• Advances in Traditional Medicine
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.295-301
• /
• 2008

The methanolic root extract of tissue cultured Pluchea indica (L.) Less. was tested for its antibacterial potentiality against 102 different strains of bacteria belonging to both Gram positive and Gram negative groups. The bacteria could be arranged according to their decreasing order of sensitivity as follows: Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae, Bacillus spp. Vibrio parahaemolyticus, shigellae, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli. The extract was found to be bacteriostatic in nature against Salmonella typhimurium NCTC 74. When administered to Swiss strain of white mice at the doses of 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg body weight, the extract could significantly protect the animals challenged with 50 MLD of S. typhimurium NCTC 74. According to the chi-square test, the in vivo data is highly significant (P < 0.001).

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.197-204
• /
• 2007

The present study focused on the establishment of micropropagation protocol for the high value Pluchea (P.) indica (L.) Less., genotype, an important medicinal plant and evaluation of the diuretic activity of the leaf extract of the tissue cultured plant. Leaf explants, nodal segments and shoot tips were cultured in MS medium supplemented with auxin and cytokinin and their combinations. With the objective of inducing callus giving rise to new adult plants, naphthalene acetic acid was found to be most effective for (80%) for callus induction. The methanolic extract of leaves of the micropropagated P. indica was investigated for its diuretic activity in Wistar albino rats. Urinary excretion parameters were studied for evaluation of diuretic activity using Frusemide (20 mg/kg, p.o.) as standard. The extract showed significant diuretic activity at the doses of 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg. p.o. An oral acute toxicity study for the extract was carried out and the $LD_{50}$ value was found to be 2,825 mg/kg body weight.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.232-236
• /
• 2006

The hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic activity of methanolic extract of Pluchea indica Less. (Asteraceae) (MEPI) leaves were studied in normal rats and in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats respectively. The blood glucose levels were measured at 1, 4, 8, 16 and 24 h intervals after the treatment. The MEPI leaves showed reduction in blood glucose level in normal (35.12% and 36.01 % for 200 and 400 mg/kg, p.o. respectively) and in steptozotocin induced diabetic rats (36.10% and 41.87% for 200 and 400 mg/kg respectively). A toxicity study has been performed for the extract, which revealed that the extract is safe to use even at the doses of 3.2 gm/kg of body weight orally.