NISCAIR Online Periodicals Repository Collection: IJEB Vol.45(08) [August 2007]

Wound healing activity of Carica papaya L. in experimentally induced diabetic rats

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 22:58:59 GMT

Title: Wound healing activity of Carica papaya L. in experimentally induced diabetic rats

Authors: Nayak, B Shivananda; Pereira, Lexley Pinto; Maharaj, Dale

Abstract: The aqueous extract of C. papaya fruit (100 mg kg^-1 day^-1 for 10 days) was evaluated for its wound healing activity in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats using excision and dead space wound models. Extract-treated animals exhibited 77% reduction in the wound area when compared to controls which was 59%. The extract treated wounds were found to epithelize faster as compared to controls. The wet and dry granulation tissue weight and hydroxyproline content increased significantly when compared to controls. The extract exhibited antimicrobial activity against the five organisms tested. Carica papaya promotes significant wound healing in diabetic rats and further evaluation of this activity in humans is suggested.

Page(s): 739-743

Preliminary studies on antihyperglycemic effect of aqueous extract of Brassica nigra (L.) Koch in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 22:58:59 GMT

Title: Preliminary studies on antihyperglycemic effect of aqueous extract of Brassica nigra (L.) Koch in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

Authors: Anand, Prachi; Murali K Y; Tandon, Vibha; Chandra, Ramesh; Murthy, P S

Abstract: In the streptozotocin induced diabetic rats treated separately with aqueous, ethanol, acetone and chloroform extracts of the seeds of B. nigra, the increase in serum glucose value between 0 and 1 hr of glucose tolerance test (GTT) was the least (29 mg/dl) in aqueous extract treated animals while it was 54, 44 and 44mg/dl with chloroform, acetone and ethanol extracts respectively. In further studies carried out with aqueous extract, the effective dose was found to be 200 mg/kg body weight in GTT. Administration of 200 mg/kg body weight of aqueous extract to diabetic animals daily once for one month brought down fasting serum glucose (FSG) levels while in the untreated group FSG remained at a higher value. In the treated animals the increase in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and serum lipids was much less when compared with the levels in untreated diabetic controls. These findings suggest that further studies with the aqueous extract of B. nigra seeds on its antidiabetic activity would be useful.

Page(s): 696-701

Antimicrobial activity of leaf extract of Basilicum polystachyon (L) Moench

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 22:58:59 GMT

Title: Antimicrobial activity of leaf extract of Basilicum polystachyon (L) Moench

Authors: Chakraborty, D; Mandal, S M; Chakraborty, J; Bhattacharyaa, P K; Bandyopadhyay, A; Mitra, A; Gupta, K

Abstract: Phenolic extract of leaves of Basilicum polystachyon (L) Moench was tested for in vitro antimicrobial activity against five bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus leuteus) and three fungi (Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus niger, Helminthosporium oryzae). Efficacy of organic solvents, methanol and ethanol, as agents for extraction was compared with acidic water (2M; HCl). High-pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) data showed that acidic extraction (2M; HCl) resulted in higher yield of caffeic acid (0.437 mg g^-1) and rosmarinic acid (0.919 mg g^-1). Acidic extract showed high activity against Gram (+) ve bacteria, but was less active against Gram (-) ve bacteria. Amongst the tested fungi, maximum activity was exhibited against Aspergillus niger. This is the first report on the phenolic constituents and bioactivity of B. polystachyon.

Page(s): 744-748

Role of Moringa oleifera on enterochromaffin cell count and serotonin content of experimental ulcer model

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 22:58:59 GMT

Title: Role of Moringa oleifera on enterochromaffin cell count and serotonin content of experimental ulcer model

Authors: Debnath, Siddhartha; Guha, Debjani

Abstract: The present study has been undertaken to observe the effect of aqueous extract of M. oleifera (MO) leaf (300mg/kg body weight) on mean ulcer index, enterochromaffin (EC) cells and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) content of ulcerated gastric tissue. Ulceration was induced by using aspirin (500 mg/kg, po), cerebellar nodular lesion and applying cold stress. In all cases increased mean ulcer index in gastric tissue along with decreased EC cell count was observed with concomitant decrease of 5-HT content. Pretreatment with MO for 14 days decreased mean ulcer index, increased both EC cell count and 5-HT content in all ulcerated group, but treatment with ondansetron, a 5-HT₃ receptor antagonist, along with MO pretreatment increased mean ulcer index, decreased 5-HT content without any alteration in EC cell count. The results suggest that the protective effect of MO on ulceration is mediated by increased EC cell count and 5-HT levels which may act via 5-HT₃ receptors on gastric tissue.

Page(s): 726-731