Volume 2, Issue 1

Natural product taking its own place!!!

Ambrose Furey

pp. 1–3 · DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.60574 · Published January 2010

Solanum trilobatum in the management of atopy: Through inhibition of mast cell degranulation and moderation of release of interleukins

M. S. Ranjith, A. J. A. Ranjitsingh, S. Gokul Shankar, G. S. Vijayalaksmi, K. Deepa, K. Babu, Harcharan Singh Sidhu

pp. 10–14 · DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.60581 · Published January 2010

Solanum trilobatum is a widely used plant in the Indian indigenous systems of medicine. It is mainly used in the treatment of respiratory diseases like bronchial asthma. In our present study, we report that the aqueous a…

Cardiac glycosides from shoot cultures of Cryptostegia grandiflora

Ahmed M. A. Abd El-Mawla

pp. 15–18 · DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.60583 · Published January 2010

Cardiac glycosides in shoot cultures of Cryptostegia grandiflora were identified when grown in modified MS medium. The change in shoot segments and cardiac glycosides content was followed between day zero and day 12 at 2…

The chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the leaf oil of Cupressus lusitanica from Monteverde, Costa Rica

Sara L. Hassanzadeh, Jessika A. Tuten, Bernhard Vogler, William N. Setzer

pp. 19–21 · DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.60585 · Published January 2010

The essential oils from the leaves of three different individuals of Cupressus lusitanica were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry. A total of 49 compounds were identified…

In vitro sun protection factor determination of herbal oils used in cosmetics

Chanchal Deep Kaur, Swarnlata Saraf

pp. 22–25 · DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.60586 · Published January 2010

The aim of this study was to evaluate ultraviolet (UV) absorption ability of volatile and nonvolatile herbal oils used in sunscreens or cosmetics and express the same in terms of sun protection factor (SPF) values. Sun p…

Protective effect of stem bark of Ceiba pentandra linn. against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Nirmal K. Bairwa, Neeraj K. Sethiya, S. H. Mishra

pp. 26–30 · DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.60584 · Published January 2010

The present study reports protective activity of ethyl acetate fraction of methanol extract of stem bark of Ceiba pentandra against paracetamol-induced liver damage in rats. The ethyl acetate fraction (400 mg/kg) was adm…

Effect of dragon fruit extract on oxidative stress and aortic stiffness in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats

Kolla R. L. Anand Swarup, Munavvar A. Sattar, Nor A. Abdullah, Mohammed H. Abdulla, Ibrahim M. Salman, Hassaan A. Rathore, Edward J. Johns

pp. 31–35 · DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.60582 · Published January 2010

Cardiovascular complications are consistently observed in diabetic patients across all age groups. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of aqueous extract of the fruit pulp of Hylocereus undat…

Anticonvulsant and anxiolytic evaluation of leaf extracts of Ocimum gratissimum, a culinary herb

C. O. Okoli, A. C. Ezike, O. C. Agwagah, P. A. Akah

pp. 36–40 · DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.60580 · Published January 2010

Anticonvulsant and anxiolytic activities of leaf extracts and fraction of Ocimum gratissimum L. (Lamiaceae) were studied using seizures induced by pentylenetetrazol and open-field tests in mice. The results showed that t…

Bioactivity of Syzygium jambos methanolic extracts: Antibacterial activity and toxicity

S. Mohanty, I. E. Cock

pp. 4–9 · DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.60577 · Published January 2010

Methanol extracts from S. jambos leaves were tested for antimicrobial activity and toxicity. S. jambos leaf extract inhibited the growth of 4 of the 14 bacteria tested (29%). Both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria…

Profile of heavy metals in some medicinal plants from Ghana commonly used as components of herbal formulations

Kofi Annan, Asante Isaac Kojo, Asare Cindy, Asare-Nkansah Samuel, Bayor Marcel Tunkumgnen

pp. 41–44 · DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.60579 · Published January 2010

The levels of some heavy metals in 27 medicinal plant species from Ghana were studied in order to evaluate their health implications. These plant species, especially those used in the treatment of diseases such as hypert…

Broad-spectrum sun-protective action of Porphyra-334 derived from Porphyra vietnamensis

Saurabh Bhatia, K. Sharma, Ajay G. Namdeo, B. B. Chaugule, M. Kavale, S. Nanda

pp. 45–49 · DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.60578 · Published January 2010

There are enormous UV-protective compounds present in the current world market, out of which 98% give protection against UV-B range and the remaining 2% are potent against far UV-A range only. Furthermore, these syntheti…

Diuretic and natriuretic activity of two mistletoe species in rats

Namita Jadhav, C. R. Patil, K. B. Chaudhari, J. P. Wagh, S. J. Surana, R. B. Jadhav

pp. 50–57 · DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.60576 · Published January 2010

In different cultural groups, the hemiparasitic plants of the families Loranthaceae and Viscaceae (mistletoes) are frequently used in the treatment of hypertension and/or as diuretic agents. However, it remains unclear a…

Antiulcer activity of aqueous extract of fruits of Momordica cymbalaria Hook f. in Wistar rats

P. Bharathi Dhasan, M. Jegadeesan, S. Kavimani

pp. 58–62 · DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.60575 · Published January 2010

Gastric ulcer is one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorders, which affects approximately 5%-10% of people during their life. The ulcer is an open sore that develops on the inside lining of the stomach (a gastri…