• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.73-80
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• 2008

The objective of the present study was to assess the antipsychotic and antidiarrhoeal activities of ethanolic extract of roots of Rubia cordifolia in mice and rats. The antipsychotic activity of ethanolic extract of roots of Rubia cordifolia (ERC) was evaluated by observing its effect on amphetamineinduced stereotyped behavior in mice. Effect of ERC was also studied on motor coordination and locomotion in mice. The antidiarrhoeal activity was evaluated using castor oil-induced diarrhoea and excretion of sodium and potassium ions in the intestinal secretion in rats and gastrointestinal transit in mice. The ERC inhibited amphetamine-induced stereotyped behaviour, diminished locomotion and impaired motor coordination. ERC inhibited castor oil-induced diarrhoea, decreased both sodium and potassium excretion in the intestine and decreased gastrointestinal transit. Thus the present study confirms the anti-diarrhoeal activity of Rubia cordifolia. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the potential of Rubia cordifolia as an antipsychotic.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.235-242
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• 2004

The alcoholic extract of dried roots of Rubia cordifolia dose dependently reduced blood sugar level in alloxan treated rats. The extract also reduced ulcer index, plasma corticosterone in cold restrain stressed rats in dose related manner. The mice treated with alcoholic extract of Rubia cordifolia spent more time in the open arm of the elevated plus maze indicating anxiolytic activity. The extract also antagonized the amnesic effect of scopolamine in mice as indicated by reduced transfer latency in the elevated plus maze. Thus the plant bears potential for use in diabetes, stress, anxiety, and dementia.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.163-168
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• 2009

To understand cytotoxic activity of Rubia cordifolia L. (Rubiaceae), which has been used as a traditional oriental medicine, the mechanism underlying cytotoxic effect of its extract on human acute Jurkat T cells was investigated. The methanol extract of roots (3 kg) of R. codifolia was evaporated, dissolved in water, and then extracted by dichloromethane. The substances in the chloroform extract showing the most cytotoxic activity were further purified by a series of preparative HPLC. The extracted active substance (65 mg) was designated as CCH1. When Jurkat T cells were treated with CCH1 at concentration ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 ${\mu}g$/ml, apoptotic phenomena of cells companying several subsequent biochemical reactions such as mitochondria cytochrome c release, activation of casapase-8, -9, and caspase- 3, degradation of PARP and DNA fragmentation occurred via mitochondria-dependent pathway. However, abrogation of apoptosis was observed in an ectopic expression of Bcl-xL, which is a suppressor for mitochondrial cytochrome c release. These results demonstrate that the cytotoxicity of CCH1 against Jurkat T cells is attributable to apoptosis mediated by mitochodria-dependent death-signaling regulated by Bcl-xL. In addition, the CCH1 is more potent to leukemia Jurkat T cell than to human peripheral blood monocyte cells (PBMC).