Inflammation

The present study was designed to investigate the cardioprotective effects of herbal formulation in rats with isoproterenol-hydrochloride (ISPH) induced myocardial infraction. Adult male Wistar Albino rats were pre-treated with herbal formulation daily for a period of 4 weeks. After the treatment period, ISPH (85 mg/kg) was subcutaneously injected into the rats at 24 h intervals for 2 days. ISPH induced myocardial damage indicated by cardiac marker enzyme activities including creatine kinase-MB, lactate dehydrogenase, SGOT, angiotensin converting enzyme. The activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase were significantly decreased in hearts after ISPH-induced myocardial infraction. However, pre-treatment of ischemic rats with herbal formulation brought the biochemical parameters to near normalcy, indicating the protective effect of herbal formulation against ISPH-induced ischemia in rats.

The aim of present investigation was to develop a simple UV-visible spectrophotometric method for the determination of Ibuprofen (IBF) in its pure form and marketed formulations and to validate the developed method. Ibuprofen was estimated at UV maxima of 222.8 nm in pH 7.2 phosphate buffer using UV-Visible double beam spectrophotometer. Following the guidelines of International Conference on Harmonization (ICH), the analytical parameters like linearity, precision, and accuracy were studied. The obtained results of analysis were validated statistically and by performing recovery studies to confirm the accuracy of the proposed method. In the developed method, linearity over the concentration range of 2-20 µg/ml of IBF was observed and was found in agreement of Beer’s law. The linear regression was found to be 0.999. The precision (intra-day & inter-day) of method was found within limits (RSD < 2%). The sensitivity of the method was assessed by determining limit of detection and limit of quantification. It could be concluded from the results obtained that the method for estimation of IBF in pure form and in marketed tablets is simple, rapid, accurate, precise and economical and can be used, successfully, in the quality control of pharmaceutical formulations and routine laboratory analysis.

Anti-asthmatic activity of the alcoholic extract of Physalis angulata roots in ovalbumin induced experimental mice model. The roots were extracted with ethanol and the anti-asthmatic activity of the extract in ovalbumin-induced asthma in albino mice was evaluated. The parameters assessed were assessment of lung inflammation, OVA-specific immunoglobulin E titre by ELISA and histopathology of lung. The extract (100 and 200 mg/kg I.p) inhibited ovalbumin induced asthma by decreasing releasing of inflammatory mediators. Physalis angulata roots extract has potent anti-asthmatic activity. Its anti-asthmatic property probably acts via a reduction in inflammatory mediator’s release. The present study indicates that Physalis angulata has significant anti-asthmatic property.

Disadvantage in presently available synthetic drugs for inflammation is that they cause gastrointestinal irritation and reappearance of symptoms after discontinuation. Need for screening and development of novel, but better anti-inflammatory drugs and indigenous medicinal plants could be a logical source to find these. Herbal therapy is used to treat a large variety of ailment and symptoms, e.g., inflammation, fever and pain; however, there are no adequate experimental evidences about their effectiveness. The purpose of this investigation was study to the anti-inflammatory and anti-pyretic properties of stem bark extract of Haldinia cordifolia in rats. Haldinia cordifolia (rubiaceae) has been extensively used in folk medicine for the treatment of ulcers, burns, fevers, antiseptic, diarrhoea and dysentery. The ethanolic extract of dried stem bark of Haldinia cordifolia was investigated for anti-inflammatory (carragenan induced rat paw oedema) and anti-pyretic (brewer’s yeast induced pyrexia) activities. Pre treatment with the extract (200 - 400 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly prevented increase in volume of paw oedema in dose dependent manner. Its effects on antipyretic activity were also significant and reduce fever at higher doses. In conclusion, this study has established the anti-inflammatory activity and antipyretic activity of Haldinia cordifolia and thus justifies the ethnic uses of the plant. Key words: Inflammation, Pyretic, Haldinia cordifolia, Ethanol, Carrageenan, Paw oedema.

A continued need to develop safe and effective analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs fuels the ongoing investigations of cyclooxygenase (COX). Since the early 1990s, it has been appreciated that there are two cyclooxygenase enzymes, cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2, responsible for the production of prostaglandin H2, the first step in prostanoid biosynthesis. Cyclooxygenase-1 was responsible for the physiological production of prostanoids and cyclooxygenase- 2 was responsible for the elevated production of prostanoids that occurred in sites of disease and inflammation COX-3 is an enzyme that is encoded by the PTGS1 (COX1) gene and is the third and most recently discovered cyclooxygenase (COX) isozyme. The COX-3 isozyme is encoded by the same gene as COX-1, with the difference that COX-3 retains an intron that is not retained in COX-1. In dogs the resulting protein resembles the other two COX enzymes, but in mice and humans it does not, owing to a frame-shift mechanism. Key words: Cyclooxygenase, COX-3, Prostaglandins, Inflammation, NSAIDs