Abstract'Khoyer' is prepared by boiling the wood of Acacia catechu in water and then evaporating the resultant brew. The resultant hard material is powdered and chewed with betel leaves and lime with or without tobacco by a large number of the people of Bangladesh as an addictive psycho-stimulating and euphoria-inducing formulation. There are folk medicinal claims that khoyer helps in the relief of pain and is also useful to diabetic patients to maintain normal sugar levels. Thus far no scientific studies have evaluated the antihyperglycemic and antinociceptive effects of khoyer. The present study was carried out to evaluate the possible glucose tolerance efficacy of methanolic extracts of khoyer using glucose-induced hyperglycemic mice, and antinociceptive effects with acetic acid-induced gastric pain models in mice. In antihyperglycemic activity tests, the extract at different doses was administered one hour prior to glucose administration and blood glucose level was measured after two hours of glucose administration (p.o.) using glucose oxidase method. The statistical data indicated the significant oral hypoglycemic activity on glucose-loaded mice at all doses of the extracts tested. Maximum anti-hyperglycemic activity was shown at 400 mg extract per kg body weight, which was less than that of a standard drug, glibenclamide (10 mg/kg body weight). In antinociceptive activity tests, the extract also demonstrated a dose-dependent significant reduction in the number of writhing induced in mice through intraperitoneal administration of acetic acid. Maximum antinociceptive activity was observed at a dose of 400 mg extract per kg body weight, which was greater than that of a standard antinociceptive drug, aspirin, when administered at a dose of 400 mg per kg body weight. The results validate the folk medicinal use of the plant for reduction of blood sugar in diabetic patients, as well as the folk medicinal use for alleviation of pain.

Microscopic, physicochemical and phytochemical evaluation gives detailed valuable information that is useful in determination of the identity, quality and purity of medicinal plants, crude drugs and herbal products. The research was carried out in order to determine the microscopic, physicochemical and phytochemical parameters of stem bark extract of Aubrevillea kerstingii. The macroscopic, microscopic, chemo-microscopic and physicochemical and preliminary phytochemical screening parameters were determined according to standard methods.The microscopic features revealed the presence of thin walled, radially arranged cork cells, well developed cortex, bundles of sclerenchymatous cells and numerous prismatic calcium oxalate crystals The chemo-microscopy of the powdered stem bark revealed the presence of some cell wall materials and cell inclusions. Physicochemical parameters determined in this study showed moisture content to be 8.2 ± 0.07, total ash value 9.23 ± 0.56, acid insoluble ash 1.49 ± 0.12, water soluble ash 5.52 ± 0.10, alcohol extractive value 26.50 ± 0.61 and water extractive value 33.4 ± 0.36. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of saponins, triterpenes, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids and carbohydrate. The parameters of stem bark of Aubrevillea kerstingii determined in this study will help in establishing the quality and purity of the plant. Keywords: Aubrevillea kerstingii, Fabaceae, Physicochemical, Phytochemical