Evaluation of phytoconstituents and assessment of adaptogenic activity in vivo in various extracts of Rhododendron arboreum (leaves).

Natural products particularly of plant origin with antistress property and nutraceutical value have become the focus of scores of scientific investigation in recent times. Against this background the present study was carried out to analyse the phytochemical components and adaptogenic activity of Rhododendron arboreum which grow in high altitudes. Adaptogenic activity of the plant extract was evaluated in vivo in rat and mice animal models. Methanol, hydroethanol and aqueous extract of the leaves were prepared and preliminary screening of the phytochemical constiteunts was carried out. The important phytoconstituents viz. flavonoids and phenolics were estimated and amount of gallic acid and quercetin were evaluated by HPTLC. Adaptogenic activity of the extract was studied in vivo using rat and mice as test animals. The criteria taken were forced swimming test in rat and mice and tail suspension test in mice. Methanol extract showed the presence of diterpenes, triterpenes, flavonoids, steroids, tannin, phenolics. Hydroethanol extract showed the presence of diterpenes, triterpenes, saponin, glycosides, alkaloids, tannin and aqueous extract showed the presence of tannin, glycosides, triterpenes, flavonoids, diterpenes. Quantitative analysis exhibited that the methanol extract have the highest amount of flavonoid and phenolics. The HPTLC profile of methanol extract showed the presence of highest amount of quercetin. Gallic acid was detected only in methanol extract. In vivo study in test animals revealed that the methanol extract of R. arboreum exhibited potent anti stress activity. Hence, presence of these compounds which are known to have strong anti-oxidant activity in high quantity might be responsible for adaptogenic activity.

Ocular thelaziasis in a 7-month-old infant.

Human thelaziasis is a zoonotic eye disease caused by a nematode parasite called Thelazia. In India, seven human cases of Thelazia have been reported earlier. This is the fi rst case report of an infant infected with Thelazia. During the month of July, 2012, the infant was presented with an eye problem to the eye clinic from a village of Dibrugarh. Five worms (three female and two male) were recovered from the left eye of the infant. Thelazia infection is rare in infant, and report of this case is suggestive of prevalence of infection in the area and warrants further investigation.

Proline accumulation in lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus Stapf.) due to heavy metal stress.

Toxic heavy metals viz. lead, mercury and cadmium induced differential accumulation of proline in lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus Stapf.) grown in soil amended with 50, 100, 200, 350 and 500 mg kg-1 of the metals have been studied. Proline accumulation was found to be metal specific, organ specific and linear dose dependant. Further, proline accumulation following short term exposure (two months after transplantation) was higher than long term exposure (nine months after transplantation). Proline accumulation following short term exposure was 2.032 to 3.839 μ moles g-1 for cadmium (50 -200 mg kg-1); the corresponding range for mercury was 1.968 to 5.670 μ moles g-1 and 0.830 to 4.567 μ moles g-1 for lead (50 -500 mg kg-1for mercury and lead). Proline accumulation was consistently higher in young tender leaf than old leaf, irrespective of the metal or duration of exposure. For cadmium treatment proline level was 2.032 to 3.839 μ moles g-1 for young leaves while the corresponding value for old leaf was 1.728 to 2.396 μ moles g-1 following short term exposure. The same trend was observed for the other two metals and duration of exposure. For control set proline accumulation in root was 0.425 μ moles g-1 as against 0.805 and 0.533 μ moles g-1 in young and old leaves respectively indicating that proline accumulation in root are lower than leaves, under both normal and stressed condition.

Response of Java citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt) to toxic heavy metal cadmium.

Cadmium at 200 mg kg-1 soil and above concentrations was fatal as growth was inhibited ultimately leading to death of Java citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt.). The surviving plants at 50 and 100 mg kg-1 treatments also exhibited pronounced retardation of growth and biomass yield. There was considerable reduction in the level of essential oil in herbage and oil quality deteriorated. Cadmium accumulation profile showed that highest accumulation was in root, followed by stem, leaf sheath and leaf. Very high accumulation in root for higher doses appeared to be the reason for fatality.