Background: The constituents of Lavandula stoechas L. possess antioxidant properties that help in protecting the mucosal cells from oxidative damage and speed up the healing process however, its role in the treatment of ethanol-induced peptic ulcers is not clear. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the pharmacological potential of Lavandula stoechas L. extracts for anti-ulcer activity, and compare with the standard drugs and to explore novel treatment for peptic ulcer. Methods: We evaluated anti-ulcer potential of plant extract in ethanol-induced ulcer model in rats. Omeprazole and ranitidine were standard drugs. After 5 h of disease induction, animals were sacrificed to get tissues for histological evaluation and ulcer index was measured. While the antimicrobial potential of Lavandula stoechas L. aqueous and methanolic extracts was evaluated against different bacterial stains using standard antibiotic discs. Qualitative phytochemical and GCMS analysis were performed to identify novel constituents. Results: The methanolic extract of Lavandula stoechas L. showed antimicrobial activity against Proteus Mirabilis while the GCMS based analysis revealed the presence of 10 phytochemicals including camphor (antimicrobial agent). The aqueous extract showed significant anti-ulcer activity in ethanol-induced gastric (P < 0.001) and duodenal (P < 0.01) ulcers when compared with controls. Aqueous and methanolic Lavandula stoechas L. extracts showed strong free radical scavenging activity. Conclusion: Lavandula stoechas L. extract possess antimicrobial and anti-ulcer activity in alcohol-induced ulcer model in experimental animals.

The lack of safety and efficacy of existing hepatoprotective agents urge the need to explore novel hepatoprotective agents. The research work was planned to study the therapeutic potential of some newly synthesized chalcones against 4-acetaminophenol induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Male albino rats (N = 30) were divided into 6 groups of 5 animals each i.e. group I; Toxic control (4-acetaminophenol), group II; normal control (Normal saline), group III; Positive control (silymarin; 50 mg/kg bw) and groups IV-VI (test groups) treated with 3 chalcone analogues i-e 3a, 3f & 3 g (100, 150, 150 mg/kg bw, respectively). All the study group animals were administered with 4-acetaminophenol to induce hepatotoxicity except normal control. Following hepatotoxicity induction, test group animals were administered with selected doses of test compounds and toxic group animals left untreated. Liver enzymes including ALT, AST, ALP and serum bilirubin were determined photometrically. Antioxidant activities of test compounds were also determined. Histopathological examination of liver biopsies was also carried out through H & E staining. The test chalcones (3a, 3f & 3 g) significantly decreased the levels of liver enzymes and serum bilirubin toward normal and the pattern of results in the test group animals were comparable to silymarin administered animals indicating the hepatoprotective potential of test compounds. Moreover, the test chalcones (3a, 3f & 3 g) antagonized the effect of 4-acetaminophenol and thus, raised the catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) while decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) in experimental animals. The test chalcones (3a, 3f & 3 g) on histological examination of liver showed improvement of tissue morphology. The study concluded that the tested compounds have antioxidant potential and may act as hepatoprotective agent. However, in-depth studies are required to validate their safety and to elucidate the exact mechanism of action.

Background: Ziziphus vulgaris (ZV) and Ferula asafoetida (FA) have phenolic compounds with potential anti-epileptic activity. Objective: This study was aimed to investigate the anti-epileptic potential of hydroalcoholic (30:70) crude extracts of ZV and FA. Methods: Different doses (5 mg/ml, 15 mg/ml, 25 mg/ml) of extracts from ZV and FA were separately administered intraperitoneally to groups (7/group) of male albino mice (20-30 g). Phenytoin (15 mg/ml, intraperitoneal) was used as positive control. After 30 min, tonic-clonic seizures were induced by intraperitoneal administration of picrotoxin (6 mg/ml) and strychnine (4 mg/ml) in separate groups. Animals were monitored for 1 h and different parameters including onset and frequency of seizures and protection (against mortality & seizures) were determined. Results: A dose dependent significant delay in onset and decrease in seizure frequency as well as mortality was observed in animals treated with plant extracts (ZV and FA). Positive control (phenytoin) also showed significant delay in seizure onset and decreased the seizure frequency. Conclusion: The plant extracts (ZV and FA) contain the phenolic compounds which may induce the GABAergic transmission that could be the most probable mechanism for their anti-epileptic activity. Molecular studies and histopathological analysis are required to elucidate the exact anti-epileptic mechanisms of ZV and FA extracts.

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Objective: We aimed to study the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects for two polyherbal tablets in animal model. Methods: Suspensions of Qurs-Saffron and Quknar polyherbal formulations (p.o.) were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory (in carrageenan-induced paw edema) and analgesic activities (in formalin-induced paw licking test) in albino mice using Ibuprofen (50 mg/kg, orally) as standard drug. Acute toxicity testing of suspensions from Qurs-Saffron and Quknar tablets was also performed at doses 1, 2 and 3 gm/kg, orally. Parametric data were evaluated by one way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test while graphics were made using GraphPad Prism. Results: Administration of Qurs-Saffron (1000, 1500, 2000 mg/kg) and Quknar (500, 750, 1000 mg/kg) suspensions showed significant (P < 0.05) inhibition of paw edema and at later time point (after 3 hours), both suspensions showed highly significant (P < 0.001) inhibition of paw edema. In another experiment (formalin-induced paw licking test), Qurs-Saffron (2000 mg/kg) and Quknar (1000 mg/kg) showed the highly significant (P < 0.001) analgesic activity. Conclusion: Qurs-Saffron and Quknar tablets possessed anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects that were most likely due to flavonoids and phenolic compounds with free radical scavenging properties which significantly reduced inflammation and pain in treated mice and were also found safe in toxicity testing.