 76 works of Chinese herbal classics and covering representative works from the Han dynasty to the Ming and Qing dynasties. The information on Chines herbal drugs for the treatment of orifices was collected and sorted out. According to Chinese Materia Medica （11th Edition） and Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China （2020 Edition）， the nature， flavor， and meridian tropism of the selected Chinese herbal drugs were statistically analyzed. The pathogenesis elements in the treatment of orifices were classified and counted， and the contents of syndrome differentiation and treatment in various Chinese herbal classics were extracted. ResultIn 76 Chinese herbal classics in the past dynasties， 93 Chinese herbal drugs for the treatment of orifices were selected. The nature of drugs was mainly warm， followed by cold and mild. The flavor was mainly pungent， followed by bitter and sweet. In terms of meridian tropism， drugs mainly acted on the lung meridian， followed by stomach， heart， liver， spleen， and kidney meridians. The pathogenesis elements of orifices could be divided into six categories， i.e.， wind invasion， turbid obstruction and Qi stagnation， water and dampness stagnation， blood stasis and collaterals blockage， heat and toxin damage， deficiency of vital Qi and cold coagulation. ConclusionOrifices are mainly treated with drugs effective in dispelling wind and pathogenic factors， resolving turbidity and removing stagnation， inducing diuresis and eliminating dampness， promoting blood circulation and dredging collaterals， clearing heat and purging fire， tonifying deficiency and dispelling cold， which are used in combination. Eliminating pathogenic factors and dredging， tonifying deficiency and purging excess are the main characteristics of treatment of orifices based on syndrome differentiation， which is in line with the physiological dysfunction state of orifices in losing the function， evil Qi blockage and healthy Qi deficiency.

Clinical study of acupuncture plus Dang Gui Bu Xue Qu Feng Tang for benign essential blepharospasm / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture plus Dang Gui Bu Xue Qu Feng Tang for benign essential blepharospasm (BEB). Methods: A prospective randomized controlled trial was performed. A total of 105 participants were randomized 1:1:1 into an acupuncture group, a herbal medicine group and an acupuncture plus herbal medicine group. Participants in the acupuncture group received manual acupuncture treatment, twice a week. Participants in the herbal medicine group received Dang Gui Bu Xue Qu Feng Tang, oral administration, once a day. Participants in the acupuncture plus herbal medicine group received both treatments. The therapeutic effects of the three groups were evaluated after four weeks of treatment. The primary outcome was the Jankovic rating scale (JRS) score, and the secondary outcome was the blepharospasm disability index (BSDI) score. Results: After four weeks of treatment, the JRS total scores significantly decreased in all three groups versus baseline (P<0.05). A greater reduction in the JRS total score was reported in participants in the acupuncture plus herbal medicine group (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the acupuncture group and the herbal medicine group (P>0.05). The acupuncture plus herbal medicine group had a greater decrease in the JRS severity score than the herbal medicine group (P<0.05). The reduction in the JRS frequency score was not significantly different among the three groups (P>0.05). The BSDI scores significantly decreased in all three groups versus baseline (P<0.05), but the reduction in the BSDI score was insignificantly different among the three groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: It is effective in the treatment of BEB either to use acupuncture and Dang Gui Bu Xue Qu Feng Tang alone or in combination. The combination therapy shows a more significant effect than either of the treatment alone.

Formulation optimization and characterization of transdermal film of curcumin by response surface methodology / 中草药·英文版

Objective: India is referred as goldmine of herbal drugs but still lack of optimization of herbal drugs, which has kept us on the back foot. The rationale of the study is to prepare optimized transdermal drug delivery system of curcumin employing response surface methodology to study the collective effect of independent variables like concentration of ethyl cellulose, hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose and dibutyl phthalate which significantly influenced characteristics like percentage elongation and in vitro drug release. Method: Twenty formulations containing varying concentrations of polymers and permeation enhancer were prepared using solvent casting technique. Result: The study revealed that the effect of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) concentration was the highest on percentage elongation (P < 0.0001), while hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) concentration exhibited pronounced effect on drug release (P < 0.0001) through dialysis membrane. Linear model fitted the best for curcumin release and elongation for all formulations. According to Derringer's desirability prediction tool, the composition of optimized film was found to be 242.14% of HPMC, 109.59% of ethyl cellulose (EC), and 1.03% of DBP. Under these conditions, the optimized patch exhibited a predicted value of %elongation and in vitro drug release of 94.35% and 80.0306%, respectively, which was comparable to the actual values of percent elongation and in vitro drug release i.e. 95.02% and 81.03% respectively. FTIR and thermal studies were also performed which revealed no interaction or complexation between drug and excipients. The ex vivo study performed using rat skin showed that the cumulative drug release from the optimized patch showed flux of (30.68 ± 18) µg/cm

Screening of Adulterants in Slimming Herbal Formulation by FTIR Analysis

Herbal formulations are used worldwide during these days specifically as the remedy of some commonly occurring health problems such as diabetes, obesity and digestive disorder. As the use and demand of these herbal formulations have increased, cases of adulteration of herbal formulations with synthetic pharmaceuticals have also increased. The main reason behind the adulteration in herbal formulation with the synthetic drug is to get commercial gain by increasing effectiveness of the herbal formulation. As the use of herbal slimming formulation is on the rise in India due to increasing problem of obesity, therefore, the main aim of the present study is to analyze the herbal slimming formulations present in the Indian market for the presence of synthetic pharmaceuticals by FTIR method. Out of 20 herbal slimming formulations analysed, 7 herbal slimming samples were detected with the presence of synthetic drugs such as Modafinil, Salbutamol, Phenolphthalein and Caffeine. In our study, FTIR has proven an effective method for screening of synthetic pharmaceutical in Herbal formulations.

A Brief Review On Current Scenario Of Anti-diabetic Ayurvedic Remedies

Ayurveda is not only an ancient medical science but it is a science which gives understanding about life. The scope of Ayurveda is to maintain the health of a healthy person and to cure those suffering from diseases. Since last few decades due to drastic change in lifestyle, dietary habits and working pattern overall human population is facing increased burden of several diseases. Late night sleeping habits, increased fast food consumption, overeating and increased sugar intake are major changes observed in current era. Lifestyle disorder is a broad term given to all diseases which arises because of unhealthy lifestyle. Diabetes is the most common lifestyle disease affecting population worldwide at large. Now a day various researches carried out at different institutions found that variety of Ayurvedic drugs and therapies are successful in controlling diabetes, improving lifestyle of patient and thereby preventing further complications. The present review article is aimed at compiling data on promising Ayurvedic remedies that have been evaluated for their efficacy as an anti-diabetic remedy at various national and international institutions. This review article gives an idea about the efficiency of various anti-diabetic Ayurvedic treatment modalities in present era public.

Recent advances on genuineness evaluation of Lingnan herbal drugs / 中国中药杂志

Chinese medicine is the traditional treasure of China nation. As the basis of Chinese medicine, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) plays an important part for the development of Chinese medicine. Genuine medicinal materials with special characteristics of TCM growing in special ecological environment, is recognized as the high quality medicine. Research on genuineness evaluation of TCM is the key to ensure its clinical applications, efficacy and the process of modernization and internationalization for Chinese medicine. Lingnan region of China is situated in the tropical and subtropical zones, where there are rich geothermal and hydrothermal resources. The superior natural and geographic environment of Lingnan has given birth to a variety of native herbal drugs. And treating and preventing diseases with Lingnan herbal drugs has a long story. This study mainly evaluated the genuineness of Lingnan herbal drugs from the aspects of ecological factor, thegenetic information, the history, the culture, the clinical efficacy and the processing, and proposed a new idea to investigate the genuineness of TCM, aiming to provide a scientific basis for genuineness evaluation.

In vitro antioxidant, antilipoxygenase and antimicrobial activities of extracts from seven climbing plants belonging to the Bignoniaceae / 中西医结合学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant capacity, to determine the anti-inflammatory effect due to lipoxygenase inhibition and to test the antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extracts from leaves of seven climbing species belonging to the Bignoniaceae family. These species are Adenocalymma marginatum (Cham.) DC., Amphilophium vauthieri DC., Cuspidaria convoluta (Vell.) A. H. Gentry, Dolichandra dentata (K. Schum.) L. G. Lohmann, Fridericia caudigera (S. Moore) L. G. Lohmann, Fridericia chica (Bonpl.) L. G. Lohmann and Tanaecium selloi (Spreng.) L. G. Lohmann.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The antioxidant activity was evaluated using three methods, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and ferric reducing antioxidant power. Lipoxygenase-inhibiting activity was assayed spectrophotometrically; the result was expressed as percent inhibition. The antimicrobial activity was assessed using the agar disk diffusion method. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal/fungicidal concentration were also determined for each extract against 12 pathogenic bacterial strains of Staphylococcus aureus and seven fungal strains of the Candida genus. The identification of the major compounds present in the most promising extract was established by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>C. convoluta, F. caudigera, and F. chica exhibited the best antioxidant activity by scavenging DPPH and ABTS radicals and reducing Fe ion. These extracts showed a notable inhibition of lipoxygenase. F. caudigera was found to have the lower MIC value against S. aureus strains and six Candida species. The extracts of F. caudigera and C. convoluta were active even against methicillin-resistant S. aureus. C. convoluta had higher total phenol content, better antioxidant activity and superior anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity. The main phenolic compounds found in this extract were coumaric and hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives and glycosylated and nonglycosylated flavones.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Most of the extracts exhibited antioxidant activity as well as in vitro inhibition of lipoxygenase. The excellent antimicrobial activity of T. selloi and F. chica supports their use in traditional medicine as antiseptic agents. The extracts of F. caudigera and C. convoluta, both with notable biological activities in this study, could be used as herbal remedies for skin care. In addition, this study provides, for the first time, information about phenolic compounds present in C. convoluta.</p>

Complex network analysis of law on Chinese herbal drugs intervention on radiation induced lung injury / 中国中药杂志

To mainly analyze the prescription rules of Chinese herbal drugs for radiation induced lung injury, optimize the prescriptions, and provide a reference for the clinical treatment of radiation induced lung injury. The major Chinese databases CNKI, CBM and Wanfang data were searched to obtain the literature on Chinese herbal drugs for radiation induced lung injury. BICOMS 2 software was used to extract and collect all Chinese herbal drugs information and generate the co-occurrence matrix; NetDraw and Gcluto software were then used to make network map and visualization matrix for analysis. A total of 552 articles (19 types and 304 Chinese herbal drugs) were included. Ophiopogon japonicus had the highest frequency (229 times), followed by Astragalus membranaceus(181 times), Glycyrrhiza uralensis (166 times), and Scutellaria baicalensis (150 times). After the classification of efficacy, deficiency-supplementing medicinal (69 kinds of Chinese herbs), heat-clearing medicine (51 kinds of Chinese herbs) and phlegm cough medicine (42 kinds of Chinese herbs) accounted for 53.29% of all the Chinese herbs, acting in the main position. After the prescription analysis for the top 25 herbal prescriptions, six main structures of common prescriptions were found for the treatment of radiation induced lung injury. There are many kinds of Chinese herbal drugs for the treatment of radiation induced lung injury in clinical application. In the future, researchers can mainly focus on Ophiopogon japonicus etc. as the main drugs, combine with other high-frequency Chinese herbal drugs found in this study, or directly refer to the main structures of commonly used prescriptions found in this analysis.

Digital whole slide helps artificial intelligence in pathological imaging strategies / 第二军医大学学报

Artificial intelligence technology based on pathological slice images promotes the development of medicine, and the development of artificial intelligence technology in pathological imaging benefits from the digital whole slide. The digitization of whole slide can provide a large amount of data that can be freely amplified and conveniently labeled, which is conducive to deep learning and clinical application. Digital whole slide is not only applied to human pathology, but also to animal and plant pathology. In this paper, we systematically discussed the role of digital whole slide combined with artificial intelligence technology in pathological recognition, feature extraction, animal models and plant morphology, aiming to provide new clues for the clinical practice of digital pathology.

Brucellosis: Pathophysiology and new promising treatments with medicinal plants and natural antioxidants

Brucellosis is an old, infectious and common zoonosis whose causative agents are Gramnegative bacteria from the Brucella genus. Brucellosis is transmitted through direct contact with infected animals or using unpasteurized dairy products of goats, pigs, camels, sheep, buffalo and cows. Brucellosis is still the most common zoonosis in the world, with most of cases occurring in developing countries. Today, an approach to traditional medicine and medicinal plants, especially with regards to the repeated recommendations of the World Health Organization, is a necessity. One-third of chemical drugs are produced by using plants and there is a high potential to produce more drugs from plants. Medicinal plants are helpful in the management of various conditions, especially bacterial diseases. Although there is not enough scientific evidence regarding the clinical effectiveness of herbal drugs for the treatment of brucellosis, there is strong evidence on the antimicrobial effects of herbal drugs to prevent infection. Therefore, this article seeks to describe the antibacterial effects of some plant-derived essential oils or extracts, so that they can serve as promising choices to develop new anti-Brucella medications, as suitable alternatives to conventional antibiotics for brucellosis, as much as possible, taking into account the benefits of these herbal drugs.

Effect of ethanolic extract of Cyperus rotundus L. against isoprenaline induced cardiotoxicity.

Interruption of blood supply to heart results in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and further leads to damaging of the heart muscles. Available drugs for the treatment MI have one or other side effects, and there is a need for development of better alternative drugs. Here comes the role of herbal sources. In this study, we evaluated cardioprotective effect of Cyperus rotundus on isoprenaline-induced myocardial infarction. Thirty five Wistar rats, aged 60-100 days with body wt. 150-200 g, pretreated with ethanolic extract of Cyperus rotundus L. (@ 250 and 500 mg/kg body wt.) orally before induction of myocardial necrosis by administrating isoprenaline (85 mg/kg, s.c.) on 19th and 20th day of the pretreatment period. The treated rats were examined for gross functioning of heart, heart weight/body wt. Ratio, and also observed histopathologically. Further, activities of various cardiac enzymes such as aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, creatinine kinase-myoglobulin, lactate dehydrogenase, and the gold marker troponin-I were also determined. The levels altered by isoproterenol were found to be restored significantly by the test extracts especially at higher dose. Biochemical observations viz., serum ALT (P<0.0001), AST (P<0.0001), creatine kinase-myoglobulin (CK-MB) (P<0.0001), LDH (P<0.0001) demonstrated significant cardioprotective activity of the ethanolic extract of C. rotundus(500 mg/kg body wt.), against isoprenaline induced myocardial infarction. These results were also substantiated by physical parameters and histopathological observations. All these results were comparable with that of two standard drugs metoprolol (10 mg/kg/day), ramipril (3 mg/kg/day) as well as polyherbal formulation Abana (50 mg/kg/day).

Internal transcribed spacer guided multiplex PCR for species identification of Convolvulus prostratus and Evolvulus alsinoides

Shankhpushpi is a reputed drug from an Indian system of medicine for treating mental disorders and enhancing memory. Two herbs, namely Convolvulus prostratus Forssk. and Evolvulus alsinoides (L.) L., are commonly known as Shankhpushpi. Ambiguous vernacular identity can affect the scientific validity of the Shankpushpi-based herbal drug therapy. In the present investigation, a novel and sensitive multiplex PCR method based on polymorphism in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was developed to establish the molecular identity of C. prostratus and E. alsinoides. DNA was isolated and the ITS region was amplified, sequenced and assembled. Sequences were aligned to identify variable nucleotides in order to develop plant-specific primers. Primers were validated in singleplex reactions and eventually a multiplex assay was developed. This assay was tested for sensitivity and validated by amplifying DNA isolated from the simulated blended powdered plant material. Primers developed for C. prostratus resulted into a 200 bp amplicon and 596 bp for E. alsinoides. The assay was found to be sensitive enough for amplification of low quantities of DNA. The method can detect 10% of the mixing of plants with each other in blended material. This PCR assay can be used for rapid botanical identification of Shankhpushpi plant materials and will improve evidence-based herbal drug therapy.

Pharmacobotanical study of Baccharis pentaptera

AbstractBaccharis L. sect. Caulopterae, Asteraceae, comprises thirty species in Brazil that show stems represented by cladodes, which are very similar in morphology. These species are popularly known as “carqueja” in Brazil and Argentina and are used in popular medicine as diuretic and stomachic. The aim of this work was to examine the morpho-anatomical characters of cladodes of Baccharis pentaptera (Less.) DC. for diagnosis purposes. The plant material was prepared by light and scanning electron microscopy. B. pentaptera shows opposite and spread wings in the two-winged cladode axis and irregular arrangement in the three-winged cladode. The wings have a uniseriate epidermis with palisade parenchyma next to both sides of epidermis. The spongy parenchyma crossed by minor collateral vascular bundles is observed in the central region of wings. The glandular trichomes are capitate and biseriate and the non-glandular trichomes are uniseriate and flagelliform with 2–3 cells that extend from the base. In caulinar axis, there are uniseriate epidermis, chlorenchyma alternating with angular collenchyma and perivascular fiber caps adjoining the phloem which is outside the xylem. Prismatic and styloid crystals are verified in the perimedullary zone. These combined characters can assist the diagnosis of Baccharis species sect. Caulopterae.

Effect of Argemone mexicana (L.) against lithium-pilocarpine induced status epilepticus and oxidative stress in wistar rats.

Argemone mexicana (L.) has a role in the treatment of epileptic disorders in Indian traditional system of medicine. We studied its effect on induced status epilepticus (SE) and oxidative stress in rats. SE was induced in male albino rats by administration of pilocarpine (30 mg/kg, ip) 24 h after injection of lithium chloride (3 mEq/kg, ip). Different doses of the ethanol extract of A. mexicana were administered orally 1 h before the injection of pilocarpine. The severity of SE was observed and recorded every 15 min for 90 min and thereafter at every 30 min for another 90 min, using the Racine scoring system. In vivo lipid peroxidation of rat brain tissue was measured utilizing thiobarbiturate-reactive substances. Both in vitro free radical nitric oxide and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl scavenging activities of the extract were also determined. The SE severity was significantly reduced following oral administration of the extract at 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg doses. None of the animals from groups 3 to 5 (with A. mexicana extract) have exhibited forelimb clonus of stage 4 seizure. The extract also exhibited both in vivo and in vitro antioxidant activities.

Preliminary phytochemical and physicochemical evaluation of Carallia brachiata (Lour.) Merr. leaves.

In the present study, the preliminary phytochemical and physicochemical studies including fluorescence and thin layer chromatographic analyses of the leaves of Carallia brachiata (Lour.) Merr. (Rhizophoraceae), an Indian medicinal plant used traditionally in the treatment of a variety of human disorders, were carried out with an objective to standardize the plant/plant part (leaves) to be used either as crude drug or in the form of herbal medicine, considering the quality and safety requirements of herbal drugs as per pharmacopoeial standards and/or WHO guidelines.

Natural Treatment Alternative for Psoriasis: A Review on Herbal Resources.

Psoriasis is an immune mediated inflammatory disease, which is having no permanent cure. Though, there are several treatment methods to treat psoriasis, no particular medication claims a satisfactory and complete remedy. A wide range of synthetic therapeutic agents have also been reported to cause psoriasis as their adverse effect. Herbal drugs by virtue of their safe nature and easy availability may lend themselves as potential anti-psoriatic moieties. Before developing a herbal drug candidate the key players of psoriasis to develop should be thoroughly understood, which includes T-cell activation, T-cell trafficking, Cytokinase inhibition. The paper aims to explore the proliferation and activation mechanism of psoriasis, psoriasis caused by certain drugs and different plant resources known to have anti-psoriatic potential. A more scientific investigation on these herbal resources must be performed to develop a potent, safe and reliable therapy.

Variation of Heavy Metal Content of Market Variants of Ayurvedic Formulation - Lack of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

Aim: The present study was conducted to estimate the heavy metal content in samples of Kutazghan Vati (a pill), from three different manufacturers to know about the quality control measures being followed by manufacturers for GMP. The study will also provide a platform for regulatory authorities to tighten the noose and upgrade the industry about high heavy metal levels in relation to international regulations. Methodology: Three variants of Kutajghan Vati coded as A, B, and C manufactured by different leading manufacturers was procured from local market. Heavy metals analysis was done according to AOAC (1995) for non volatile heavy metals. Results: Cadmium content of two variants A and C was within permissible limits where as cadmium content of variant B was 2.98 ppm about ten times higher than the permissible limits of 0.3 ppm set up by WHO and the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. The lead content of variant A was 36.33 ppm that was about four times against the permissible value set up by WHO. Despite very low detection limits, mercury and arsenic were not detectable in all the three variants depicting that the formulation were free from these heavy metals. Conclusions: Despite same guidelines issued by same regulatory authorities fo production of ayurvedic formulations for permissible limits of heavy metal content, three different manufacturers marketed the same formulation with different heavy metal content which reflects that industry seems to be negligent for maintaining proper quality control. This study suggests that periodic estimation of heavy metals is highly essential for single drugs, raw drugs as well as finished products for quality assurance and safer use of herbal drugs.

Evaluation of the Protective Potential of Chromolaena odorata Linn. Extract on Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Oxidative Liver Damage.

Carbon tetrachloride and its toxic metabolites consistently produce liver injury in many species including man. The hepatoprotective potential of Chromolaena odorata Linn. (C. odorata) was evaluated in male rabbits against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage. Carbon tetrachloride intoxicated control (CCl4) and ethanol extract of C. odoratatreated rabbits (ETECO TEST) received a single dose of CCl4 (0.2 ml/kg bw in liquid paraffin 1:1). Pre-treated rabbits received ethanol extract of C. odorata at 400 mg/kg/day in two divided doses of 200 mg/kg in morning and at night for 6 days prior to CCl4 administration. Sylimarin control received 50 mg/kg bw as a replacement for ETECO prior to CCl4 intoxication. Normal animals received only extract in the above stated dose and served as extract controls (ETECO CTRL). Pre-treatment with C. odorata significantly (p<0.05) prevented the elevation of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanineaminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), gamma glutamyl transferase ( ץ-GT), total bilirubin and malondialdehyde (MDA) resulting from carbon tetrachloride intoxication. C. odorata extract also significantly (p<0.05) prevented a decrease in serum total protein, albumin, and glutathione (GSH) concentrations. The extract also significantly (p<0.05) prevented a decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione-s-transferase (GST) activities. The presence of secondary plant metabolites like alkaloids, saponins,phenolic compouds, flavonoids and tannins found in C. odorata extract could be responsible for its hepatoprotective action.

New Progress in Modern Research on Chinese Herbal Medicines Published in Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs in 2010: Annual Highlights and Comments / 中草药·英文版

As a series of and continuous publication,the papers published on Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs in 2010 were selectively and briefly highlighted to reflect the new progress on modern research of Chinese herbal medicines.Within 617 articles,chemical constituents (127),pharmaceutics and technology (149),pharmacological studies and clinical observation,and medicinal materials are still major categories.Some comments have also been personally provided.