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Background & Objectives: The existing antileishmanial drugs for complete cure of visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) are limited. The available drugs are either toxic or less effective leading to disease relapse or conversion to post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis. Several herbal extracts have been shown to have antileishmanial activity, but a herbal drug may not always be safe. In the present study, the extract of Cedrus deodara leaves has been standardized and tested for immunomodulatory antileishmanial activities., Methods: The extracts of C. deodara leaves with different solvents such as benzene, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol were made by soxhlation process. Solvents were removed under reduced pressure and temperature using rotary evaporator. The antileishmanial bioassay test was performed with in vitro maintained parasites. Immunomodulatory activity of different extracts was tested by flow cytometry. Standardization of the effective fraction was performed with Linalool as a marker compound through reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography., Results: The extract with the use of benzene solvent showed strong antileishmanial activities within a dose 25-200 μg/ml culture with non-significant haemolytic activities and significant immunomodulant activities against the host cells. Linalool was found to be 1.29 per cent in the effective extract of C. deodara., Interpretation & Conclusions: The antileishmanial activity of C. deodara, as assessed by bioassay testing on., Leishmania Donovani: parasites and immunomodulatory effect of benzene extract of leaves on host cells indicated that it might be a potential new safe therapeutic target to cure the visceral leishmaniasis., Competing Interests: None

Capsicum annum L. (Family: Solanaceae) and Hemidesmus indicus (Linn.) R.Br. (Family: Asclepiadaceae) are commonly used in Tamilnadufor treating various ailments in the native system of medicine. The hydroalcoholic extracts of both plants at dose level of 100 mg/kg body weight showed demonstrable anti-inflammatory activity in the carrageenan-induced hind paw model in rats. Nevertheless, the overall anti-inflammatory activity exhibited by the extracts are found to be less as compared with that of standard drug Indometacin. Preliminary physico-phytochemical analysis of the plants in question were attempted. The results are highlighted and discussed.

The present study is based on the evaluation of antioxidant potential of a well known plant Lactuca sativa. Methanolic leaf extract was investigated for in vitro inhibition of oxidative damage induced by UV-radiations to the salmonella typhi bacteria and in vivo effect on the production of body enzymes i.e. catalase and superoxide dismutase. The lipid peroxidation masurement was also done in terms of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in blood and brain of male albino wistar rats. The plant extract has shown significant antioxidant potential both in vitro and in vivo.

The present communication reports some medicinal plants which are used as Central Nervous System sedative agent in the traditional system of medicine.

Ethanolic extract of roots and aerial parts of Achyranthes aspera was investigated for its antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumilus, and Proteus vulgaris and anti fungal activity against Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus flavus at 100 mg/disc using diffusion method. The comparative studies shown that ethanolic extract of roots and aerial parts of Achyranthes aspera have exhibited moderately equal action when compared to Cotrimoxazole (30 mg/disc) for antibacterial and Clotrimazole (30 mg/disc) for antifungal activity. Our findings confirm the traditional therapeutic claims for this herb.

The macroscopic characters of L. lavandulaefolia, physical constant values, behaviour on treatment with different chemical reagents, fluorescence characteristics after treatment with different chemical reagents of the powder of L. Lavandulaefolia were studied to fix some pharmacognostical parameters. Preliminary phytochemical studies and TLC characterization of different extractives has also been performed. These studies will help in future for identifying the plant for further research.

The Macroscopic character of the leaves ash values, extractive values, behaviors on treatment with different chemical reagents, fluorescence characters under ultra violet light after treatment with different chemical reagents of the powdered leaves of ficus racemosa Linn (fam. Moraceae) were studied to fix some pharmacognostical parameters. Preliminary phytochemical studies on different extractives of the leaves were also performed. These studies will help in future for identifying this plant for further research.

The rhizome of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn (fam. Nymphaeaceae) was studied to fix the parameters for pharmacognostical standards. The present investigation deals with the macro and microscopically characters of rhizome along with studies on some physical constants, behavior of powdered rhizomes on treatment with different chemical reagents and florescence characteristics on exposure to U.V light, which would help in identification of the drug.

Tinctures of Ficus racemosa Linn leaves were prepared by maceration process. 70% alcohol of 21 days maceration showed maximum total solid 2.07% deep greenish brown colour and of 7.1 pH.

Various strength of alcohol were utilized for the preparation of tincture of asparagus racemosus roots by maceration for 7, 14 and 21 days. 50% (V/V) alcohol after 21 days of maceration showed maximum yield of total solid. The tinctures were evaluated by studying their different physico-chemical characteristics along with thin-Layer chromatography.

The macroscopic character of the roots physical constant values, extractive values, behaviour on treatment with different chemical reagents, fluorescence characters under ultra violet light after treatment with different chemical reagents of the powdered roots of Asparagus racemosus Willd, (Fam. Liliaceae) were studied to fix some pharmacognostical parameters.

The macroscopic character of the leaflets ash values extractive values by different solvent extractive behavior on treatment with different chemical reagents fluorescence characters by treatment with different chemical reagents of the powdered leaves of Maoringa oleifera lam (fam moringaceae) were studied to fix some pharmacognostical parameters, chemical group test of different extracts of the leaves were also performed.

Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn (Family- Nymphaeaceae) is a well known plant in ancient medical sciences, Much research have been done on the leaves, flowers, seeds and rhizomes of the plant, Our present aim is to review all the work performed on the plant to get a clear idea to evaluate its various medicinal principles relating to phytochemical pharmacological microbiological and allied approaches.

A fraction of leaf extract isolated from leaves of Azadirachta indica (Meliaceae) was tested for lowering of blood cholesterol level in rats. The extract at a dose of 200 mg/kg i.p. significantly lowered the blood cholesterol level in test animals.

The ethnolic extract of the leaves of Moringa oleifera Lam. (Fam. Moringaceae) was tested for antimicrobial activities against Gram Positive - Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis Staphylococcus aureus, Sarcina lutea: Gram negative - Escherichia coli and Acid fast Mycobacterium phlei. Significant antimicrobial activity of the extract was found in this study.

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is now an established procedure for the evaluation of breast masses in women. But there are only occasional reports of aspiration cytology of rare malignant neoplasms of male breast. During the past 8 years the authors detected 12 malignant neoplasms of male breast by FNAC out of total 167 cases of aspirates of male breast lesions. There were eight infiltrating ductal carcinomas, two leiomyosarcomas and two metestatic carcinomas. The cytologic features with short review of literature of male breast carcinomas are presented. Due to high diagnostic accuracy, FNAC should be routinely practiced as a quick and safe diagnostic procedure in all outpatients department.

The hepatoprotective activity of a fraction of the leaf extract of A.indica against carbon tetrachloride : liquid paraffin (1:1) induced liver damage in rats at doses of 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg was evaluated. A significant dose dependent hepatoprotective activity was evidenced by lowering of the elevated levels of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), acid phosphatase (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the serum of CCl(4) : liquid paraffin (1:1) treated rats.