Toxicities of the piperine an amide from the piper species

Piperine is commonly found amide present in most of the Piper species, which is reported to be moderate to highly toxic in different biological systems. In this review some of the toxicities of this amide piperine have been discussed

Gastrointestinal and diuretic effects of aqueous extracts of the stem bark of aegle marmelos [L.] Correa

The aqueous extract of the stem bark of Aegle marmelos [L.] Correa decreased defaecation and food and water intake after 4 hours of drug administration in acute metabolism. In forced diuresis it decreased the volume of urine output after 1 to 4 hours of drug administration. It exhibited small increase in the gastrointestinal motility in mice when compared with control and atropine treated animals. In the castor oil induced diarrhoea it significantly inhibited the diarrhoea at a dose of 100 mg/kg intraperitoneally

Asokarishta-Studies on Metabolism and Gastro-intestinal Motility

The 24 hours acute metabolic study revealed certain striking aspect of the pharmacological profile of Ascokarishta and Saraca asoca [Roxb]. Asokarishta causes no change in food intake but decreases the defecation rate and with low water intake maintains normal rate of excretion. But Saraca asoca [Roxb] causes no change in food intake and defecation followed by slight decrease in water intake but no difference on urinary output. The gastro-intestinal motility test revealed that Asokarishta did not change the motility at all, but Saraca asoca [Roxb] slightly increased the motility whereas the rest of the components lowered the motility. In 30 days chronic administration study all of the components slightly decreased the rate of gain in body weight compared to control

Screening of some medicinal plants for their effects on the gastrointestinal motility of the laboratory animals

A highly significant peristaltic activity was found in Phragmites maxima Blatter and McCann, Imperala cylindrical Beauv, Saraca asoca [Roxb.] de Wilde, Nigella sativa Linn., at both intervals. Saccharum spontaneium L., Pterocarpus santalinus f., Nyctanthes arabor-tristis L., Adhatoda vasica Nees., increased the GI motility at significant level [p < 0.005] only at 15 minutes. Saccharum officinarum Linn. and Numphaea lotus Hook f and Thoms increased the motility after 30 minutes intervals. Dichelactina nodicaulis Hance., Pentaptera mollis Presl., Embica officianlis, Zingiber officinale Rosc., Cyperus rotundus Linn., Tinospora cordifolia Will., Tribulus terrestris Linn., Terminalia chebula Retz., and Sphaeranthus indicus Linn. did not show any effect on gastrointestinal motility experiments. Plumbago zeyanica Linn., Woodforida fruticosa Kurz, Piper longum Linn., Iraria lagopodioides, Curcuma domestica Valeton, Symplocos racemosa Roxb., Crataeva religiosa Buch-Ham, and Terminalia bellerica Roxb. showed a decreasing tendency on GI motility at intervals. The Embelia ribes Burm f., Crataeva nurvala Buch-Ham, Argyreia speciosa Burm f. Boj., Boerhaavia diffusa Linn., Centratherum anthelminticum Kuntze, Ipomoea turpethum Linn., Butea monosperma Kuntze and Piper nigrum Linn. showed significant decrease in peristaltic movements only at 15 minutes intervals. The Semecarpus anacardium Linn. [p < 0.001] showed a very high GI motility inhibiting effects showing no motility at both intervals

Effects of the crude extracts of Nigella sativa linn on isolated guinea-pig tracheal chain preparations

The aqueous extract of the seeds of Nigella sativa Linn. cause spontaneous relaxation on isolated tracheal chain preparations. The extract does not interact with the acetylcholine, but it inhibits the contractile actions of histamine on isolated tracheal chains. All the effects of N. sativa on isolated tracheal tissue preparations are found to be dose dependent