• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.279-285
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• 2008

Diospyros peregrina Gurke. (Ebenaceae) is a small middle sized tree grows luxuriantly in the plains of costal West Bengal, India. The objective of the study was to explore the antidiabetic activity of methanol extract of matured fruits of Diospyros peregrina to substantiate the folklore claim of traditional practitioners. It was also aimed to establish correlation with reduction of oxidative state associated with diabetes. Methanol extract of matured fruits of Diospyros peregrina was administered orally at doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg body weight for 12 consecutive days to normal and streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Fasting blood glucose level was estimated in both normal and diabetic rats while serum lipid profiles, liver glycogen level and pancreatic thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were evaluated for diabetic rats. Initial and final changes in body weight were also recorded. Oral glucose tolerance test was performed during the course of study. Experimental findings showed significant antidiabetic potential of extract in term of reduction of fasting blood glucose level of both normal and diabetic rats. It was found that extract at the dose of 300 mg/kg body weight is more effective and percentage reduction (55.64) of elevated blood glucose level is comparable to that of standard drug glibenclamide (60.60) at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight. Observed data found statistically significant in reduction of serum lipid and pancreatic TBARS levels whilst improvement was observed in liver glycogen level and body weight profiles in extract treated diabetic rats.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.96-101
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• 2006

The extracts of some Bangladeshi medicinal plants, Possur (Xylocarpus mekongensis), Dhundul (Xylocarpus granatum), Gab (Diospyros peregrina), Kadom (Anthocephalus chinensis) and Sundari (Heritiera fomes), were assessed for their possible antinociceptive activity using acetic acid induced writhing model in mice. Most of these plants have been used in traditional medicine in Bangladesh as well as in other countries for the treatment of various ailments ranging from common cold to cancer. All these extracts significantly inhibited the acetic acid induced writhing in mice at the oral dose of 500 mg/kg body weight. The extract of Anthocephalus chinensis bark showed the most potent writhing inhibition (69.47%, P < 0.001) and that of Diospyros peregrina bark had the least (33.54%, P< 0.02).

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.181-185
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• 2014

This study was carried out to investigate the acute toxicity of the bark of Diospyros kaki (Ebenaceae) in mice. The aqueous extract of the bark of Diospyros kaki (AEDK) was administered orally at a doses of 5 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, 300 mg/kg and 2,000 mg/kg. In this study, number of deaths, clinical signs, body weights and pathological examinations were investigated after administration of AEDK. There were neither dead animals nor significant changes of body weights during the experimental period. In addition, no differences were found between control and AEDK treated groups in clinical signs, organ weights and gross pathological findings. AEDK did not show any toxic effect in mice.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.76-81
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• 2015

Diospyros burmanica Kurz. is an evergreen deciduous tree distributed in Mandalay of Myanmar, which belongs to the family of Ebenaceae. In Myanmar, it has been used to treat diarrhea, diabetes, diabetes and also as lumbers. In this study, seven flavonoids (1 - 7), a phenolic compound (8), and five triterpenes (9 - 13) were isolated from the barks of D. burmanica and their chemical structures were elucidated. Isolates were identified to be (+)-catechin (1), (+)-catechin 3-O-$\alpha$-L-rhamnopyranoside (2), (+)-catechin 3-O-gallate (3), (-)-epicatechin (4), (-)-epicatechin 3-O-gallate (5), (+)-afzelechin 3-O-$\alpha$-L-rhamnopyranoside (6), (+)-2,3-trans-dihydrokaempferol 3-O-$\alpha$-L-rhamnopyranoside (7), methyl gallate (8), lupeol (9), methyl lup-20(29)-en-3-on-28-oate (10), $\beta$-amyrin (11), $\alpha$-amyrin (12), $3\beta$-hydroxy-D:B-friedo-olean-5-ene (13) through MS, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopic evidences.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.314-321
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• 2008

Acaricidal effects of materials derived from Diospyros kaki roots against Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus were assessed using impregnated fabric disk bioassay and compared with that of the commercial benzyl benzoate. The observed responses varied according to dosage and mite species. The $LD_{50}$ values of the chloroform extract of Diospyros kaki roots were 1.66 and $0.96{\mu}g/cm^2$ against D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus. The chloroform extract of Diospyros kaki roots was approximately 15.2 more toxic than benzyl benzoate against D. farinae, and 7.6 times more toxic against D. pteronyssinus. Purification of the biologically active constituent from D. kaki roots was done by using silica gel chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. The structure of the acaricidal component was analyzed by GC-MS, $^1H-NMR,\;^{13}C-NMR,\;^1H-^{13}C$ COSY-NMR, and DEPT-NMR spectra, and identified as plumbagin. The acaricidal activity of plumbagin and its derivatives (naphthazarin, dichlon, 2,3-dibromo-1,4-naphthoquinone, and 2-bromo-1,4-naphthoquinone) was examined. On the basis of $LD_{50}$ values, the most toxic compound against D. farinae was naphthazarin $(0.011{\mu}g/cm^2)$ followed by plumbagin $(0.019{\mu}g/cm^2),$ 2-bromo-1,4-naphthoquinone $(0.079{\mu}g/cm^2)$, dichlon $(0.422{\mu}g/cm^2)$, and benzyl benzoate $(9.14{\mu}g/cm^2)$. Additionally, the skin color of the dust mites was changed from colorless-transparent to dark brown-black by the treatment of plumbagin. Similar results have been exhibited in its derivatives (naphthazarin, dichlon, and 2-bromo-1,4-naphthoquinone). In contrast, little or no discoloration was observed for benzyl benzoate. From this point of view, plumbagin and its derivatives can be very useful for the potential control agents, lead compounds, and indicator of house dust mites.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.187-195
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• 2004

A number of plants from different geographical origins have been shown to possess antioxidant activity. Some of them have been developed as natural antioxidant formulations for food, cosmetic and other applications. Bangladeshi flora is a rich source of a range of plant species, many of which are medicinal plants, and have been used in the preparations of the Unani and Ayurvedic traditional medicines. There are no, or just a few, reports on any systematic screening of the extracts of Bangladeshi plants for free radical scavenging activity using DPPH assay available to date. As part of our on-going search for biological activity in Bangladeshi plants, Kadam (Anthocephalus chinensis), Goran (Ceriaps decandra), Swarnalata (Cuscuta reflexa), Gab (Diospyros peregrina), Sundari (Heritiera fomes), Dhundul (Xylocarpus granatum) and Possur (Xylocarpus mekongensis) have been selected for the assessment of their free radical scavenging activity, and studies on the contents of alkaloids, anthraqunones, flavonoids and tannins in these extracts. Most of these species have been used in traditional medicine in Bangladesh and other countries for the treatment of various illnesses ranging from common cold to cancer. All extracts, except the methanol extract of Cuscuta reflexa, displayed significant free radical scavenging activity in the DPPH assay $(RC_{50}$ values within the range of $2.75\;{\times}\;10^{-2}\;to\;4.7\;{\times}\;10^{-3}\;mg/mL)$. Among these extracts, the methanol extract of Xylocarpus granatum exhibited the most potent activity $(4.7\;{\times}\;10^{-3}\;mg/mL)$ and that of Cuscuta reflexa had the least activity $(1.64\;{\times}\;10^{-1}\;mg/mL)$. While none of these plants showed positive tests with Dragendorff's reagent, presence of low to moderate amounts of phenolic compounds, e.g. anthraquinones, flavonoids and tannins was evident in all of these plants, except for the methanolic extracts of C. reflexa and the barks of D. peregrina, which did not display any evidence for the presence of flavonoids and anthraquinones, respectively.