• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.19-23
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• 2006

Berberis chitria (family Berberidaceae) has a close affinity with B. aristata, used in traditional systems of medicine as a drug 'Daruharidra' for skin disease, jaundice, affection of eyes, and rheumatism. Keeping this in view, in the present study attempts have been made to identify marker characters of B. chitria in order to differentiate the two species. Some of the diagnostic features of the root are patches of pericyclic fibre, pitted sclerieds and berberine containing cells and heterocyclic medullary rays. Besides, the physicochemical characters such as total ash; acid insoluble ash; alcohol and water soluble extractive; tannins; sugar and starch percentages has shown variations. The percentage of berberine as berberine hydrochloride was also calculated through HPTLC densitometric method and it was found little higher than B. aristata and B. asiatica i.e. 3.16%. Thus, this species can be utilized as a possible substitute to Daruharidra.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.51-57
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• 2011

The seeds of Abrus precatorius L. (Family- Fabaceae) constitute the drugs Abrus, Gunja, or Ratti in commerce. In the Indian System of Medicine, the seeds are used for sciatica, paralysis, headache, dysentery, diarrhoea, leprosy, ulcer, nervous disorders, alopecia, as well as anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antitumor, sexual stimulant and abortifacient. Seeds are poisonous and therefore are used after mitigation. The protein abrin is responsible for the highly toxic properties of seeds. Quantitative HPTLC analysis of the methanolic extract of seeds determined the presence of 0.4018% gallic acid and 0.4009% glycyrrhizin. The present study was undertaken to develop an HPTLC method, as well as ascertain the physico-chemical, morphological and histological parameters to establish the authenticity of A. precatorius seeds.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.40-42
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• 2004

A simple quantitative HPLC method has been developed for differentiating two plants of Asteraceae family viz. S. costus and A. lappa by using a pharmacologically active constituent chlorogenic acid and symmetry C18 column clubbed with a binary gradient using acetonitrile: 0.1% phosphoric acid and detected using a PDA at 327 nm. Quantitatively chlorogenic acid was found to be more in A. lappa (0.140%) than in S. costus (0.087%).

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.63-71
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• 2003

The psycho-pharmacological effect of BRHAT VATACHINTAMANI RASA (BVC) an Ayurvedic preparation was investigated, both in animal and clinical models. It was observed that BVC possess a sedative or quitening effect in that it significantly decreased the spontaneous motor activity, and also lowered the exploratory behavior of the amphetamine treated animals. This was further evident by increase in climbing out time and taming effect on animal in isolation induced aggression test. Apart from very high dose it seems have little effect on pentobarbital sleeping time and narcotic analgesic test. The drug BVC increases performance of the animal in forced locomotor test. The effect of VATACHINTAMANI RASA on clinical study was not significant.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.195-199
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• 2003

The ethanolic (50% v/v) extracts of Peristrophe bicalyculata Nees. (Acanthaceae) were examined for anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities in experimental animals. P. bicalyculata in doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg caused a dose dependent inhibition of swelling caused by carrageenin equivalent to 12.25-24.49% protection and 16.62-39.44% in cotton pellet induced granuloma in rats. There was a significant increase in the tail-flick reaction time in mice (18.05-76.43% protection) and analgesy-meter induced pain in rats (14.49-56.85%) protection). The extract of P. bicalyculata resulted in an inhibition of stretching episodes and the protection range of 14.49-56.85% respectively in acetic acid induced writhing.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.97-100
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• 2007

The present study includes macro and microscopical details, powder study, physico-chemical study and HPTLC fingerprinting of the Piper longum fruits. Microscopic studies revealed the presence of stone cells, starch grains and thin walled fragments of parenchymatous cells. Physico-chemical studies showed alcohol and ether soluble extract 24.53 and 6.7, sugar 0.35, starch 21.33 and tannin 0.83% respectively. Successive soxhlet extract showed maximum percentage of hexane soluble fraction i.e. 22.52. The HPTLC profile has also been performed against the reference marker pipeline, which was identified at R$_f$ 0.42. In the present paper a detailed pharmacognostical evaluation of fruit has been undertaken.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.22-26
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• 2005

Hygrophila auriculata (K. Schum.) Heine is a wild herb commonly found in moist places on the banks of tanks, ditches and paddy fields throughout India and is one of the main sources of Ayurvedic 'Rasayana' drug. The free radical scavenging potential of 50% aqueous alcoholic extract of H. auriculata (HAEt) was studied for DPPH scavenging activity, nitric oxide, hydroxyl radical and ferryl bipyridyl complex scavenging activity along with lipid peroxidation and total antioxidant capacity inhibition using Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in rat liver homogenate. Integral antioxidative capacity was determined by photochemiluminescence assay. HAEt showed good radical scavenging activity at various concentrations $(200-1000\;{\mu}g/ml)$ against 1,1 diphenyl, 2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (32.32-77.02%) with moderate scavenging activity against Nitric oxide (12.46-52.84%), hydroxyl radical (11.69-55.26%), ferryl bipyridyl complex (17.66-58.67%) and lipid peroxidation (0.829-0.416nmoles/mg protein). The above results indicate HAEt to be very effective antioxidant. It was suggested that the varied therapeutic activities claimed for the plant in the Indian indigenous systems of medicine may be in the part due to the free radical scavenging and/ or potent antioxidant activity.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.68-72
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• 2003

Quercetin and its sugar conjugates are the most abundantly distributed bioflavonoids and represent the largest proportion of flavonols in the plant kingdom. The present study was undertaken to demonstrate the effect of quercetin on the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the development of gastric ulcers in rats. Administration of quercetin in doses of 50, 100 and $200\;mg\;kg^{-1}$ twice daily for 5 days, showed dose dependent significant protection against ethanol (EtOH), aspirin (ASP), cold-restraint stress (CRS) and pylorus ligation (PL) -induced gastric ulcer models and the results were comparable with those elicited by sucralfate. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in the stomach mucosa, an index of lipid peroxidation and regulation of plasma corticosterone were significantly increased in CRS-induced gastric ulceration. The queroetin $(100\;mg\;kg^{-1})$ and reduced glutathione effectively inhibited gastric lesions induced by CRS with a significant decrease in the lipid peroxidation and plasma corticosterone. These results indicate that quercetin a bioflavonoid exerts its antiulcer effect in light of free radical scavenging and plasma corticosterone in cold restraint stress ulcers.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.121-129
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• 2022

Objectives: The chemical composition of cactus pear seed oil (Opuntia ficus-indica [L.] Mill.) was analyzed in terms of its fatty acid composition, tocopherol content, phenolic identification, and the oil's phenolic-rich fraction antioxidant power was determined. Methods: Fatty acid profiling was performed by gas chromatography coupled to an FI detector. Tocopherols and phenolic compounds were analyzed by LC-FLD/UV, and the oil's phenolic-rich fraction antioxidant power was determined by phosphomolybdenum, DPPH assay and β-carotene bleaching test. Results: Fatty acid composition was marked by a high unsaturation level (83.22 ± 0.34%). The predominant fatty acid was linoleic acid (66.79 ± 0.78%), followed by oleic acid (15.16 ± 0.42%) and palmitic acid (12.70 ± 0.03%). The main tocopherol was γ-tocopherol (172.59 ± 7.59 mg/kg. In addition, Tyrosol, vanillic acid, vanillin, ferulic acid, pinoresinol, and cinnamic acid were identified as phenolic compounds in the analyzed seed oil. Moreover, the oil's phenolics-rich fraction showed a significant total antioxidant activity, scavenged DPPH up to 97.85%, and effectively protected β-carotene against bleaching (97.56%). Conclusion: The results support the potential use of cactus pear seed oil as a functional food.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.8-17
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• 2003

Water extract (kwath) of six different widely used Ayurvedic medicinal plants were tested in mice for possible neuropharmacological efficacy. In the present experiments it was observed that a number of plant tested causes a significant level of Central Nervous System (CNS) depression, in that it significantly decreased the spontaneous Motor activity, and also lowered the exploratory behavior of the treated animals. Terminalia chebula (HAA), Terminalia bellerica (BHA), Emblica officinalis (AA), Piper longum 1. (PP). exhibited depressant action of on the CNS. Apart from them a mild to moderate degree of depression was evident as a consequence of administration of Zingiber officinale Rosc (SUT), Piper nigrum L. (MRC). However, none of the plant tested did not exhibit significant effects on pentobarbital induced narcosis, and this indicated that the sedating effects of the drug was not associated with the risk of fatal consequences on overdose.