Pharmacognostical And Pharmacological Evaluation Of Stem Bark Of Commiphora Berryi (Arn) Engl

Abstract

The present thesis deals with the exploration of Pharmacognostical and Pharmacological Evaluation of Stem Bark of Commiphora berryi (Arn) Engl, which is traditionally used by the local people in South India for the treatment of ulcer. The total methanol extract was used instead of isolated compounds, since in Ayurvedic and Herbal medicine practice, the total extract is used as therapeutic agent instead of isolated compounds on the scientific approach that certain components in the extract nullify the side effects of other components. In preliminary phytochemical analysis, the methanol extract of Commiphora berryi (MECB) showed the presence of phytoconstituents such as carbohydrates, gum, mucilage, phytosterols, tannins, phenolic compounds and triterpenoids. The MECB was subjected to column chromatography for the separation of its phytoconstituents. The fractions obtained from column chromatography were subjected to gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Acute oral toxicity study of MECB was conducted as per OECD-423 guidelines and it showed no mortality or acute toxicity up to 3 g/kg, b. wt. by oral dose. Antiulcer activity of MECB was studied by aspirin plus pylorus ligation and stress induced ulcer models in rats. In aspirin plus pylorus ligation model, when compared with ranitidine treated group, the group treated with 500 mg/kg extract showed marginal activity and the group treated with 750 mg/kg extract showed significant activity, which was higher than that of the ranitidine treated group. MECB was tested for the hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats at the dose of 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg and standard drug, silymarin at 25 mg/kg. The potential of MECB on liver markers and antioxidant liver enzymes was measured. The MECB and silymarin exhibited significant hepatoprotective effect by reducing  the  amount  of  serum  enzymes,  bilirubin. In antioxidant system, the liver enzyme level of SOD, CAT and glutathione peroxidase increased in a dose dependent manner. The above results reveal that the hepatoprotective effect of MECB may be due to its antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties.