The petroleum ether extract of the oleo-gum resin of Commiphora molmol, at a dose of 500 mg/kg body weight, produced significant inhibition of carrageenan induced inflammation and cotton pellet granuloma. The extract also showed significant antipyretic activity in mice. Further studies on the fractionation of phytoconstituents and their mechanism of action are in progress.

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The decoction of the aerial part of Calotropis procera is commonly used in Saudi Arabian traditional medicine for the treatment of variety of diseases including fever, joint pain, muscular spasm and constipation. The present investigation was undertaken to confirm its claimed activity in traditional medicine. The ethanol extract of the plant was tested on laboratory animals for its antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, purgative and muscle relaxant activities. The results of this study showed a significant antipyretic, analgesic and neuromuscular blocking activity. On smooth muscle of guinea pig ileum, the extract produced contractions which was blocked by atropine supporting its use in constipation. The extract failed to produce significant anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities. Our phytochemical studies on the aerial parts of C. procera showed the presence of alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, tannins, flavonoids, sterols and/or triterpenes. However, the chemical constituents responsible for the pharmacological activities remains to be investigated. The safety evaluation studies revealed that the use of extract in single high doses (up to 3 g/kg) does not produce any visible toxic symptoms or mortality. However, prolong treatment (90 days) causes significantly higher mortality as compared to control group.

Acute (24 h) and chronic (90 days) oral toxicity studies on the ethanolic extracts of the rhizomes of Alpinia galanga and Curcuma longa were carried out in mice. Acute dosages were 0.5, 1.0, and 3 g/kg body weight while the chronic dosage was 100 mg/kg/day as the extract. All external morphological, hematological, and spermatogenic changes, in addition to body weight and vital organ weights were recorded. During this investigation no significant mortality as compared to the controls was observed. The weight gain in the A. galanga treated animals was significant as in the control group while the C. longa-treated animals gained no significant weight after chronic treatment. C. longa treatment induced significant changes in heart and lungs weights upon chronic treatment. Hematological studies revealed a significant rise in the RBC level of A. galanga-treated animals and a significant fall in the WBC and RBC levels of the C. longa-treated animals as compared to the controls. The gain in weights of sexual organs and increased sperm motility and sperm counts were observed in both groups of extract-treated male mice, however, these changes were highly significant in the A. galanga-treated group. Both extracts failed to show any spermatotoxic effects.