Anti-inflammatory and Anti-ulcerogenic Activities of Chantaleela Recipe

Chantaleela recipe is indicated for relieving fever in Thai traditional folk medicine. In the present study, Chantaleela recipe was investigated for anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic and anti-ulcerogenic activities. In preliminary investigation Chantaleela recipe was found to exert an inhibitory activity on the acute phase of inflammation as seen in ethyl phenylpropiolate-induced ear edema as well as in carrageenan-induced hind paw edema in rats. The results suggest that the anti-inflammatory activity of Chantaleela recipe may be due to an inhibition via cyclooxygenase pathway. In the analgesic test, Chantaleela recipe showed a significant analgesic activity in both the early and late phases of formalin test, but exerted the most pronounced effect in the late phase. The analgesic activity of Chantaleela recipe may act via mechanism at peripheral and partly central nervous system. In antipyretic test, Chantaleela recipe significantly decreased rectal temperature of brewer''s yeast-induced hyperthermia rats, probably by inhibiting synthesis and/or release of prostaglandin E₂ in the hypothalamus. Therefore, the key mechanism of anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic activity of the Chantaleela recipe likely involves the inhibition of the synthesis and/or release of inflammatory or pain mediators, especially prostaglandins. The oral administration of the Chantaleela recipe reduced ulcer formation in acute gastric ulcer models (EtOH/HCl-, indomethacin-, and stress-induced gastric lesions). In contrast, this recipe did not reduce the secretory rate, total acidity, and increase pH in rat stomach. These results indicated that Chantaleela seem to possess anti-ulcerogenic effect. This activity may be due to the increase of gastric mucosal resistance or potentiation of defensive factors and/or the decrease of aggressive factors but did not associate the anti-secretory activity. Moreover, the high oral doses treated did not cause acute toxicity in rats and the long term oral administration did not produce gastric and ileum lesions.     

Anti-Diarrheal Activity and Toxicity of Learng Pid Samud Recipe

Learng Pid Samud (LPS) recipe is a traditional remedy in Thai folk medicine to ease the common diarrhea. The anti-diarrheal potential of LPS recipe was herein examined in vitro using a guinea-pig ileum model. The LPS exerted an inhibitory effect on acetylcholine-induced smooth muscle contraction in the guinea pig ileum. Significantly, not only did the LPS reduce the total amount of feces in the induced diarrhea rats, but also the intestinal transit in the charcoal meal test. A single oral administration with the recipe at 5,000 mg/kg did not cause acute toxicity and the daily oral administration (1,000, 2,000 and 4,000 mg/kg) for 90 days in rats did not produce any toxic signs and symptoms. In conclusion, the Learng Pid Samud recipe remedy is evidently safe and effective for the anti-diarrheal treatment which supports its therapeutic uses in the alternative medicine.     

Acute and Subchronic Toxicity of Chantaleela Recipe in Rats

Acute and subchronic toxicities of Chantaleela recipe were studied in both male and female rats. Oral administration of the extract at a single dose of 5,000 mg/kg body weight (5 females, 5 males) did not produce signs of toxicity, behavioral changes, mortality or differences on gross appearance of internal organs. The subchronic toxicity was determined by oral feeding the test substance at the doses of 600, 1,200 and 2,400 mg/kg body weight for 90 days (10 females, 10 males). No signs of abnormalities were observed in the test groups as compared to the controls. The test and control groups (on the 90^th day) and the satellite group (on the 118^th day) were analyzed by measuring their final body and organ weights, taking necropsy, and examining hematological parameters, blood clinical chemistry and histopathology features. The results suggest that Chantaleela recipe did not cause acute or subchronic oral toxicities to female and male rats.     

Acute and Subchronic Toxicity Study of Tud-Rak-Ka-Sai-Puu Recipe in Rats

Acute and subchronic toxicities of Tud-Rak-Ka-Sai-Puu (TR) recipe were studied in male and female rats. After 14 days of a single oral administration of test substance (5,000 mg/kg body weight), measurement of the body and organs weights, necropsy and health monitoring were performed. No signs and differences in the weights and behavior were observed relative to the control rats, suggesting that TR recipe in the dose of 5,000 mg/kg body weight does not produce acute toxicity. The subchronic toxicity was determined by oral feeding in male and female rats daily with the test substance at 2, 20, 200 and 2,000 mg/kg body weight for 90 days. No defects of animal behavior were observed in the test groups. Both test and control groups (on the 90^th day) as well as the satellite group (on the 118^th day) were analyzed by measuring their final body and organ weights, taking necropsy, and examining hematology, blood clinical chemistry, and microanatomy. These results together with the information of signs, behavior and health monitoring can lead to a conclusion that an oral administration of TR recipe at 2, 20, 200 and 2,000 mg/kg body weight for 90 days did not cause subchronic toxicity.     

Evaluation of Acute and Subacute Oral Toxicity of the Ethanol Extract from Antidesma Acidum Retz.

Toxicity tests of 95% ethanol extract of the root of Antidesma acidum were studied in male and female rats. The oral acute toxicity test at 5,000 mg/kg revealed that the ethanol extract did not produce toxic effects on signs, general behavious, mortality and gross appearance of internal organs of rats. Furthermore, the oral sub-acute toxicity test at the dose of 1,000 mg/kg/day displayed no significant changes in body and internal organs'' weights, normal hematological and clinical blood chemistry values. Histological examination also showed normal architecture of all internal organs. In conclusion, the ethanol extract of Antidesma acidum did not produce any toxicity in oral acute and suba-cute toxicity studies.     

Evaluation of Anti-Inflammatory and Antinociceptive Activity of Triphala Recipe

The anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of Triphala recipe were studied in animal models. Triphala recipe (4 mg/ear) significantly exhibited an inhibitory effect on the ear edema formation induced by ethyl phenylpropiolate-induced, but not on the arachidonic acid-induced ear edema in rats. Furthermore, Triphala recipe at the doses of 300, 600 and 1,200 mg/kg significantly reduced carrageenan-induced hind paw edema. Next, the anti-inflammatory action in chronic inflammation was measured using the cotton pellet-induced granuloma formation assay in rats. Triphala recipe (1,200 mg/kg) reduced neither transudative weight nor granuloma formation. It also did not affect on body weight gain and thymus weight indicating that Triphala recipe does not have a steroid-like effect. In antinociceptive study, Triphala recipe (300, 600, 1,200 mg/kg), elicited significant inhibitory effect on both phases, especially in late phase, of the formalin test in mice suggesting that the antinociceptive action of Triphala recipe may be via both peripheral and at least partly centrally acting.     

Toxicity Studies of the Water Extract from the Calyces of Hibiscus Sabdariffa L. in Rats

Acute and chronic toxicities of the water extract from calyces of Hibiscus sabdariffa were studied in male and female rats. After 14 days of a single oral administration of test substance 5,000 mg/kg body weight, measurement of the body and organ weights, necropsy and health monitoring were performed. No signs and differences of the weights or behaviour compared to the control rats were observed. The results indicated that the single oral administration of H. sabdariffa extract in the amount of 5,000 mg/kg body weight does not produce acute toxicity. The chronic toxicity was determined by oral feeding both male and female rats daily with the extract at the doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight for 270 days. The examinations of signs, animal behaviour and health monitoring showed no defects in the test groups compared to the control groups. Both test and control groups (day 270th) and satellite group (day 298th) were analysed by measuring their final body and organ weights, taking necropsy, and examining haematology, blood clinical chemistry, and microanatomy. Results showed no differences from the control groups. Overall, our study demonstrated that an oral administration of H. sabdariffa extract at the doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight for 270 days does not cause chronic toxicity in rat.     

Antitumour effects of phyllanthus emblica L.: Induction of cancer cell apoptosis and Inhibition of in vivo tumour promotion and in vitro invasion of human cancer cells

Phyllanthus emblica Linn. (PE) is a medicinal fruit used in many Asian traditional medicine systems for the treatment of various diseases including cancer. The present study tested the potential anticancer effects of aqueous extract of PE in four ways: (1) against cancer cell lines, (2) in vitro apoptosis, (3) mouse skin tumourigenesis and (4) in vitro invasiveness. The PE extract at 50–100 µg/mL significantly inhibited cell growth of six human cancer cell lines, A549 (lung), HepG2 (liver), HeLa (cervical), MDA‐MB‐231 (breast), SK‐OV3 (ovarian) and SW620 (colorectal). However, the extract was not toxic against MRC5 (normal lung fibroblast). Apoptosis in HeLa cells was also observed as PE extract caused DNA fragmentation and increased activity of caspase‐3/7 and caspase‐8, but not caspase‐9, and up‐regulation of the Fas protein indicating a death receptor‐mediated mechanism of apoptosis. Treatment of PE extract on mouse skin resulted in over 50% reduction of tumour numbers and volumes in animals treated with DMBA/TPA. Lastly, 25 and 50 µg/mL of PE extract inhibited invasiveness of MDA‐MB‐231 cells in the in vitro Matrigel invasion assay. These results suggest P. emblica exhibits anticancer activity against selected cancer cells, and warrants further study as a possible chemopreventive and antiinvasive agent. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Acute and Chronic Toxicity Studies of the Water Extract from Dried Fruits of Terminalia Bellerica (Gaertn.) Roxb. IN Spargue-Dawley Rats

Acute and chronic toxicities of the water extract from the dried fruits of Terminalia bellerica (Gaertn.) Roxb. were assessed in both female and male rats. For the study of acute toxicity, a single oral administration of the water extract at a dose of 5,000 mg/kg body weight (10 female, 10 male) was performed and the results showed no signs of toxicity such as general behavior changes, morbidity, mortality, changes on gross appearance or histopathological changes of the internal organs of rats. The study of chronic toxicity was determined by oral feeding both female and male rats (10 female, 10 male) daily with the test substance at the dose of 300, 600 and 1,200 mg/kg body weight continuously for 270 days. The examinations of signs of toxicity showed no abnormalities in the test groups compared to the controls. In addition, these rats were analyzed for final body and organ weights, necropsy, as well as hematological, blood chemical and histopathological parameters. Taken together, the water extract from the dried fruits of T. bellerica did not cause acute or chronic toxicities in either female or male rats.