@article {632, title = {The Triterpenoid Fraction from Trichosanthes Dioica Root Exhibits in Vitro Antileishmanial Effect Against Leishmania Donovani Promastigotes}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {5}, year = {2013}, month = {April 2013}, pages = { 109-112}, type = {Original Article }, chapter = {109}, abstract = {

Background:Trichosanthes dioica\ Roxb. (Cucurbitaceae), called pointed gourd in English is a dioecious climber found wild throughout the plains of the Indian subcontinent and traditionally used in India for several medicinal purposes.\ Objective:\ The present study was aimed at the evaluation of\ in vitro\ antileishmanial effect of triterpenoid fraction from\ T. dioica\ root (CETD).\ Materials and Methods:\ The antileishmanial activity of CETD was evaluated against\ Leishmania donovani\ (strain MHOM/IN/83/AG83)) promastigotes by\ in vitro\ promastigote cell toxicity assay by using MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide). Potassium antimonyl tartrate was used as reference.\ Results:\ Here, CETD markedly inhibited the growth of\ L. donovani\ promastigotes\ in vitro\ in a concentration dependent manner and demonstrated IC\ 50\ value of 18.75 μg/ml. The reference drug potassium antimonyl tartrate exhibited IC\ 50\ of 7.52 μg/ml.\ Conclusion:\ From the present study it can be inferred that the triterpenoid fraction of\ T. dioica\ root exhibited remarkable antileishmanial activity against\ Leishmania donovani\ promastigotes\ in vitro.

}, keywords = {Antileishmanial, Cucurbitacins, Leishmania Donovani, Ppromastigotes, Root, Trichosanthes Dioica}, doi = {10.4103/0974-8490.110540}, author = {Sanjib Bhattacharya and Moulisha Biswas and Pallab K Haldar} } @article {599, title = {Allelopathic Effect of Ashwagandha Against the Germination and Radicle Growth of Cicer Arietinum and Triticum Aestivum}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {July,2012}, pages = { 166-169}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {166}, abstract = {

Background: Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an important medicinal plant in Indian traditional system of medicine and traditionally has been used for several medicinal purposes in the Indian subcontinent. Objective: The present study was aimed at the evaluation of allelopathic effect of hydroalcoholic extract of ashwagandha against germination and radicle growth of Cicer arietinum and Triticum aestivum seeds. Materials and Methods: The extract at different concentrations was incubated in controlled conditions with the surface sterilized seeds of C. arietinum and T. aestivum and observed periodically for seed germination and radicle growth to assess the allelopathic behavior. Results: The extract mainly at higher concentrations demonstrated promising allelopathic potential by significantly affecting seed germination and radicle elongation of both C. arietinum and T. aestivum in a concentration dependent manner. T. aestivum was found to be more sensitive than C. arietinum. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated remarkable allelopathic potential of ashwagandha against the test seeds. The effect was plausibly due to the alkaloid and withanolide contents of ashwagandha.

}, keywords = {Allelopathic, Ashwagandha, Cicer arietinum, Triticum aestivum, Withanolides}, doi = {10.4103/0974-8490.99082}, author = {Sangita Chandra and Priyanka Chatterjee and Protapaditya Dey and Sanjib Bhattacharya} } @article {965, title = {Are We in the Polyphenols Era?}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {June 2011}, pages = {147}, type = {letter to the editor}, chapter = {147}, abstract = {

Sir, Polyphenols constitute a group comprising about 8000 different molecules, among which flavonoids are the most studied family. Polyphenols are potent antioxidants abundant in medicinal plants, fruits, vegetables and particularly in derived food products such as chocolate, tea and wine. This more {\textquoteleft}natural{\textquoteright} approach to antioxidant supplementation seems to be promising, since the antioxidant capacity of these compounds is not simply related to direct scavenging of reactive oxidant species (ROS), but also to inhibition of enzymatic sources of oxidative stress and augmentation of endogenous nonenzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant systems. Benefits from polyphenol-rich medicinal plants, foods and beverages are likely to arise from multiple pathways, and the antioxidant property appears to be only one of these.[1,2]. Read more...

}, doi = {10.4103/0974-8490.81966}, author = {Sanjib Bhattacharya} } @article {947, title = {Evaluation of in vitro Cytotoxic Effect of Trichosanthes dioica Root}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {2}, year = {2010}, month = {January 2011}, pages = {355-358}, type = {O}, chapter = {355}, abstract = {

Background: Trichosanthes dioica Roxb. (Cucurbitaceae), called pointed gourd in English is a dioecious climber grown in India and used traditionally for various medicinal purposes. Methods: Present study was aimed to evaluate in vitro cytotoxic effect of dichloromethane (DCTD), methanol (METD), and aqueous (AQTD) extracts of T. dioica root using Allium cepa root meristems by keeping them in different concentrations of each test extract under specific experimental conditions followed by determination of root growth inhibition (root length and number) and mitotic index. Results: All the extracts significantly demonstrated concentration-dependent inhibition of root length and number and reduction in mitotic index, indicating antimitotic activity demonstrating cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. DCTD was found to be the most potent (EC 50 : 2.8 mg/ml), followed by METD and AQTD. Conclusion: The present study therefore, establishes promising in vitro cytotoxic and genotoxic property of T. dioica root against the test system.

}, keywords = {Allium cepa, Antimitotic, Cytotoxic, Root}, doi = {10.4103/0974-8490.75454}, author = {Sanjib Bhattacharya and Pallab K Haldar} } @article {843, title = {A New Alkaloid Isolated from Abies webbiana Leaf}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {2}, year = {2010}, month = {July 2010}, pages = {186-189}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {186}, abstract = {

A new alkaloid namely 1-(4'-methoxyphenyl)-aziridine was isolated from the leaf of Abies webbiana Lindl. (Pinaceae), grown in Sikkim Himalayan region of India. Its chemical structure was elucidated on the basis of elemental and spectral analyses. This is the first experimental report of the isolation of any alkaloid from A. webbiana.

}, keywords = {Abies webbiana Lindl., Aziridine alkaloid, Leaves, Pinaceae}, doi = {10.4103/0974-8490.65516}, author = {Ashoke K Ghosh and Debanjan Sen and Sanjib Bhattacharya} } @article {783, title = {Essential Oil Composition of Fruits and Leaves of Zanthoxylum nitidum Grown in Upper Assam Region of India}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {January 2010 }, type = {Original Article}, abstract = {

Essential oils isolated by hydro-distillation from the fruits and leaves of Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC (Rutaceae), growing in upper Assam region of North-East India were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The fruit volatile oil contained 17 components amongst which 75\% were monoterpenes, 12.5\% were sesquiterpenes and 12.5\% were straight chain hydrocarbons; whereas the leaf volatile oil contained 16 components out of which 60\% were monoterpenes, 13.3\% were sesquiterpenes, and 26.7\% were straight chain hydrocarbons. Linalool (23.3\%), limonene (12.9\%), 6-terpineol (8.3\%), 6-pinene (7.9\%) were the predominant monoterpenes of the fruit oil and the main monoterpenes in the leaf oil were limonene (33.1\%), geraniol (10.6\%) and carvone (9.6\%).

}, keywords = {Essential oil, Limonene, Linalool, Monoterpenes, Zanthoxylum nitidum}, doi = {Nil}, author = {Sanjib Bhattacharya and Md. Kamaruz Zaman} }