The present study aimed to evaluate the in-vitro and in-vivo antitumor potential of Ipomoea pes-caprae (I. pes-caprae). Petroleum ether (60-80oC), methanol, aqueous, and swaras extracts prepared from the whole plant of I. pes-caprae. Antioxidant activity of I. pes-caprae was evaluated by using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazylhydrate (DPPH), reducing power, and hydroxyl ion scavenging assay methods. The cytotoxic effect of I. pes-caprae was evaluated by using Trypan blue and 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against animal melanoma cancer (B16F10), human stomach cancer (Kato-III), and human colorectal cancer (HT-29) cell lines. The ultraviolet (UV), infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and Mass spectra were recorded for the structure elucidation of isolated compounds. These isolated compounds of I. pes-caprae were evaluated biologically at two doses of 25 and 12.5 mg/kg body weight on male C57BL mice to explore the antitumor activity against melanoma cancer. The scavenging range (IC50) of the extracts of I. pes-caprae was found to be 63.40±2.26 to 74.77±2.28 μg/ml, and the cytotoxic range (CTC50) for MTT assay was found to be 62.54±3.27 to 73.70±1.32 μg/ml. Based on IR, NMR, and mass spectroscopic analysis and by chemical transformation, structures of three compounds A, B, and C were elucidated as 3’-methoxy-3,4’,5,7-tetrahydroxy flavone, 3,7-dimethoxy-8-methyl-4’,5-dihydroxy flavone, and 3’-methoxy-4’,5,7-trihydroxy flavone-3-glucoside, respectively. All isolated compounds were shown antitumor potential against melanoma cancer.

BACKGROUND:The incidence of skin cancers is rising gradually. The treatment of melanoma is also necessary to prevent the spread of cancer to other body organs. Scientific literatures have not documented any evidence of the antitumor potential of Ipomoea pes-caprae on melanoma.AIM OF THE STUDY:Explore in vivo antitumor potential of I. pes-caprae on melanoma cancer.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Petroleum ether (60°C-80°C), methanolic and aqueous extracts, and swaras prepared from the whole herb of I. pes-caprae were assessed for their antitumor activity. The extracts and swaras at doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg b. wt. were administered intraperitoneal along with chemo and radiotherapy for 40 days for exploring antitumor activity against melanoma cancer (B16F10) in male C57BL mice. The results obtained from tumor volume, and histopathological studies were compared with the control and dacarbazine used as a standard.RESULTS:Antitumor effect of I. pes-caprae extracts and swaras on melanoma cancer was found to be significant (P < 0.01) compared to normal control. The tumor volume inhibition against tumor-bearing mice, although differed from each other, was concentration dependent. Administration of plant extracts and swaras from the day 1 since tumor inducted. The induction of tumor was found delayed by 10-15 days and the tumor volume on the day 40 was similar to the Dacarbazine treatment used as a standard.CONCLUSION:The results obtained from the tumor volume and histopathological studies clearly revealed the antitumor potential of I. pes-caprae on melanoma cancer.

Ipomoea pes-caprae Linn is commonly used as a first aid to treat jelly-fish stings and in ritual baths to alleviate evil spirits. The leaves were used against pain, inflammation, rheumatism and as stomachic and tonic. The present study was designed to investigate pharmacognosy and phytochemistry of Ipomoea pes-caprae its proper investigation and chemical profiling. Powdered plant extracts were subsequently soxhleted using petroleum ether (60-80 0 C), methanol and water. Swaras was prepared from fresh plant extracts and studied for their phytochemical parameters and freshly prepared powder of I. pes-caprae was studies for its macroscopy for developing its identification parameters. Physicochemical study on I. pes-caprae herb yielded total ash (16.23%), acid insoluble ash (2.16%) and water soluble ash (13.48%) and value for loss on drying was (19.35%). Successive solvent extractive values of its powder were found to be 3.75 % w/w for petroleum ether (60-80 0 C), 5.35 % w/w for methanol and 11.45 % w/w for aqueous extract and the value for swaras was 13.25 % w/w. Phytochemical screening on extracts and swaras revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, sterols, terpenoids and glycosides. Pharmacognostic characters, phytochemical values and macroscopic characters taken together as the outcome of this study could be used as the diagnostic tools for identification and standardization of I. pes-caprae for its purity and authencity.

Previous studies have reported an enhancement of central cholinergic signal cascade by shilajit. For the present study, it was hypothesized that parasympathomimetic effect of shilajit accounting for relaxation of rat corpus cavernosum may be one of the major mechanisms attributing to its traditional role as an aphrodisiac. To test this hypothesis, the acute peripheral effect of standard acetylcholine (ACh), shilajit, and their combination was evaluated on cardiorespiratory parameters such as mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), and neuromuscular transmission (NMT). Furthermore, in vitro effect of standard ACh, shilajit, and their combination was tested on the rat corpus cavernosum. Six groups were used for the in vivo study ( N = 5): Group I (control-saline), Group II (ACh), Group III (Sh), Group IV (Sh followed by ACh), Group V (Atropine followed by ACh), and Group VI (Atropine followed by Sh). The in vitro study included four groups: Group I (control-saline), Group II (ACh), Group III (Sh), and Group IV (Sh followed by ACh). The results of the in vivo study confirmed the peripheral parasympathomimetic effect of shilajit (400 µg/mL). The in vitro results revealed that shilajit (400 and 800 µg/mL) relaxed cavernous strips’ concentration dependently and enhanced ACh-mediated relaxations. The peripheral parasympathomimetic effects of shilajit were confirmed by blockade of shilajit-induced relaxations (in vitro) and shilajit-induced lowering of MABP and HR (in vivo) by atropine.

Acacia arabica commonly known as babool are used in traditional Indian medicine for treatment of diabetes mellitus. The hypoglycemic effect of aqueous extract (hot and cold water) and hydroalcoholic extract of Acacia arabica was investigated. Oral administration of cold water extract of Acacia arabica bark to diabetic and normal rats at a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight resulted in significant reduction of blood glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides. Phytochemical investigations found that phenolic compounds are presents in Acacia arabica extracts. The cold water extract of Acacia arabica was found to reduce blood glucose level to its normal level with in seven days. Histological studies of the β-cells show its action on pancreas. Keywords: Diabetes, antidiabetics, Acacia arabica and babool.

Over the past decades, herbal medicine has become a thing of global significance with medicinal and economic implications. Wide spread use of herbs throughout the global has raised serious concerns over this quality, safety and efficacy. Thus exact scientific assessment has become a precondition for acceptance of herbal health claims. Pleione bulbocodioides (Orchid) is a tree, native to France, they are well adapted to cold temperatures and even frost belongs to the family Orchidaceae and is widely used in chinies herbal medicine. There are approx twenty species of pleione. The plant is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments such as antimicrobial,anticancer and antiallergic. From tubers of Pleione bulbocodioides number of phytoconstituents are isolated which has significant pharmacological activity.

Over the past decades, herbal medicine has become a thing of global significance with medicinal and economic implications. Wide spread use of herbs throughout the globe has raised serious concerns over its quality, safety, and efficacy. Thus, exact scientific assessment has become a precondition for acceptance of herbal health claims. Persea americana Mill. (avocado) is a tree, native to central America, cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates around the world, belonging to the family Lauraceae, is widely used in Ayurveda and evidence-based phototherapy. There are 3 principal races or groups of avocado: Mexican, Guatemalan, and West Indian named for the areas where they were originally cultivated. The plant is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments, such as monorrhagia, hypertension, stomach ache, bronchitis, diarrhea, and diabetes. Peptone, b-galactoside, glycosylated abscisic acid, alkaloids, cellulose, polygalacto urease, polyuronoids, cytochrome P-450, and volatile oils are reported to be present in this plant. Biotechnologic approaches show that modified MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg benzyladenine/L, 0-1mg Indole Butyric Acid/L, 0.1 mg Gibberalic Acid 3/L was optimum for adventitious shoot development. In the present review, an effort has been made to study the different aspects of P. americana Mill.

Clitoria ternatea L. (Family: Fabaceae) a perennial twing herb, steams are terete, more or less pubescent. Root is bitter in taste used to cure sever bronchitis, asthma. In Kokan root juice s given in cold milk to remove the phlegm in chronic bronchitis. C. ternatea have reported number of pharmacological activities such as nootropic, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, sedative, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic. In present study pharmacognostic investigation of leaves was carried out by using morphological, microscopic and physicochemical parameters. It was found that leaves are odd pinnately compound, with obovate in shape, entire margin, Emarginate tip and symmetrical base, green in color, bitter in taste, with characteristic odor. Microscopic study reveals that presence of Upper and lower epidermis consists of single layer of cells covered with thick cuticle. Covering trichomes are present on both the surfaces. The upper and lower epidermis is followed collenchymatous cells. The upper epidermis consists of polygonal tabular cells, followed by layer of palisade cells, lignified xylem and paracytic stomata. The powder is green in colour and contains paracytic stomata, covering trichomes, fibres, wavy epidermal cells, covering trichomes and presewnce of starch grain in epidermal cell Physicochemical parameter observed that 13.2 ± 3.49 total ash, 4.8 ± 2.16 acid insoluble ash and 5.3 ± 0.08 water soluble ash. The moisture content found to be 12.5±2.57. Water soluble and alcohol soluble extractive value found to be 25.2 and 18.4 respectively.

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the immunosuppressive potential of Pluchea lanceolata 50% ethanolic extract (PL) and its bioactive chloroform fraction (PLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS:Preliminary screening of the Pluchea lanceolata 50% ethanolic extract (PL) was carried out with basic models of immunomodulation, such as, the humoral antibody response (hemagglutination antibody titers), cell-mediated immune response (delayed-type hypersensitivity), skin allograft rejection test, in vitro (C. albicans method), and in vivo phagocytosis (carbon clearance test). The extract was then fractionated with chloroform, n-butanol, and water to receive the respective fractions by partitioning. These fractions were employed for flow cytometry to study the T-cell specific immunosuppressive potential of these fractions. RESULTS:Oral administration of PL at doses of 50 to 800 mg/kg in mice, with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) as an antigen, inhibited both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses, as evidenced by the production of the circulating antibody titer and delayed-type hypersensitiviy reaction results, respectively, and the immune suppression was statistically significant (P < 0.01) in Balb/C mice. PL also decreased the process of phagocytosis both in vitro (31.23%) and ex vivo (32.81%) and delayed the graft rejection time (30.76%). To study the T-cell-specific activities, chloroform, n-butanol, and water fractions from P. lanceolata were tested for T-cell specific immunosuppressive evaluation, wherein only the chloroform fraction (PLC) showed significant (P < 0.01) suppression of CD8+ / CD4+ T-cell surface markers and intracellular Th1 (IL-2 and IFN-(Y)) cytokines at 25 - 200 mg/kg p.o. doses. PLC, however, did not show significant suppression of the Th2 (IL-4) cytokine. CONCLUSION:The findings from the present investigation reveal that P. lanceolata causes immunosuppression by inhibiting Th1 cytokines.

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The effects of mucilage obtained from the ripe fruits of Hibiscus esculentus Linn. (Malvaceae) on the mechanical and disintegration properties of paracetamol tablets were investigated against gum acacia as a standard binding agent. The effects of the nature and concentration of the mucilage binder and the relative density of the tablet on the tensile strength, brittle fracture index and disintegration time of the tablets were investigated. Relative density, concentration and nature of binder had the greatest effects on tensile strength, brittle fracture index and disintegration time,respectively. Increasing, the concentration of mucilage from 2.5 % to 10.0 % w/w, and increasing relative density of the tablet from 0.70 to 0.80 led to an increase in tensile strength and disintegration time, but a decrease in brittle fracture index. Tablets formulated with H. esculentus mucilage had lower tensile strength and disintegration time values than those containing gum acacia, and exhibited less lamination and capping. The nature and concentration of binder had the highest interaction among the factors studied. In conclusion, Hibiscus esculentus mucilage could be useful as an alternative binding agent to gum acacia, especially wherefaster disintegration is required and lamination and capping are of concern.

Purpose: To investigate the T cell inhibition potential of 50% ethanol extract of Cyperus scariosus (CS) and its bioactive chloroform fraction (CSC).Methods: The preliminary screening of the extract was carried out by humoral antibody response and delayed-type hypersensitivity models employing sheep red blood cells (SRBC) as the antigen. Further, the extract was studied by skin allograft rejection test, and phagocytosis - in vitro and ex vivo-by C. albicans method and carbon clearance test, respectively. The extract was fractionated with chloroform, n-butanol and water, and then used to investigate the T-cell specific immunosuppressive potential of these fractions by flow cytometry.Results: On p.o. administration, CS inhibited both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses significantly (p < 0.01) by suppressing primary (26.8 %) and secondary (29.7 %) antibody titres, and also inhibited cell-mediated delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) immune response (45.9 %) at 600 mg/kg dose, phagocytosis-both in vitro (37.4 %) and ex vivo (37.8 %) - and delayed the graft rejection time (45.8%), thus confirming marked immunosuppression. Out of the three isolated fractions, only the chloroform fraction significantly (p < 0.01) suppressed CD8+/ CD4+ T cell surface markers (14.0/25.3 %) and intra-cellular Th1 cytokines, viz, IL-2 (34.4 %), and IFN-gamma (34.7 %), compared to cyclosporine-A (5), a standard T cell inhibitor (53.6 %) which was given to Balb/C mice at 200 mg/kg dose. CSC did not significantly (p < 0.01) suppress Th2 (IL-4) system.Conclusion: The findings from this investigation reveal that C. scariosus causes immunosuppression by inhibiting Th1 cytokines.

Salai guggal is an oleo-gum-resin obtained from Boswellia serrata. Its essential oil is a mixture of mono, di and sesquiterpenes while gum fraction composed of pentose and hexose sugar with some digestive enzymes. Resin is the most important fraction of Salai guggal comprising mainly of pentacyclic triterpenic acids namely Boswellic acids. The therapeutic value of Salai guggal predominantly resides in its oleo-resin portion, which possess anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, anti-rheumatic, anti-diarrhoeal, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-asthmatic, anti-cancer, anti-microbial and analgesic activity. In addition it has hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory activity as well. Boswellic acids are novel, specific, non-redox inhibitor of 5-lipoxygenase, an enzyme involved in arachidonic acid metabolism. This review focuses on the current state of therapeutic potential and phytochemical profile of Boswellia serrata. ABA, Acetyl-boswellic acid; AESG, Alcoholic Extract of Salai Guggul; AKBA, Acetyl-keto-boswellic acid; BA, Boswellic acid; BS, Boswellia serrata; BSA, Bovine Serum Albumin; BSE, Boswellia serrata Extract; CHP, Cumene hydroperoxide; EGR, Extract of Gum Resin; ESR, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate; GC, Gas Chromatography; HDL, High Density Lipoprotein; HPLC, High Performance Liquid Chromatography; ILs, Interleukins; KBA, Keto-boswellic acid; 5-LOX, 5-Lipoxygenase; LPs, Lipopolysaccharides; LTs, Leukotrienes; MAPK, Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase; MS, Mass Spectroscopy; PC, Pyruvate carboxylase; PEPCK, Phosphoenol Pyruvate Carboxy Kinase; PI3-K, Phosphatidyl Inositol-3Kinase; PMNLs, Polymophonuclear Leukocytes; PTs, Pentacyclic Triterpenes; TNFα, Tumor Necrosis Factor α.

Collection of herbs at right maturity is one of such parameter which affect afficacy of medicinal plants. Standard reference markers used in quality control of herbal drugs mostly authenticate identity and not efficacy. In order to derive bioactive markers, knowledge regarding appropriate collection time for each herb is essential. Traditional medical knowledge is bioactivity-oriented and informs about best time of collection for certain medicinal species, as observed in case of Ipomoea mauritiana Jacq. (Vidari–Sanskrit). Only mature (bigger size) tubers of Ipomoea mauritiana are used by Traditional Medical Practitioners (TMP) for preparing galactagogues and immunomodulatory herbal medicines (Rasayan).Microscopy of transverse sections revealed structural variation between mature and immature tubers and girth of tubers determine the maturity of plant, the difference in phytochemical profiles of mature and immature tubers was observed.Variation in phytoconstituents of mature and immature tubers was confirmed through proximate analysis, phytochemical screening, qualitative HPLC and HPTLC analysis revealed the variation in phytoconstituents in mature and immature tubers. Keywords: Microscopy, HPLC, HPTLC, proximate analysis, phytochemical screening.

Gynandropsis gynandra (Capparidaceae) leaves are traditionally used in the treatment of pain. In order to evaluate the scientific validity of this, leaves were extracted successively to produce various extracts. These extracts were screened for antinociceptive activity using the hot plate test and acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice at a dose of 100 mg kg-1, intraperitoneally. Ethanol and aqueous extracts were found most active in both the tests. The action was blocked by naloxone (1 mg kg-1, s.c.) in the hot plate test, which suggests involvement of opioid receptors in the action. Flavonoids and tannins were observed in the active extracts, so we can say that they may responsible for the antinociceptive activity.

Antimicrobial studies were carried out using methanolic and aqueous extract of leaf, fruit, stem and root of Nicandra physaloides . The microorganisms used in study were Bacillus subtilis NCIM 2439, Mycobacterium phelei, Proteus mirabilis and Staphylococcus edidermidis NCIM 2493, Candida albicans and Aspergilus flavus NCIM535 . Penicillin for gram-positive bacteria, streptomycin for gram-negative bacteria and clotrimazole for fungi were used as standard. The Nicandra physaloides extract both methanolic and aqueous was active against gram positive and gram negative bacterial strains. Both methanolic and aqueous extract of leaves and roots was active against fungi Candida albicans and Aspergillus flavus. Keywords : Nicandra physaloides , Solanaceae, Antimicrobial activity, Nigerian Journal of Natural Products and Medicine Vol. 11 2007 pp. 71-74