• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.177-179
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• 2003

The genus Aerva is distributed is temperate and stropical Asia and Africa. Aerva species, Aerva lanata and Aerva javanica have been used for antidiarrhoeal activity in Indian traditional medicine. A.lanata and A.javanica were screened separately for their. anti-diarrhoeal activity and their action on intestinal transit on their vacuum dried ethanolic and aqueous extracts at the dose of 800 mg/kg by standard methods. All the extracts showed significant antidairrhoeal activity and significantly reduced intestinal transit in charcoal meal test. The results illustrate that the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of A.lanata and the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of A.javanica have significant antidiarrhoeal activity and the activity may be attributed to its effect on intestinal transit. The present study supports the claim of Aerva lanata and Aerva javanica as antidiarrhoeal drugs in the Indian system of medicine.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.59-66
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• 2008

This study was undertaken to evaluate the antioxidant potential of A. lanata on oxalate mediated free radical toxicity in ethylene glycol induced calcium oxalate urolithic rats. Calcium oxalate (CaOX) stone was induced by 0.75% ethylene glycol in drinking water for 28 days. From $29^{th}$ day onwards, the CaOX urolithic rats were treated with A. lanata aqueous suspension (2,000 mg/kg body weight/dose/day) orally for another 28 days. At the end of experimental periods the animals were sacrificed, samples were collected and analyzed the lipid peroxidation product, protein oxidation product, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants in normal and experimental groups. Lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation products were significantly elevated while enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant levels were significantly decreased in ethylene glycol induced CaOX urolithic rats when compared with control rats. The above alterations were reverted to near control in rats treated with aqueous suspension of A. lanata. This study suggests that A. lanata could prevent the free radical formation from calcium oxalate urolithiasis in rats and protecting the renal cells from oxidative injury.