ABSTRACT
The methanol extract of Ficus racemosa Linn (Moraceae) (stem bark) (MEFR) was tested for its antitussive potential against a cough induced model by sulphur dioxide gas in mice. The extract demonstrated significant (p < 0.001) antitussive activity at all tested dose levels when compared with the control. The antitussive activity of the extract was comparable to that of codeine phosphate (10 mg), a standard antitussive agent. The extract exhibited maximum inhibition of 56.9% at a dose of 200 mg/kg (p.o.) 90 min after administration.
Subject(s)
Antitussive Agents/pharmacology , Cough/prevention & control , Ficus , Phytotherapy , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Administration, Oral , Animals , Antitussive Agents/administration & dosage , Antitussive Agents/therapeutic use , Cough/chemically induced , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Female , Male , Mice , Plant Bark , Plant Extracts/administration & dosage , Plant Extracts/therapeutic use , Sulfur DioxideABSTRACT
The glucose-lowering efficacy of a methanol extract of the stem bark of Ficus racemosa Linn. (MEBFR) (Family Moraceae) was evaluated both in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The MEBFR at the doses examined (200 and 400 mg/kg p.o.) exhibited significant hypoglycaemic activity in both experimental animal models when compared with the control group. The activity was also comparable to that of the effect produced by a standard antidiabetic agent, glibenclamide 10 mg/kg. The present investigation established pharmacological evidence to support the folklore claim that it is an antidiabetic agent.
