Ancient Indian system of medicine detailed the medicinal properties of several plants and their therapeutic usage. Recent scientific research has established to study pharmacognostic and preclinical parameters of herbal medicine rationale to specific pharmacological properties. A folk medicinal plant Piper cubeba L., Family-Piperaceae, commonly known as ‘pepper’ have been widely used to treat gonorrhea, dysentery, syphilis, abdominal pain, asthma. Thus, the present study was undertaken to evaluate Piper cubeb fruit for its pharmacognostic parameters and in-vitro free radical scavenging activity. The high nutritional value 353.95 Cal per100 g of powder was obtained. The phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, diterpenes, phenols and flavonoids etc., in ethanolic extract of powdered fruit. Similarly, the massive extent of Vit. C (443.57 mg/gm) and Vit. E (321.14 mg/gm) of powdered fruit indicates its potent free radical scavenging activity. The IC50 values for DPPH, nitric oxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging was found to be 8.6, 11.9 and 14 µg/ml respectively.
Standardization of the different herbal siddha formulation is possible by following modern scientific quality control procedure for raw material. The samples were collected, identified and extracted with ethanol. The ethanolic exract of Argemone Mexicana, Hydnocarpus laurifolia, Nigella sativa, Pavaver somiferum, Psoralea corylifolia, Vernonia anthelmintica showed antifungal activity by cup plate method for zone of inhibition aginst Trichophyton rubrum, Candida albicans, Trichoderma lingnorum, Aspergillus niger. From the obtained results concluded ethanolic extract of poly herbal siddha formulation is good antifungal activity.
Due to the presence of various phytochemicals in Medicinal plants, they are used for curing of various human diseases and process of healing. Plants are very useful and utilized as medicine due to their medicinal properties. Screening of plants for biologically active compounds against human pathogens is a renewed interested research field.The genus Acacia belongs to family Mimosaceae. Trees, Acacia nilotica (linn), Wild ex Del is known in India as babul, kikar, Babur (Hindi) is a very large genus containing shrubs and climbers. A. nilotica has played an important role in the traditional medicine. Thus, the modern pharmacological and clinical investigation of A. nilotica leaf is a valuable herbal therapy that has an antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and antiulcer properties. In the present study, principal phytoconstituents of Acacia nilotica were identified in order to relate their presence with bioactivities of the plants. This study evaluated the proximate composition and phytochemicals present in the leaves. Phytochemical screening of the different extracts of the plant was performed using standard methods and resulted in the detection of the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, phenols, tannins and terpenoids in methanolic and aqueous extract. Antibacterial activities were tested against bacterial strains shows good results. When compared to other extracts, it was revealed that the methanolic extract with a concentration of 50 mg/ml showed the highest zone of inhibition among all the microorganisms. A large number of the medicinal plants are used extensively by the tribal people worldwide as these plants claims to possess the antibacterial properties in the traditional system and it is now believed that nature has given the cure of every disease in one way or another.
Morus indica is used in Indian and Chinese medicine since centuries owing to its chemical and pharmacological properties. We hypothesize that Morus indica as an adjuvant with conventional anti-diabetic treatment will ameliorate favorably the hyperglycemia, oxidative stress and lipid abnormalities in type 2 diabetes mellitus. 30 type 2 diabetes mellitus subjects participated in a single-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study to validate the observations of our previous studies. Subjects treated with oral hypoglycemic drugs (OHA) and insulin (INS) were supplemented with 6 gm of Morus indica for 8 weeks .Significant reduction in hyperglycemia was observed in Morus treated groups as compared to placebo. A marked fall in blood glucose was seen in subjects treated with insulin (48%) compared to OHA group (34.4%). The post-prandial blood glucose and HbA1c, after 8 weeks were significantly (p<0.05) low compared to the initial levels. In addition, serum total cholesterol, triglycerides and lipid peroxides were significantly lowered in both the MIP treated groups as compared to placebo. Morus indica was well tolerated with creatinine, blood urea remaining unchanged in both groups. Morus indica effectively attenuated hyperglycemia and the dyslipidemia associated with diabetes without side effects and hence can be used as an adjuvant therapy in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Objective: To identify the bioactive components present in the stem and root bark extracts of Kirganelia reticulata. Methods: The soxhlet extracted crude methanolic extracts of stem and root bark of Kirganelia reticulata were analysed by GC-MS. Results: GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 27 and 24 potential bioactive components in stem and root bark extract of Kirganelia reticulata respectively. These components were mostlyesters, phenols, flavonoids, aldehydes, alkaloids, sterols and terpenoids with biological activity. Conclusion: Many of the bioactive components identified in the study are multifunctional in nature with potent antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, candidicide, hypocholesterolemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-androgenic, antiasthma, diuretic and hepatoprotective in nature justifying the use of this plant in traditional medicine for treating various ailments and also providing an opportunity for identification of potential drug candidates.
Ravikumar Ashwatha Reddy, V. Krishna, S. Usha, R. Bharathi, V. Krishna Murthy*.