Bhavik Satani

Heterophragma adenophyllum is a traditional medicinal tree occurring in both tropical and sub tropical regions of the world and is important for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. The physicochemical, phytochemical and antioxidant activity of total methanolic extract of leaves and bark of Heterophragma adenophyllumwere investigated. The total ash, water soluble, acid insoluble, alcohol soluble extractive, water soluble extractive, moisture content and fluorescence property of Heterophragma adenophyllumleaf and barkpowder were evaluated. Phytochemical screenings of oven dried extracts were performed to check the presence of various phytoconstituents. The leaf methanolic oven dried extract showed the presence of carbohydrates, phenolic, flavonoids, anthraquinones, alkaloids and amino acids were as bark methanolic oven dried extract shows presence of phenolic, carbohydrats and flavenoids.  The capacity of antioxidant property of both the methanolic extract was evaluated by using DPPH and Superoxide anion radical scavenging assay. Total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were estimated to quantify the presence of phenolic content in extracts. The leaf total methanolic oven dried extract showed higher antioxidant activity compared to bark methanolic oven dried extract and thus, the outcome of the present study suggest that the therapeutic activities of leaf methanolic extract of heterophragma adenophyllumcan be attributed to its antioxidant property.

To evaluate the effect of methanolic extract of leaves of Ocimum gratissimum linn. on neutrophil phagocytic function. Were we used different concentrations (50,100,200μg/ml) of methanolic extract of Ocimum gratissimum was subjected to study its effect on different in-vitro methods of phagocytosis. such as neutrophil locomotion, chemotaxis, immunostimulant activity of phagocytosis of killed Candida albicans and qualitative Nitro Blue Tetrazolium test using human neutrophils. This preliminary study revealed that Ocimum gratissimum extract has stimulated chemotactic, phagocytic and intracellular killing potency of human neutrophils at the different concentration. From the results obtained it can be observed that the methanolic extract of Ocimum gratissimum leaves stimulates cell-mediated immune system by increasing neutrophil function phagocytic activity.

  Natural remedies from medicinal plants are considered to be effective and safe alternative treatment for liver toxicity. Our aim was to demonstrate the hepatoprotective effect of petroleum ether, methanol and aqueous extracts of Cassia tora seed with a view to explore its use for the treatment of hepatotoxicity in human. These extracts were used to study the hepatoprotective effect in paracetamol induced hepatotoxic model. In aqueous and methanol extracts treated groups there was statistical significant decrease in the levels of serum bilirubin, serum glutamate oxaloacetate transminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transminase (SGPT) and serum alkaline phosphatase (SALP) as compared to the hepatotoxic group. In the histopathological study the hepatotoxic group showed hepatocytic necrosis and inflammation in the centrilobular region with portal triaditis. Aqueous and methanol extracts treated groups showed minimal inflammation with moderate portal triaditis and their lobular architecture was normal. It can be concluded that the aqueous and methanolic extracts of Cassia tora seed were not able to revert completely hepatic injury induced by paracetamol, but it could limit the effect of these drug in liver. The effects of extracts were comparable with standard drug silymarin. Keywords: Hepatoprotective, cassia tora seed, paracetamol.