Phytotherapy research : PTR
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Comparative Study
A water soluble extract from Uncaria tomentosa (Cat's Claw) is a potent enhancer of DNA repair in primary organ cultures of human skin.
Cat's Claw (Uncaria tomentosa) water extracts, essentially free of oxindole alkaloids, have been shown to possess a broad spectrum of biological activity including DNA repair enhancement and antiinflammatory properties. These two biological mechanisms are key molecular targets to develop treatments that protect skin exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun. ⋯ The data clearly demonstrated that co-incubation with C-Med-100 reduced skin cell death from UV exposure, and this protection was accounted for by a concomitant increase in DNA repair. Based on these results, it was concluded that C-Med-100 was a natural plant extract worthy of further consideration as a sunscreen product.
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The effect of concurrent administration of Azadirachta indica leaf extract with DOCA-salt was investigated in the development of hypertension. Over 5-6 week old, inbred male Wistar rats with a starting weight of 190 g were given either: (1) twice weekly subcutaneous (s.c.) injections of vehicle (soyabean oil, 0.25 mL per animal) for the first 2 weeks, plus normal drinking water (controls); (2) twice weekly (s.c.) injections (weeks 1 and 2 only) of 15 mg/kg DOCA dissolved in vehicle, plus drinking water containing 1.0% NaCl and 0.03% KCl (DOCA-salt group); or (3) 20 mg/kg of aqueous neem extract daily, in addition to the DOCA-salt treatment (DOCA-salt-neem group). All groups (8-12 animals) received normal rat pellets ad libitum and their BP was measured weekly. ⋯ PR and RR intervals and the duration of the QRS complex were shorter (p < 0.05) in the DOCA-salt group than in the control and DOCA-salt-neem groups. Amplitude of the QRS complex was increased (p < 0.05) in the DOCA-salt group compared with both the DOCA-salt-neem and the control groups. Daily administration of 20 mg/kg neem-leaf extract concurrently with DOCA-salt for 5 weeks, prevents the development of hypertension and the accompanying alterations in the ECG patterns seen in DOCA-salt treated rats.
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Ethanolic extract (70%) of Caesalpinia bonducella seed kernel has been subjected for its antipyretic and antinociceptive activities in adult albino rats or mice of either sex at 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg orally. The extract demonstrated marked antipyretic activity against Brewer's yeast-induced pyrexia in rats. ⋯ It also significantly inhibited the formalin-induced hind paw licking in mice. In conclusion, the present study suggests that the ethanolic extract of Caesalpinia bonducella seed kernel possesses potent antipyretic and antinociceptive activities and thus, validates its use in the treatment of pain and pyretic disorders.
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South Africa is blessed with a rich floral biodiversity of medicinally useful plants. One such plant is Harpagophytum procumbens DC (Family: Pedaliaceae). H. procumbens is widely used in South African traditional medicine for the treatment, management and/or control of a variety of human ailments. ⋯ H. procumbens root extract (HPE, 50-800 mg/kg i.p.) also produced dose-related, significant reductions (p < 0.05-0.001) of the fresh egg albumin-induced acute inflammation of the rat hind paw oedema. Furthermore, the plant extract (HPE, 50-800 mg/kg i.p.) produced dose-dependent, significant reductions (p < 0.05-0.001) in the blood glucose concentrations of both fasted normal and fasted diabetic rats. The results of this experimental animal study indicate that H. procumbens root aqueous extract possesses analgesic, antiinflammatory and hypoglycaemic properties, and lend pharmacological support to the suggested folklore uses of Harpagophytum procumbens root in the management and/or control of painful, arthritic and other inflammatory conditions, as well as for adult-onset, type-2 diabetes mellitus in some communities of South Africa.
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The methanol extract of the leaves of Lagerstroemia parviflora Roxb was investigated for its effect on a cough model induced by sulfur dioxide gas in mice. It exhibited significant antitussive activity when compared with the control in a dose-dependent manner. The L. parviflora extract (100, 200, 300 mg/kg) showed maximum inhibition of cough reflex at 90 min after drug administration and the antitussive activity was comparable to that of codeine phosphate, a standard antitussive agent.