ABSTRACT
Tagetus erecta (Asteraceae) is a plant with diverse medicinal properties hence the present work was selected to evaluate the anxiolytic activity of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of flowers of T. erecta. Dried flower powder of T. erecta was extracted by maceration process to get alcoholic (AEFTE) and aqueous (AQEFTE) extract. Preliminary phytochemical investigations were carried out to identify various constituents present in AEFTE and AQEFTE. The LD50 studies of AEFTE and AQEFTE were conducted in mice till the highest permitted dose level of 2000 mg/Kg following Up and Down method of OECD Guidelines. From the LD50 2 doses of extract as 1/20th (low) and 1/5th (high) were selected. The anxiolytic activity of AEFTE and AQEFTE was evaluated in laboratory animal models like Elevated plus maze and Light-dark exploration models in rats. Preliminary phytochemical tests revealed that both AEFTE and AQEFTE contained glycosides, phenols, steroids, flavonoids. The LD50 studies revealed that both AEFTE and AQETE did not produced any abnormal behaviour or mortality even at the highest permissible dose of 2000 mg/Kg in mice. The Diazepam (2 mg/kg), AQEFTE and AEFTE (100, 400 mg/kg) were tested on Elevated plus maze and Light dark chamber models. After treated with AFETE and AQEFTE shows significant reduction in anxiety activity with the extracts at low and high doses.
ABSTRACT
The carotenoids are photosensitive pigments during photosynthesis. The objective of this work was to study the effect on development and accumulation of carotenoids in ligules of Tagetes erecta exposed under two different lighting ambient (with mesh and without mesh of 50 percent). The plant development was evaluated measuring the height of the plant, number of floral buds, the ligules diameter. In adition, the quantification and identification of carotenoids from ligules was done by HPLC. The results showed significant differences (p<0.05) in the height of the plant, number of floral buds and ligules diameter of T. erecta. The group grown without mesh received greater UV radiation and different temperature, that under a mesh. The first conditions lead to a reduction of the ligules diameter and total content of xanthophylls (lutein and zeaxanthin). The plastids ultrastructure in the cells of T. erecta developed with mesh showed the greatest amount of thylakoid membranes and more conspicuous starch granules.
Los carotenoides son pigmentos fotosensibles frente a un exceso de intensidad luminosa durante el proceso de fotosíntesis. El objetivo de este trabajo fue el estudio del efecto en el desarrollo de la planta y la acumulación de carotenoides por la exposición a dos diferentes intensidades lumínicas (con y sin malla de sombra al 50 por ciento). Se evaluó el desarrollo de T. erecta en cuanto a la altura de la planta, número de botones florales y el diámetro de las lígulas. Adicionalmente, en las lígulas se cuantificaron e identificaron los carotenoides por HPLC. Los resultados mostraron diferencias significativas (p<0.05) en cuanto al desarrollo de las plantas expuestas a mayor radiación UV y temperatura, presentaron reducción del diámetro de las lígulas y disminución en el contenido de Xantófilas totales ( luteína y zeaxantina) con respecto a las cultivadas con malla,. La ultraestructura de los plastidios mostró mayor cantidad de membranas tilacoidales y gránulos de almidón más conspicuos en las células de las plantas de T erecta desarrolladas con malla.