aqueous

Comparative antidiabetic potentials study of the effect of ethanolic and aqueous extract of readymade nutmeg with glibenclamide was carried out on thirty (30) male and female albino rats and thirty (30) male and female albino mice for the period of 7, 14, 21 and 35 days. The animals were given low, medium and high doses of extract and 5mg/kg per body weight of glibenclamide for the period. The group administered with high dose of extract of nutmeg had significant  reduction in blood glucose level than (p<0.05), control. The aqueous extract of nutmeg showed significant reduction in blood glucose level on the days with low dose (p<0.05)  compared to control. A combination of nutmeg extract and glibenclamide showed a drastic significant (p<0.05) reduction in blood glucose level. The LD50 of the extract was 2738.1 mg/kg. The phytochemical analysis of the extract showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoid, tannins, cardiac glycosides and saponins. But flavonoid concentration was very significant. It is showed in the study that prolong usage of aqueous extract of readymade nutmeg is very potent as glibenclamide in the treatment of diabetes. However, ethanolic extract of nutmeg showed higher potency than aqueous extract in the study. Key words: Ethanolic, aqueous, extract, nutmeg, glibenclamide, diabetes.

Carica papaya, a member of the family Caricaceae, is commonly known for its food and nutritional value throughout the world. During last few decades considerable progress has been achieved regarding the biological activity and medicinal application of papaya and now it is considered as valuable neutraceutical fruit plant. The present study was designed to determine the antimutagenic and anticytotoxic activities of different fractions (Aqueous, Chloroform, Ethanol and Ethyl acetate extracts) of Carica papaya leaves. Antimutagenic activity was determined by the Allium cepa root chromosomal assay using Cyclophosphamide monohydrate as the mutagenic agent and anticytotoxic activity of the extracts was evaluated by determination of mitotic index. All the four fractions displayed significant antimutagenic and anticytotoxic activities against cyclophosphamide-induced chromosomal aberrations and alltogether, the results of our study lend pharmacological credence to the anti-cancerous and ethnomedical use of this plant in traditional system of medicine and these results could be used to develop antimutagenic compounds for cancer therapy.

The increasing search and utilization of phytochemicals for medicinal purposes necessitated this comparative isolation and characterization of the medicinal constituents in aqueous, hydro-methanolic (1:4, v/v), hydro-ethanolic (1:4, v/v) leaf extracts of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius. The extracts were tested for twelve important medicinal constituents. Alkaloids, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, Salkowski’s test were positive though at different strengths in the three extracts. The presence of combined anthraquinons, saponins, free anthraquinones, terpenes and Liberman’s test appeared weak (33.3%) in aqueous and hydro-ethanolic (1:4, v/v) extracts though totally absent in hydro-methanolic (1:4, v/v) extract. Phlobatanins and cyanogenetic glycosides were absent in the three extracts. Hydromethanolic (1:4, v/v) extract contained at least 66.7% alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, Salkowski’s test and Kellerkillian’s test and these gave cumulative percent – strength of 300.1% compared to aqueous extract that had 233.3% and hydroethanolic  (1:4, v/v) extract that had 200%. The results implied that hydromethanolic (1:4, v/v) extraction yields more medicinal constituents than aqueous and hydroethanolic (1:4, v/v) extractions. Further analysis of these isolated phytomedicinal constituents are recommended to understand the physiological and therapeutic implications of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius utilizations.