Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products
Volume:2 Issue: 1, Mar 2007

The ethanol extract of Bougainvillea spectabilis (ALBS) leaves were studied for its antiulcer activity against aspirin plus pylorus ligation induced gastric ulcer, HCl /ethanol induced ulcer and water immersion stress induced ulcer in rats. The results were compared with ranitidine, sucralfate, omeprazole respectively, for each model suggesting a mechanism for the pharmacological action (antisecretory, cytoprotection, proton pump hypothesis were evaluated). The ethanol extract of Bougainvillea spectabilis showed reduction in gastric volume, free acidity, total acidity and the ulcer inhibition was found to be 100%. The plant extract showed significant cytoprotective effect 89.71% and the extract showed protection index 72% in water immersion stress induced ulcer.

Acetaminophen is widely used as an analgesic and antipyretic drug, which can cause hepatic injury when given in high doses. The purpose of this study was to find out the hepatoprotective effect of Curcuma longa extract against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. In this study six groups of mice (each group consisted of 10 mice) were used. The first group(C) received only normal saline as the negative control group and the second group (A) had been fed by 750 mg/kg acetaminophen as positive control group. The test groups (T1-T4) treated by Curcuma longa rhizoma extract in doses 200,400,800 and 1000 mg/kg respectively and after 24 hours blood was taken from the jugular arteries of the mice΄s necks for biochemical tests and at the same time liver was removed and kept in 10% formalin solution for histopathology tests. The results showed that the acute elevation of serum transaminases (ALT, AST) significiently reduced in the groups receiving Curcuma longa and the difference with the positive group (A) was significant (p<0.01). Necrosis of liver showed appropriate decrease according to histopathologic observation. It is concluded that Curcuma longa extract seems to have protective effect on hepatotoxicity induced by acetaminophen.

Vitamin C, a water soluble antioxidant, can react with amino groups of proteins to form schiff bases. As diabetes leads to glycation of various proteins which has effect on structure and biochemical activity of them, the inhibition of this process seems very vital. For several years researches in this field have done their best to recognize the antidiabetics compounds. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of vitamin C on albumin glycation in vitro. So in the presence of various concentration of vitamin C, albumin was glycated and evaluated using TBA method. The results showed that vitamin C significantly (P<0.05) inhibit or decrease the reaction of albumin glycation. The findings of this research showed that vitamin C probably inhibit the reaction of glycation and decrease complications occurring in diabetes.

Catatonia is one of the major signs of parkinson’s disease which is due to impaired dopamine in extrapyrmidal system. This study was performed to elucidate the role of L-tyrosine, vitamin E and vitamin C on perphenazine-induced catatonia in model of rat. Eight groups of rats were pretreated orally by a single dose of L-tyrosine (1500 mg/kg), vitamin E (250 mg/kg), vitamin C (300 mg/kg), vitamin E plus vitamin C, vitamin E plus L-tyrosine, vitamin C plus L-tyrosine, vitamins E and C plus L-tyrosine and normal saline (control group) for two weeks, respectively. One hour after the last dose, perphenazine (5 mg/kg) was administered (IP) to induce catatonia. Muscular rigidity of animals was determined by scoring method of Morpurgo. The results of this study indicate that L-tyrosine plus vitamins E and C could reduce the perphenazine-induced muscular rigidity better than other groups.

Platycladus orintalis (L.) Franco belongs to Cupressaceae family. This species is an important herb in chinese medicine as a hemostatic, expectorant, and cough remedy. Mono and sesquiterpenoids in essential oils of different parts of the plant were previously reported as chemical constituents of this plant. The aim of this work was to compare the influence of steam distillation (SD) and steam distillation solvent extraction (SDE) methods on the essential oils composition of different parts of the plant. The essential oils from different parts (leaves, branches, fruits) of P. orientalis were obtained by SD and SDE methods separately. The essential oils were analyzed for identification of the components by GC and GC-MS instruments. The main components of all essential oils were determined as ִα-pinene, δ-3-carene, sabinene and cedrol. Significant differences between two methods were recorded in the oxygenated constituents percentages. The SDE method showed a higher recovery of these compounds. The recovery of oxygenated compounds is higher in SDE method than SD method. The results indicated that SDE is more selective than the conventional steam distillation method in the extraction of oxygenated monoterpenes in essential oil.

Diazepam is a long-acting benzodiazepine with anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, sedative muscle relaxant properties and it is the most widely used drug for treatment of insomnia, convulsions, and status epilepticus. Considering the advantages of rectal administration of diazepam, the objective of our study was to formulate and evaluate rectal hydrogels containing diazepam as a drug substance in combination with suitable co-solvents and preservatives. Hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC) gels containing 5 mg diazepam in a 2.5 mL rectal gel, manifested good quality in respect to physico-chemical parameters (pH value, drug content and viscosity). Three types of formulation containing benzoate buffer, phosphate buffer and without buffer were prepared and evaluated. Different physico-chemical parameters were investigated. Diazepam content in different formulations was in the range of 96 to 103 % which had less than 5% error. pH determination from all formulations did not change significantly during 60 days of preparation. Prepared gels showed good antimicrobial efficiency. Viscosity determination showed that viscosity of formulation No. 3 (without buffer) was highest among all formulations. Formulation containing water (without buffer) was the best formulation, because its shelf-life was 458 days at refrigerator condition and its pH was 6.5 which is in the acceptable range.

Salicylic acid (SA) is an ideal exfoliant for use on acne and acne-prone skin. It was chosen as the model drug. Samples were prepared by simple dispersing different hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) amounts (0.5-2%) in isopropyl alcohol solution and keeping in 4, 25 and 40°C. In all these systems viscosity, spreading, adhesive properties and drug release were characterized. The silastic membrane was employed as a barrier in Franz diffusion cell to study in vitro drug release. The concentration of drug was analyzed by means of UV spectrophotometer at the maximum wave length of 302 nm. The increasing in HPC concentration caused increased viscosity. A relationship between the viscosity and bioadhesive strength was shown by HPC gels. The results demonstrated that the flux of SA decreased with increase in pH and SA permeation conformed to the pH partition hypothesis. The results showed that increasing of the HPC concentration caused in a reduction of SA release rate SA from gels and increasing of HPC was related to an increased viscosity of formulation. Also an increase in the ratio of collodion: drug (2:1) and a decrease in the ratio of isopropyl alcohol: drug (less than 3:1) caused the decrease of transparency of gel and the release rate. The results showed that diffusion of SA gel followed peppas model.