Endophytes refer to the microorganisms (mostly fungi and bacteria) colonising the intercellular and intracellular regions of healthy plant tissues at a particular time, whose presence is unobtrusive and asymptomatic. Fungal endophytes are believed to be treasure of structurally and biologically active compounds. Sometimes, the medicinal properties of plants result from the endophytes present in the host plant and the type of secondary metabolites produced by those endophytes. The present study was conducted with a culture-dependent based approach in order to isolate, identify endophytic fungi from stem of Tinospora cordifolia i.e. common medicinal plant Giloy. In this study a total of nine endophytic fungal isolates were obtained. All isolates were primarily identified by morphological characteristics and then were subjected to single spore isolation process where distinguished culture of every individual colony was prepared and phyto-genetically examined by molecular experiments. The endophytic fungi were velvety reddish white or grey, cottony and woolly grey or pink growth with spores touching the lid converted the agar into red, grey, pink colour. The growth characteristics of endophytic fungal isolates in Potato dextrose broth showed mycelia formation at the surface with colouration of the broth as seen on the agar. Molecular characterization was done by Polymerase chain reaction and gene sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer regions of the rDNA gene which revealed that the endophytic fungi isolates from Tinospora cordifolia stem belonged to Phoma sojicola and Lasiodiploda theobromae. Acknowledgements: We are thankful to the department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India 482001 for providing necessary facilities to carry out the research work. ORCHIT: 0000-0001-5517-4161

Background: The study was performed to study the alterations in biochemical markers of liver and kidney function and oxidative stress indices on sub-acute exposure of meloxicam in albino rats. Methods: The study was performed in three groups of rats, consisting six rats in each group. The rats of group I were served as control. However, rats of group II, III were treated with meloxicam @ 0.2 mg/kg b.wt. meloxicam @ 0.6 mg/kg b.wt. respectively. Result: Meloxicam administration induced oxidative stress in rats as indicated by significant decrease in concentration of catalase, superoxide dismutase and reduced glutathione in blood as compared to control. However, lipid peroxidation was significantly enhanced as indicated by increased level of MDA in blood as compared to control. Meloxicam altered the functions of liver and kidney as indicated by the alteration in the biochemical markers of liver and kidney function. Meloxicam significantly enhanced the concentration of biochemical markers of liver function viz. ALT, AST, GGT, ALP, albumin and bilirubin as compared to control. The concentration of biochemical markers of kidney function viz. BUN and creatinine was significantly enhanced after meloxicam administration as compared to control.