A Review on Medicinal Plants with Potential Nootropic Activity along with Animal Models Needed for their Screening

Dementia is a brain disorder marked by cognitive dys functioning which causes loss of learning , thinking and memory .Various drugs that possess nootropic activity are used for treatment of dementia but emerges side effects. To overcome these side effects plants with medicinal importance came into existence. India has wide variety of medicinal plants (Centella asiatica, Clitoria ternatea ,Ginkgo biloba, Curcuma longa etc) that has been claimed for nootropic activity with limited side effects. Nootropic activity of medicinal plants can be screened with various animals models that has been able to identify chemicals with potential therapeutic efficacy. The current review article rehabilitates knowledge of medicinal plants with nootropic action, as well as the animal models needed to screen them.

Antidepressant Activity of Methanolic Extract of Foeniculum Vulgare (Fennel) Fruits in Experimental Animal Models.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of methanolic extract of Foeniculum vulgare fruits (family: umbelifereae), popularly known as fennel, on depression using force swim test in rats, potentiation of norepinephrine toxicity in mice and haloperidol induce catalepsy in mice. The extract of F.vulgare (250 and 500 mg/kg) was administered orally to rats used in FST and 500mg/kg was administered in HIC and same dose administered in NE toxicity in mice. The dose of 250mg/kg and 500mg/kg of extract significantly (p<0.001) reduced the immobility times in rats but dose of 500 mg/kg showed more potent effect than imipramine (30mg/kg). So this dose was used in HIC and NE toxicity in mice. But in NE toxicity model it was observed that MEFV is not good adrenergic component. A significant (P<0.001) reduction in the duration of catalepsy was observed in the MEFV treated group and Fluoxetine group as compared to the haloperidol treated group. In HIC, mice were sacrificed on the seventh day and TBARS, glutathione, nitrite activities were estimated. Monoamine oxidase inhibiting effect and anti-oxidant effect of Foeniculum vulgare may be contributing favorably to the antidepressant-like activity. Thus, it is concluded that Foeniculum vulgare extract may possess an antidepressant-like effect.

A Review on Epidemology, Pathopysiology and Management of Asthma.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of respiratory airway. The chronic inflammation is associated with airway hyperresponsiveness that leads to recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing, particularly at night and in morning. 300 million people are affected with asthma worldwide which is increasing 50%every decade. The disease can affect any age but prevalence of this disease is more common in children. Asthma is a multifactorial disease which includes environment, allergen, infection, genetic, exercise, obesity, and component. The pathophysiology of asthma includes inflammation. The purpose of therapy is to reduce the airway inflammation and increase the life style. Non pharmacological treatment avoidance of allergn,pollutant, smoking,use of antioxidant,mineral and plant are beneficial in asthma treatment .The physical exercise like yoga,massage is also helpful.Pharmacological treatment with short-acting beta-agonists, anti-inflammatory drugs, and anticholinergics. Generally, pharmacological treatments are divided into 2 groups: quick-relief medications and controller medications. This review is focus on Asthma disease’s definition, causes, pathophysiology and management of Asthma disease in brief.

Herbal drugs with anti ulcer activity.

A peptic ulcer is an erosion in a segment of the gastro intestinal mucosa, typically in the stomach (gastric ulcer) or first few centimeters of duodenum (duodenal ulcer) that penetrates through the muscularis mucosae. Contrary to popular belief, ulcer is not caused by spicy food but instead is most commonly due to either an infection or long term use of medications. Standard treatment is a combination of drugs including antibiotics and a proton pump inhibitors. Literature suggests that number of synthetic drugs are used in the management of peptic ulcers but elicit several adverse effects. Therefore Indian herbal plants stand out as being exceptional for its ethnic, ethobotanical and ethno-pharmaceutical use. In this review attempts have been made to know about some plants which may be used in treatment or prevention of peptic ulcers. Various plants like Cynodon dactylon, Ocimum sanctum, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Ficus religiosa proved active in antiulcer therapy.

Review on Ethanomedicinal and Pharmacological Properties of Ficus religiosa.

Ficus religiosa (Bo tree) is the most popular member of the genus Ficus, commonly named as Peepal. Various parts of the plant, like bark, fruit, leaves and seeds are widely used in indigenous system of medicine. F. religiosa showed a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities like, anticonvulsant, anthelmintic, anti-amnesic, anti-anxiety, anti-asthmatic, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiulcer. The present review is an attempt to provide a detailed survey of the literature on traditional uses and pharmacological properties of the plant.

Psychopharmacological profile of hydro-alcoholic extract of Euphorbia neriifolia leaves in mice and rats.

The leaf extract of E. neriifolia significantly reduced apomorphine-induced stereotypy in mice at all doses (100, 200, 400 mg/kg body weight) in mice and rats and was devoid of catalepsic effect thereby, suggesting specific dopaminergic receptor modulating activity. The extract (400 mg/kg) potentiated pentobarbitone-induced hypnosis. It showed protection against maximal electro-shock-induced convulsion at 400 mg/kg. E. neriifolia leaf extract had anxiolytic action at 400 mg/kg by increasing the percentage of time spent in open arm in elevated plus-maze. The extract did not reverse scopolamine-induced amnesia on elevated plus-maze. It increased transfer latency at 200 and 400 mg/kg and also in combination with scopolamine. These results indicated anti-anxiety, anti-psychotic and anti-convulsant activity of E. neriifolia leaf extract in mice and rats. Phytochemical study showed the presence of steroidal saponin, reducing sugar, tannins, flavonoids in the crude leaf extract

Internet--implications for the future of phytopharmacological research.

Modern information technologies and world wide communications through the Internet play a significant role in medicinal plant research across the globe. The phenomenal growth in Internet usage is largely due to the success of World Wide Web. Various useful websites and databases on phytopharmacology are already in the "Net" and many more are being added constantly. The future of phytopharmacological research is handling the existing information in proper way. In this review of the Internet, compilation of important websites is expected to stimulate, instruct and update academicians and researchers involved in phytopharmacological research.