Journal of Natural Remedies

S. S. Pramanik , T. K. Sur , P. K. Debnath , T. Pramanik , D. Bhattacharyya

Abstract

The study was carried out to establish the anti-stress effect of Pueraria tuberosa in relation to the levels of plasma corticosterone and norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in whole brain and hypothalamus and compared with Withania somnifera (adaptogen). Adult male Wistar rats pretreated with 70% hydroethanolic extract of P. tuberosa tuber ischolar_main (PTE) at the doses of 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, for 5 consecutive days. W. somnifera rhizome extract (WSE) at 100 mg/kg was used as reference drug. The rats were subjected to cold immobilization stress (IS) for 2 h. Thereafter, the animals were sacrificed and ulcer formation in gastric mucosa was noted. Weights of adrenals and spleens were also taken. Further, plasma corticosterone levels were estimated by spectrophotoflurometrically. Simultaneously, brain monoamines like, NE, DA and 5-HT were determined in whole brain and hypothalamus region HPLC electrochemical detector. IS for 2 h damaged the gastric mucosal layers, enhanced plasma corticosterone levels and increase adrenal glands and spleen weight. Further, IS elevated NE, DA and 5-HT levels both in whole brain and hypothalamus. PTE significantly protected the gastric mucosa, lowered corticosterone level in blood and negated the hypertrophy of adrenals and spleen. PTE (200 and 400 mg/kg) and WSE (100 mg/kg) significantly decreased IS elevated NE, DA and 5-HT both in whole brain and hypothalamus. These data suggest that anti-stress effect of Pueraria tuberosa may be modulated by monoaminergic system.

Keywords

Stress, Corticosterone, Monoamines, HPLC, Pueraria tuberosa, Withania somnifera

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K. Gulati , A. Ray , P. K. Debnath , S. K. Bhattacharya

Abstract

The traditional Indian system of medicine (Ayurveda) describes different modalities involved in the prevention and treatment of disease and stresses upon the role of diet, life style and drugs as cornerstones of therapy. Medicinal plant products are known to modify different aspects of human physiology and exert an alleviating influence on several pathophysiological states, and concepts of immunity and immunomodulation can be traced back several hundred years to the history of medicine. However, it is only in recent years that the scientific concept of immunomodulation has been forwarded, and it now appears that some of the beneficial effects of Indian medicinal plants, proposed in Ayurveda by Charaka and Sushruta Samhita, may be due to these "immunomodulatory" effects. Several research groups have worked on the scientific basis of such immunomodulatory effects of plant products, and as a result, considerable data has accrued. The present review summarizes some of these experimental data in an attempt to justify some of their beneficial effects in health and disease, and also to provide insights into the future research in this area.

Keywords

Immunomodulation, Indian Medicinal Plants

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