• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.215-220
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• 2006

The Sundarbans mangrove forest has a rich biodiversity of flowering plants and many of these have been used in traditional medicine although the flora remains comparatively uninvestigated scientifically. Xylocarpus granatum, Xylocarpus moluccensis and Excoecaria agallocha methanolic extract showed a central nervous system depressant activity on the hole cross and open field test at 800 mg/kg dose level. The most significant depressant activity was observed in Xylocarpus granatum followed by Xylocarpus moluccensis and Excoecaria agallocha. There was no depressant activity observed in the models for Sarcolobus globosus. Further studies are required to confirm the activity and to explain the mechanism.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.379-384
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• 2007

Two medicinal plant of Sundarbans mangrove forest has been tested for the evaluation of growth inhibitory and antibacterial activity. The methanol extract of Xylocarpus granatum stem bark showed potent wheat rootlet ($IC_{50}=0.01{\mu}g/ml$) and shoot ($IC_{50}=0.23{\mu}g/ml$) growth inhibitory activity in a concentration related manner. The growth inhibitory activity was markedly decreased in residual methanol extract. The methanol extract showed antibacterial activity (MIC > 3 mg/ml) against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureous and Proteus vulgaris. The residual methanol extract did not show any antibacterial activity. The results suggest the bioactive principle(s) of Xylocarpus granatum may be relatively non polar compound(s). The methanol extract and residual methanol extract of Sarcolobus globosus stem showed poor wheat rootlet and shoot growth inhibitory activity and no antibacterial activity.

• 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.

• 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).

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.5885-5892
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• 2014

Mangrove plants serve as a sink of heavy metals and contain phenolic compounds at a high level. Therefore, with mangrove plants, recent studies to develop phytoremediation and natural antioxidants have been conducted in the commercial and academic fields. In the present study, six mangroves in Weno Island of Micronesia were investigated for their phylogenetic relationship and antioxidant activities. First, to determine the phylogenetic relationship among them, rbcL (large subunit of ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase), one of the chloroplast genes, was used as a molecular marker. According to the data, Xylocarpus, Sonneratia and Rhizophora showed close similarity but not Excoecaria. The levels of phenolic compounds in the bark were abundant in R. apiculata and X. granatum, accounting for 1.10 mM/mg, while R. stylosa and S. alba contained the low amounts, representing 0.73 mM/mg and 0.72 mM/mg, respectively (p<0.05). In addition, bark extracts from R. apiculata, X. granatum, X. moluccensis, and E. agallocha had high antioxidant activities through the DPPH radical scavenging activity and ABTS analysis, whereas S. alba showed the lowest activities. These results suggest that the bark of R. apiculata can be used as a good source for the development of natural antioxidants.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.316-321
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• 2008

A total of 33 extracts representing 26 plant species belonging to 24 families were collected from different regions of Bangladesh, and screened for their in vitro antibacterial activity against several pathogenic Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains using the conventional disc diffusion method. The most potent activity was exhibited by the extracts of Aegiceras corniculatum, Alocasia fornicata, Ceriops decandra, Cuscuta reflexa, Lasia spinosa, Lantana camara, Pandanus foetidus and Xylocarpus granatum. The extracts of Abtilon indicum, Derris trifoliata, Dendrophthoe falcat, Ruellia tuberosa and X. moluccensis did not show any antibacterial properties at test concentrations.