Withanolides are a group of naturally occurring oxygenated ergostane type steroids, having lactone in side chain and 2-en-1-one system in the ring. Withanolides are present in medicinal plants of Solanaceae family. Formulations based on these medicinal plants are widely used in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine. Withanolides have shown a wide range of pharmacological activities including hypno¬sedative, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antiarthritic, angiogenesis inhibitor, anticholinesterase, antioxidant, antibacterial and above all, antitumour. Withaferin A is the best studied withanolide as far as pharmacological investigations are concerned. The present review summarises the investigative work carried out on bioactive withanolides.

The present study reports the preparation and evaluation of polymer composites of chitosan and montmorillonite. The prepared polymer composites were evaluated for various powder properties and characterized by FTIR-ATR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy- Attenuated Total Reflectance), XRD (X Ray Diffraction), and SEM (Scaning Electron Microscopy) techniques. Heckel and Kawakita equations indicated good compression characteristics of the composites. The polymer composites were employed in formulating sustained release tablets of aceclofenac. The formation of intercalated lamellar structures due to the entrapment of clay particles in the polymeric matrix network was found to be responsible for the drug release retardant behavior of the composites. The in vitro drug release data were fitted to various models like zero-order, first-order, Higuchi, Korsmeyer-Peppas, and Hixon and Crowell for studying the mechanism of drug release from the formulation. The value of release exponent (n) was found to range between 0.59 and 0.82, indicating non-Fickian (anomalous) drug release behavior. Swelling-induced diffusion of the drug through the polymer matrix and polymer matrix chain relaxation appeared to play a role in the release of the drug from the polymer composites.

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Cannabis sativa , widely known as ‘Marijuana’ poses a dilemma for being a blend of both good and bad medicinal effects. The historical use of Cannabis for both medicinal and recreational purposes suggests it to be a friendly plant. However, whether the misuse of Cannabis and the cannabinoids derived from it can hamper normal body physiology is a focus of ongoing research. On the one hand, there is enough evidence to suggest that misuse of marijuana can cause deleterious effects on various organs like the lungs, immune system, cardiovascular system, etc. and also influence fertility and cause teratogenic effects. However, on the other hand, marijuana has been found to offer a magical cure for anorexia, chronic pain, muscle spasticity, nausea, and disturbed sleep. Indeed, most recently, the United Nations has given its verdict in favour of Cannabis declaring it as a non-dangerous narcotic. This review provides insights into the various health effects of Cannabis and its specialized metabolites and indicates how wise steps can be taken to promote good use and prevent misuse of the metabolites derived from this plant.

Aim of the review paper is to give an enlightenment on potential phyto-constituents of Gentianaceae.  Bitter principles (secoiridoid glycosides) and xanthones are widely distributed among plants belonging to the family Gentianaceae. Phytochemicals like amarogentin, bellidifolin, gentianine and swerchirin have been reported to possess significant anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-asthmatic, anticonvulsant, antihistaminic, antimalarial, antiamoebic, cytoprotective, diuretic, hepatoprotective and hypoglycemic properties. Topoisomerase inhibition is significant pharmacological activity reported from amarogentin. Further investigations exploring possible use of these phytochemicals as therapeutic agents are warranted. The articles reviews certain pharmacological investigations carried out on phytochemicals reported from Gentianaceae