Asif Husain

  Bosentan is a dual endothelin receptor antagonist. It is used in the treatment of pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). Endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs) act on the endothelin pathway by blocking binding of endothelin-1 to its receptors [endothelin type-A (ETA) and/or type-B (ETB)] on the surface of endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Bosentan is licensed in the United States, the European Union and other countries by Actelion Pharmaceuticals for the management of PAH under the trade name Tracleer. Bosentan, is a non-peptide and orally active. Bosentan is highly protein-bound, with approximately 98% bound to albumin. This paper reviews the pharmacological and pharmaceutical properties of Bosentan. Bosentan could be an attractive target for the generic industries.

In present investigation, methanolic extract of different marketed Aegle marmelos formulations (F1, F2, F3, and F4) screened for determination of total phenolic and flavanoid contents.  Highest phenolic (6.145 ± 0.05 mg/kg) and flavonoid (8.134 ± 0.044 mg/kg) contents were noticed in formulation F4. Free radical scavenging activity of all the studied formulations were evaluated by using DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl) method. Whereas, each formulation showed good scavenging of DPPH radical with IC50 values (F1-2.185, F2-2.216, F3-2.243 and F4-2.143 µg/ml), and is comparable to standard compounds (BHT, ascorbic acid and rutin). Key-Words: Aegle marmelos, Total phenolic contents, Total flavanoid contents, DPPH  

In the present investigations, methanolic extracts of four marketed Aegle marmelos formulations (F1, F2, F3, and F4) were prepared and subjected to simultaneous quantitative determination of two biologically active compounds; umbelliferone and quercetin. Analysis of umbelliferone and quercetin was performed on TLC aluminum plates pre-coated with silica gel 60F-254 as stationary phase. Linear ascending development was carried out in twin trough glass chamber saturated with mobile phase consisting of toluene: ethyl acetate: formic acid (6:4:1, v/v/v), and densitometric determination of these compounds was carried out at 300nm in reflectance/absorbance mode. The system was found to give compact spots for umbelliferone and quercetin with Rf value of 0.66 and 0.68, respectively. The present method was validated for precision, recovery, repeatability, and accuracy in accordance with International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH Q2) guidelines. Statistical analysis of the data showed that the method is reproducible and selective for estimation of umbelliferone and quercetin. This method may be used for routine quality control and standardization of the herbal drugs and there formulations. Key words: Aegle marmelos, Quercetin, Umbelliferone, HPTLC  

The methanolic extract of Alstonia scholaris (L) R.Br. stem bark was screened for hepatoprotective activity against Swiss albino rats with liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride. The results of hepatoprotective activity revealed that the methanolic extract of Alstonia scholaris significantly decreased the biochemical parameters (SGOT, SGPT, ALP, TP and TB). Silymarin (25 mg/kg), a known hepatoprotective drug, was used for comparison. The extract did not show any mortality up to a dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight. The findings indicated that the methanolic stem bark extract of Alstonia scholaris (L.) R.Br. (200 mg/kg) was effective in bringing the functional improvement of hepatocytes. The hepatoprotective activity was also supported by histopathological studies of liver tissues. Key words:  Alstonia scholaris, extract, hepatoprotective, carbon tetrachloride.

Delonix regia, a well known plant with high medicinal value, reported to have a number of biological activities including antioxidant, and presence of flavonoids in its chemical constituents. Antioxidant property and flavonoids have been associated with wound healing actions of plants. The present study was done to investigate the wound healing properties of Delonix regia in experimental animal models. The ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Delonix regia flowers were prepared to study the effect on wound healing in albino rats using incision and excision wound models. Healing was assessed by the rate of wound contraction, period of epithelialisation, tensile strength (skin breaking strength) and estimation the hydroxyproline content. The extracts significantly promoted the healing process, as evident by an increase in wound breaking strength, percentage of wound contraction, increased hydroxyproline content and decreased epithelialisation period, suggesting the possible utilization of this plant to enhance wound healing. Key words: Delonix regia, flowers, extract, wound.

  Peucedanum grande is a succulent herb; about a meter in height. The fruits are used in medicine and have been reported to possess important biological properties. The objective of the present investigation was the development of quality standards and phytochemical analysis of P. grande. This included morphological and histological characters, pH of aqueous solution, ash values, extractive values, successive extractive values, and loss on drying, fluorescence analysis, preliminary phytochemical screening and HPTLC finger printing profile of secondary metabolites. The findings of this study might be useful to supplement information in regard to its identification parameters and laying down pharmacopoeial standards; as standardization of herbal medicines is essential and is the need of the today. Key words: Peucedanum grande, extracts, phytochemical screening, HPTLC.