Objective:Mimosa pudica Linn. (Mimosaceae) is traditionally used as a folk medicine to treat various ailments including convulsions, alopecia, diarrhea, dysentery, insomnia, tumor, wound healing, snake bite, etc., Here, the study was aimed to evaluate the antioxidant potential of M. pudica leaves extract against 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (in vitro) and its modulatory effect on rat brain enzymes.Materials and Methods:Total phenolic, flavonoid contents, and in vitro antioxidant potential against DPPH radical were evaluated from various extracts of M. pudica leaves. In addition, ethyl acetate extract of Mimosa pudica leaves (EAMP) in doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg/day were administered orally for 7 consecutive days to albino rats and evaluated for the oxidative stress markers as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH) from rat brain homogenate.Results:The ethyl acetate extract showed the highest total phenolic content and total flavonoid content among other extracts of M. pudica leaves. The percentage inhibition and IC50 value of all the extracts were followed dose-dependency and found significant (P < 0.01) as compared to standard (ascorbic acid). The oxidative stress markers as SOD, CAT, and GSH were increased significantly (P < 0.01) at 200 and 400 mg/kg of EAMP treated animals and decreased significantly the TBARS level at 400 mg/kg of EAMP as compared to control group.Conclusion:These results revealed that the ethyl acetate extract of M. pudica exhibits both in vitro antioxidant activity against DPPH and in vivo antioxidant activity by modulating brain enzymes in the rat. This could be further correlated with its potential to neuroprotective activity due to the presence of flavonoids and phenolic contents in the extract.SUMMARYTotal phenolic, flavonoid contents and in-vitro antioxidant potential were evaluated from various extracts of M. pudica leaves. Again, in-vivo antioxidant evaluation from brain homogenate on oxidative stress markers as TBARS, SOD, CAT and GSH from rat was investigated. Our findings revealed that M. pudica possesses both in-vitro and in-vivo antioxidant activity due to presence of phenolics and flavonoids.

Objective:To investigate the aphrodisiac potential of polyherbal formulations prepared from different parts of Tribulus terrestris, Curculigo orchioides, Allium tuberosum, Cucurbita pepo, Elephant creeper, Mucuna pruriens, and Terminalia catappa in Albino rats in specified ratio as suspension.Materials and Methods:The different concentrations of prepared polyherbal formulations i.e. 150, 300, and 600 mg/kg and sildenafil citrate as standard (5 mg/kg) and vehicle (control) were administered orally to rats (n = 6 animals per group) for 3 weeks. Mating behavior parameters in male rats was monitored in first week and third week week of treatment pairing with receptive females. After termination of drug treatment, the mating performance, hormonal analysis, sperm count, and testes-body weight ratio were also evaluated.Results:The polyherbal formulation showed a significant increase in mating behavior as well as mating performance, serum hormonal levels, sperm count, and testes-body weight ratio with dose-dependent relationship as compared to vehicle control. But the dose of 600 mg/kg of polyherbal formulation assumes closer resemblance of above parameters with the standard used.Conclusion:The results of the study strongly suggest that the polyherbal formulations have a good aphrodisiac activity on rats in the above experimental models, which may be an alternative weapon for various sexual dysfunctions in future.

BackgroundApium leptophyllum (Pers.) is an annual herb with traditional appreciation for various pharmacological properties; however, the scientific information on this herb is insufficient. The aim of the present investigation was undertaken to evaluate flavonoidal fraction of A. leptophyllum fruit (FFALF) against diarrhoea on albino rats.MethodsThe antidiarrhoeal study was conducted by castor oil induce diarrhoea, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) induced enteropooling and intestinal transit by charcoal meal test. The rats were divided into five groups (six/group). Group I served as control and received orally 2% acacia suspension; Group II served as standard and received orally loperamide (3 mg/kg) or atropine sulphate (5 mg/kg); Group III, IV and V served as test groups and received the FFALF at doses of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg orally, respectively.ResultsIn castor oil-induced diarrhoeal model, the FFALF significantly (p < 0.001) reduced the frequency of diarrhoea, defecation and weight of faeces as well as increased the sodium–potassium ATPase (Na+K+ATPase) activity and decreased nitric oxide (NO) content in the small intestine. In prostaglandin induced enteropooling model, it significantly (p < 0.01) and dose dependently slowed the intestinal fluid accumulation by decreasing the masses and volumes of intestinal fluid where as in charcoal meal test, it decreased charcoal meal transit in gastrointestinal tract as compared with control.ConclusionsThe study reveals that the FFALF possess anti-diarrhoeal properties mediated through inhibition of hyper secretion and gastrointestinal motility which support the traditional use of the plant.

Aim:The study was designed to investigate the chemopreventive potential of flavonoidal fractions of Apium leptophyllum fruits (FFALF) on Swiss mice.Materials and Methods:Skin tumor or papilloma was developed by topical application of DMBA (25 μg in 0.1 ml acetone) on intrascapular region of mice, twice weekly for 8 weeks. The animals were divided into six groups: Group I (vehicle control); group II (FFALF control, 5 mg/kg); group III (carcinogenic control, DMBA treated initially for 8 weeks); and group IV, V and VI as pre-treated group (FFALF 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg respectively for 16 weeks along with DMBA treatment). After the 16th week of treatment; the tumor morphology, skin histopathology, and biochemical and antioxidant biomarkers were measured and compared with carcinogenic control as well as vehicle control.Results:The co-administration of FFALF with DMBA-treated groups showed significant (P ≤ 0.001) prevention against skin papilloma and normalized the status of lipid peroxidation with antioxidant biomarkers in a dose-dependent manner as compared to carcinogenic control.Conclusions:Thus, the present study suggests that the FFALF is non-carcinogenic and has chemopreventive potential on DMBA-induced carcinogenesis in mouse, which may be due to the modulation of cutaneous lipid peroxidation or enhancement of total antioxidant capacity.

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