Omega-3 fatty acids (ω-3FAs) are essential polyunsaturated fats that protect the brain from cognitive impairment. It increases the activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthetase (eNOS) and thereby increases the nitric acid (NO) production. This study aimed to explore the effect of ω-3FAs on psychomotor performance and to relate this effect to the reactive nitrogen species. This study was conducted in Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Al-Mustansiriya University in Baghdad, Iraq. Twenty healthy subjects, allocated randomly from medical college students, were participated in the single blind clinical trial. Participants were divided into two groups, each of ten subjects to receive either placebo or (ω-3FAs) (750 mg single oral dose daily for 5 days). They were asked to perform psychomotor performance before and after 5 days of treatment, and venous blood was obtained for determination of serum nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite (ONOO). ω-3FAs treated group was significantly different from placebo-treated group in reducing choice and motor reaction times as well as the critical flicker frequency threshold. The serum levels of NO and ONOO in ω-3FAs-treated group did not significantly differ from placebo-treated group. Short term supplementation of ω-3FAs improves the psychomotor performance in young healthy subjects via a mechanism not related to the production of nitric oxide production. Inflorescence is a panicle few flowered and fruit is a capsule. The data of the results obtained were presented and discussed.

Thrombous formation inside the blood vessels obstructs blood flow through the circulatory system leading hypertension, stroke to the heart, anoxia and so on. The complete deprivation of oxygen and infarction is a mode of cell death. Crude biologicals and their components possessing anti-thrombotic activity have been reported before. This study was aimed to investigate thrombolytic activity of ethanol extracts of four traditionally used medicinal plants. For this an in-vitro thrombolytic study was carried out along with streptokinase, and ethanol was taken as reference standard and negative control, respectively. The ethanol extracts (5 μg/μl) of Alpinia conchigera, Lannea grandis, Aglaonema hookerianum and Tridax procumbens 24.50%, 13.31%, 11.18%, and 8.70% clot lysis, respectively. Among the extracts studied Alpinia conchigera showed significant percent of clot lysis (24.50%) with reference to streptokinase (81.08%). Preliminary chemical group identification revealed the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, steroids, terpenoids, tannins and reducing sugars important secondary metabolites.

In present work, one novel ornamental plant Cassia nodosa Buch.-Ham. ex Roxb. has been investigated for hypoglycaemic action. It aimed to check the hypoglycaemic effect of C. nodosa leaves on normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by acute and sub-acute studies. Prior to the hypoglycaemic study, acute oral toxicity testing of drug was performed. Later the effects of single and multiple doses of test drug were studied using various parameters. Dried powdered leaf material was used as an oral drug. The preliminary phytochemistry of drug was done by standard qualitative tests. Diabetes was induced in rats by single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Single and multiple doses of test drug (0.5 g/kg body weight/day) were given to normal and diabetic rats. The parameters studied were blood glucose, serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides and serum proteins. The results of test drug were compared with standard hypoglycaemic drug-glibenclamide (0.01 g/ kg/day). It was done by 'Student's 't' test' and one-way ANOVA test. In preliminary phytochemistry antidiabetic compounds were detected. Unlike acute, sub-acute treatment of test drug showed highly significant reduction (40.29%) in blood glucose level of diabetic rats in 10 days. This effect was considerably good in comparison with standard drug (63.51%). The test drug and standard drug exhibited an insignificant change in the abnormal levels of serum metabolites of diabetic rats. Preclinically C. nodosa was proved to be an effective hypoglycaemic agent.

Achyranthas aspera Linn. (Amaranthaceae) seeds were studied to determine the various parameters for pharmacognostical standards. The whole plant of A. aspera is reported to have good medicinal values in traditional systems of medicine. The present paper deals with pharmacognostical examination of morphological and microscopical characters and physic-chemical investigations of seeds including determination of loss on drying, ash values, extractives values, foreign organic matter, crude fiber content, and hemolytic activity. The preliminary phytochemical screening, elemental analysis, microbial contamination of powdered drug, were also carried out. High performance thin layer chromatography profile developed for the seeds was to aid in identification of the drug and also in isolating and identifying the biomarker compound responsible for the bioactivity.

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the antimicrobial (antibacterial and antifungal) effects of hexane, toluene, isopropyl alcohol, acetone and ethanolic extracts of different parts (root and stem) of Withania somnifera (RUBL-20668) in order to use it as a possible source for new antimicrobial substances against important human pathogens. The dried and powdered parts were successively extracted using Soxhlet assembly; then antibacterial and antifungal activities were investigated by both, disc diffusion and serial dilution methods. The extract of W. somnifera significantly inhibited some important bacteria (two Gram +ve and four Gram-ve bacteria): Staphylococcus aureus (Gram +ve), Bacillus subtilis (Gram +ve), Escherichia coli (Gram-ve), Raoultella planticola (Gram -ve), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram-ve), Enterobactor aerogens (Gram-ve), one yeast Candida albicans and one fungi Aspergillus flavus, to varying degrees. Isopropyl alcohol, acetone and toluene extracts of W. somnifera showed highest activity against the pathogens. The inhibitory effect is very identical in magnitude and comparable with that of standard antibiotics. Gentamycin, the standard antibacterial drug used, was effective in inhibiting these bacteria. The effect on E. coli, R. planticola and S. aureus were comparable to that of gentamycin. Ketoconazole, the standard antifungal used, was effective against the fungi. The inhibitory effect is very identical in magnitude and comparable with that of standard antibiotics used.

Aerial parts of the plants, Buddleja asiatica Lour. and Buddleja davidii Franchet. were studied with a focus on essential oil composition by using gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques. A total of 15 and 17 components were identified representing 83.46% and 86.83% of the total oil of B. asiatica and B. davidii respectively. The major constituents in B. asiatica oil were n-tridecane (55.87%), 5-methylundecane (10.62%), n-dodecane (2.84%) and n-hexadecanol (2.76%), while B. davidii essential oil was found to contain n-dodecane (55.15%), 5-methylundecane (13.67%), iso-acorone (4.32%) and n-undecane (2.64%) as major components. Both the essential oils were found to contain hydrocarbons as major compounds. The major component detected in B. asiatica essential oil was found as minor component in B. davidii essential oil and vice versa. The plants can be further studied for their biological activities and to identify various chemotypes.

Among the most common infections of digestive system in human beings are helminth infections. In developing countries, they pose a large threat to the society. Such parasitic diseases cause severe morbidity, including lymphatic filariasis, onchoserciasis and schistosomiasis. Different extracts of the plant material were tested against adult Indian earthworms Pheretima posthuma (Pheritimidae) as test worms. Various concentrations (10, 25 and 50 mg/ml) of all extracts were tested and results were expressed in terms of time for paralysis and time for death of worms. Piperazine citrate (10 mg/ml) was used as the standard reference drug. Results showed that the aqueous extract is more potent as compared to other extracts as it took less time to cause paralysis and death of the earthworms as compared to standard reference drug.

Acorus calamus is widely used in traditional medicine in various ailments. However, there is no toxicological information available regarding its safety after exposure. The present study was designed to evaluate potential toxicity of an ethanolic extract of Acorus calamus Linn. rhizomes after acute and chronic administration in Wistar rats. In the acute toxicity study, female Wistar rats were treated with ethanolic extract by oral gavage at dose levels of 175, 550, 1750 and 5000 mg/kg body weight according to OECD 425. Animals were observed periodically during the first 24 h after administration of the extract, and daily thereafter for 14 days. In the chronic toxicity study, the ethanolic extract of Acorus calamus was administered orally at doses of 0, 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg body weight daily for 90 days in Wistar rats. The effects on clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, organ weight, haematology, clinical biochemistry, as well as histology, were studied. No mortality was observed, but clinical signs like abdominal breathing, piloerection and tremors were observed for 30 min in rats dosed with 1750 mg and 5000 mg/kg body weight of extract. No statistical significant data in body weight and feed consumption were observed. Haematological and biochemical analysis showed no marked differences in any of the parameters. Pathologically, neither gross abnormalities nor histopathological changes were observed. The ethanolic extract of A. calamus does not appear to have toxicity on acute and chronic administration in Wistar rats.

Passiflora incarnata also known as 'Passion flower' is used as an anxiolytic and sedative throughout the world from ancient time. The plant is used as an analgesic, antispasmodic, sedative- hypnotic and narcotic. It is also used in neuralgia, epilepsy, insomnia, ulcers, haemorrhoids and neurosis in many parts of the world. There was no report on analgesic activity of P. incarnata. Hence, the present study is designed to assess analgesic activity of leaves of P. incarnata using sodium chloride-induced eye wiping test and formalin test. In formalin test, n-butanol extract of leaves of P. incarnata (BEPI) in the doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg as well as BEPI-F1 showed significant reduction in duration of paw licking in neurogenic and inflammatory phase(P<0.001). Pretreatment with naloxone reversed the analgesia induced by BEPI, while atropine did not reverse the analgesia induced by BEPI significantly (P≤0.001). In eye wiping test, BEPI in the doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg, i.p. exerted significant reduction ( P≤0.001) in number of eye wipes compared to control group. Thus, the result concludes that BEPI and the fraction separated, BEPI-F1 has significant analgesic activity, which may be mediated through central mechanism by modulation of opioid receptors and nicotinic receptors.

Plants formed the basis of sophisticated traditional medicine systems that have been in existence for thousands of years. But, the advent of drug resistance in human pathogenic bacteria and others has prompted a search for more and better antibiotics. This has led to the identification of a new promising source of antimicrobials known as endophytes. Hence, our study was aimed to investigate the ability of endophytic fungi isolated from T. brownii to produce secondary metabolites, which can act as antimicrobial agents. In this preliminary investigation, the leaves were used for isolation of endophytic fungi and fermented, and the cell free ferment broth was subjected to antimicrobial screening against six human pathogens; Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans by using standard protocol of agar well diffusion method. The results of the endophyte isolation gave three fungal isolates named TBF1, TBF2 and TBF3. According to morphological and microscopical characterizations, the isolates were found to be similar to Rhizophus oryzae (TBF1), Aspergillus niger (TBF2) and Aspergillus flavus (TBF3). Two of the three isolated endophytes i.e., TBF2 and TBF3 showed potential antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and no inhibition was found against other tested pathogens. The present study has proven that T. brownii may be a rich source of endophytic fungi with antimicrobial potential and our findings may form a basis for further studies on endophytic fungi from medicinal plants for antimicrobial activities.

Aristolochia longa (from the family Aristolochiaceae) is widely used for cancer treatment in Algerian traditional medicine. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cytotoxic and apoptogenic activities. The phytochemical composition and acute toxicity of aqueous extracts of the roots of A. longa from Algeria. An aqueous extract (decoction) of dried A. longa roots was prepared. The cytotoxic effects of this aqueous extract were then evaluated in Burkitt's lymphoma BL41 cells, by flow cytometry. The induction of apoptosis was assessed in two corroborative assays: The propidium iodide staining of cell DNA and flow cytometry analyses of light scattering. Mitochondrial membrane potential was investigated with the fluorescent dye DIOC6. The expression and activation of capases-3, -8 and -9 were assessed by Western blotting. Acute oral toxicity was evaluated with a test dose limited to 5000 mg/kg. Phytochemical screening of A. longa roots was performed with standard qualitative procedures. The aqueous extract of A. longa induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner. The IC50 of A. longa aqueous extract was estimated at about 15,63 μg/ml. The extract-induced apoptosis, a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and the activation of caspases-9 and -3 followed by PARP cleavage. A. longa could therefore be considered a promising source of novel treatments for Burkitt's and other lymphomas.

The antimicrobial efficiency of Phyllanthus amarus Schum. and Thonn., medicinal plants (leaf extracts), was examined using Methanol, Ethanol, Petroleum ether. and water, as solvents and tested against eight human pathogens like Bacteria: Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Fungi: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium oxisporum, and Rhizopus stolonifer, using the agar well-diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration. All the plants showed significant activity against all pathogens, but the alcoholic extract of P. amarus showed the maximum zone of inhibition and minimum inhibitory concentration against all the microorganisms. The minimum zone of inhibition and comparatively greater inhibitory concentration were determined in petroleum ether, and the aqueous extract of P. amarus showed less antimicrobial activity against all the experimental strains. The alcoholic extracts of these plants could be a possible source of obtaining new and effective herbal medicines to treat infections, hence, it justified the ethnic use of P. amarus against various infectious diseases.

Alkaloids extracted from different parts (leaf, stem, stem bark, and fruits) of Terminalia chebula were screened for antimicrobial activity against nine bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Raoultella planticola, Enterobacter aerogens, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and two fungi (Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger) and one yeast (Candida albicans). Minimum inhibitory concentration, Minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration, and Total activity of the extracts, against each sensitive test pathogen, were also evaluated. Alkaloids from all plant parts showed good antimicrobial activity against almost all the test microorganisms except A. niger, against which, none of the tested extracts showed activity. The largest zone of inhibition (IZ 20.75 mm) was observed against P. aeruginosa. The total activity of the leaf alkaloid was found to be the same and the highest (256.41ml/g) was against E. aerogens and A. tumefaciens.

Artemisinin-based combination therapies are highly efficacious, and they are now listed as first-line therapies for uncomplicated malaria in most countries where malaria is endemic. Neurotoxicity of artemisinins is a growing concern. However, no studies have reported its antiepileptic or epileptogenesis potential, hence the present study was undertaken to explore the activity of artesunate in experimentally induced seizures in rodent models. Artesunate at doses 36.4 and 72.8 mg/kg respectively significantly reduced the duration of the hind limb extensions (3.033±1.493 and 2.033±1.383, respectively) when compared to the control (P<0.0001) in the maximal electroshock-induced seizure model. However, no significant decrease was noted in the duration of clonic convulsions in a pentylenetetrazole-induced seizure model indicating lack of activity in petit mal epilepsy. The results of the present study indicate that artesunate at both the doses employed showed a significant anticonvulsant activity in the maximum electroshock-induced seizure model suggesting its potential utility in the management of generalized tonic-clonic seizures and partial seizures. Further studies regarding its mechanism of action are warranted.

The present research work was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant potential and antiradical property of methanolic extract of Uncaria gambir. Antioxidant and radical scavenging activity were determined by using different in vitro assays including reducing power assay, superoxide anion scavenging activity assay, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity assay, nitric oxide scavenging activity assay, DPPH free radical scavenging assay and hydrogen peroxide method. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed that the extract of U. gambir possesses flavonoids, alkaloids and phenolic materials. In the present investigation, quantitative estimation of flavonoids content and phenolic content was also carried out by colorimetric methods, using aluminium chloride and Folin-Ciocalteu reagent method, respectively, to establish relationship between antioxidant activity and total phenolics and flavonoid contents. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were found to be 18.37±2.79 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry weight and 5.82±2.23 mg rutin equivalents (RE)/g dry weight, respectively. The extract showed significant antioxidant activity in a dose-dependent manner in all the assays. The IC ₅₀ values of all parameters were determined. Ascorbic acid was used as standard. The results obtained in the present study indicated that U. gambir extract could be a potential source of natural antioxidant.