• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.141-149
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• 2007

Madhuca indica has been used ethnomedically in Indian folks. In the present study we have investigated anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer and hypoglycaemic effect of ethanolic extract (EE) and crude alkaloid extract of Madhuca indica seed cake on albino rats. The study showed that the EE had a significant, dose dependent anti-edematogenic, anti-ulcerogenic and hypoglycaemic activity, whereas the crude alkaloid extract exhibited a significant only. Both the extracts possess dose dependent inhibitory activity on carrageenan-induced edema, inhibiting prostaglandins or mediators involved in prostaglandin synthesis, the second phase of inflammation. The EE was significantly effective in protecting pylorus-ligation-induced gastric ulcers at a higher dose level. The active principle of EE seems to be a selective inhibitor of the COX II (prostaglandin synthesis) without important effect on COX I since, EE exhibited both anti-edematogenic and anti-ulcerogenic effect. The EE was effective in reducing the plasma glucose level in normal albino rats in a dose dependent manner, producing hypoglycaemic effect by stimulating the release of insulin from the ${\beta}-cells$ and/or increasing the uptake of glucose from the plasma.