Search

This review gives an account of the current knowledge on the morphology, phytochemistry, and pharmacological aspects of Erythrina variegata. E. variegata also called Erythrina indica is a thorny deciduous tree growing to 60 feet tall. A wide range of chemical compounds have been isolated, mainly alkaloids, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and lectin. Different parts of the plant have been used in traditional medicine as nervine sedative, collyrium in opthalmia, antiasthmatic, antiepileptic, antiseptic, and as an astringent. The alkaloids extracted from the leaves of E. variegata are reported to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity. Isoflavonoids isolated from E. variegata having antibacterial and anthelmintic activity. E. variegata shows several other characteristic pharmacological effects like neuromuscular blocking, smooth muscle relaxant, CNS depressant, and hydrocholeretic, which are consistent with the reported uses of the plant extracts in the indigenous system of medicine. Hence the present article includes the detailed exploration of morphology, phytochemistry, and pharmacological aspects of E. variegata in an attempt to provide a direction for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Erythrina variegata Linn. (Fabaceae), commonly known as Tiger's Claw, is a thorny deciduous tree grown in tropical and subtropical regions of Eastern Africa, Southern Asia, and Northern Australia. In India, its leaves are traditionally used for diabetes mellitus., Objective: To evaluate the hypoglycemic activity of methanol extract of E. variegata leaf (MEEV) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic Wistar rats., Materials and Methods: Hyperglycemia was induced in rats by single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (55 mg/kg body weight). Three days after STZ induction, the hyperglycemic rats were treated with MEEV orally at the doses of 300, 600, and 900 mg/kg body weight daily for 21 days. Glibenclamide (1 mg/kg, orally) was used as reference drug. The fasting blood glucose levels were measured on every 7th day during the 21 days of treatment. Serum biochemical parameters including lipid content were estimated., Results and Discussion: MEEV at the doses of 300, 600, and 900 mg/kg orally significantly (P < 0.01) and dose-dependently reduced and normalized blood glucose levels as compared to that of STZ control group; the dose 900 mg/kg being the most potent showing complete normalization of blood glucose levels. Serum biochemical parameters including lipid profile were significantly (P < 0.01) restored toward normal levels in META-treated rats as compared to STZ control animals., Conclusion: This study concludes that E. variegata leaf demonstrated promising hypoglycemic action in STZ-induced diabetic rats substantiating its ethnomedicinal use.

Objective: Leaves of Bichofia javanica (BJ) have been traditionally used for many ailments including cancer. In the present study, antileukemic activity of the leaf extract was evaluated on human leukemic cell lines., Materials and Methods: Human leukemic cell lines U937, K562, and HL60 were purchased from National Facility for Animal Tissue and Cell Culture, Pune, India. The cells were routinely maintained in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% heat inactivated fetal calf serum. Cultures were maintained at 37ºC in a humidified atmosphere containing 5% CO(2) in air. The methanol extract of BJ (MEBJ) was dissolved in PBS and used at the concentrations of 5, 10, and 15 μg/ml for cell viability and cytotoxicity studies (MTT assay). Cell counts were made in quadruplicate samples at the interval of 24, 48, and 72 h and cytarabine (20 μg/ml) served as standard drug. The apoptotic pathway of cytotoxicity was assessed by DNA agarose gel electrophoresis technique and confirmed by fluorescence and confocal microscopic methods at the concentration of 10 μg/ml., Results: MEBJ showed significant cytotoxicity (P<0.001) in leukemic cell lines in the in-vitro cell proliferation assay. IC(50) of MEBJ was very low (3.5 μg/ml) at 72 h in the HL60 cell line. The apoptotic pathway of cytotoxicity was observed at 10 μg/ml of MEBJ by the fragmented DNA pattern in the apoptosis assay, chromatin condensation, and apoptotic body formation as revealed in the fluorescence and confocal microscopic studies., Conclusion: The present findings support the ethno-medicinal use of BJ for cancer by mediating through the apoptosis pathway.

Fraxinus floribunda Wallich (Family-Oleaceae) is a wide green tree in the sub-alpine region of Sikkim, India. The methanolic extract of the leaves of Fraxinus floribunda (MEFF) at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg/p.o was screened in rats for anti-inflammatory activity by acute-carrageenan induced paw edema, sub-acute cotton pellet induced granuloma and chronic Freund's adjuvant induced arthritis models. In all the three models of anti- inflammatory studies 200 and 400 mg/kg/p.o doses of the extract showed significant effect (P<0.001). Antinociceptive evaluation was performed by writhing and tail-immersion tests in mice. Anti-nociceptive evaluation revealed that MEFF at the dose of 400 mg/kg/p.o had significant activity against the control. The relieving effect was through the peripheral and central mechanism of action of the extract. This study rationalized the ethno medicinal use of the plant for relieving pain in inflammatory pathological conditions like fracture and dislocation.