Objective:Red scorpion (Mesobuthus tamulus) is the most lethal among all poisonous species of scorpions. Envenoming by Mesobuthus tamulus is quite common along the western coast of India, without any established therapy. Andrographis paniculata is one of the plants that has long been used in traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of poisoning by animal bites. Hence, the study was planned to evaluate the ethanolic extract of Andrographis paniculata for the treatment of Mesobuthus tamulus envenoming.Materials and Methods:Ethanolic extract of the plant Andrographis paniculata was obtained using a soxhelet apparatus. Lyophilized venom sample of Mesobuthus tamulus was used. Swiss albino mice weighing 20–30 g were used in the study. Calculation of LD99 of Mesobuthus tamulus venom was performed using Turner's method. Acute toxicity of Mesobuthus tamulus venom and its neutralization by the plant extract at a dose of 1 g/kg and 2 g/kg in vivo was seen. Neutralization of the lethal venom effect of Mesobuthus tamulus by plant extract at the dose of 1 g/kg and 2 g/kg by Alam and Gome's method (in vitro) was also seen.Results:The LD99 of Mesobuthus tamulus venom from this study was determined to be 25.12 μg/g and the LD50 was 15.85 μg/g. In the acute toxicity and in vivo neutralization study, plant extract at the dose of 1 g/kg and 2 g/kg resulted in a mean survival of 62.667 min and 39.333 min, respectively. Neutralization of the lethal venom effect of Mesobuthus tamulus by the plant extract at the dose of 1 g/kg and 2 g/kg by Alam and Gome's method (in vitro) showed a mean survival of 49.667 min and 42.5 min, respectively.Conclusion:The ethanolic extract of Adrographis paniculata has some protective effect against the red scorpion venom in mice but does not offer any survival benefit.

Background:To investigate the anti-cobra venom effect of alcoholic extract of Andrographis paniculata.Materials and Methods:After calculating the LD99 of snake venom, the venom-neutralizing ability of plant extract at the dose 1 g/kg and 2 g/kg was determined using in vitro and in vivo methods. The alleviation in the mean survival time of the animals were used to infer the antivenom property of the drug after challenging with LD99 of snake venom.Results:The ethanolic extract of plant A. paniculata significantly increases mean survival time and the protection fold, but could not protect animals from death when used alone. The higher dose, i.e., 2 g/kg was found better than that of the lower. ASV was found more effective than the plant extract. When ASV was given along with plant extract, it potentiates its effect.Conclusion:The observation demonstrates the anti-cobra venom activity of ethanolic extract of A. paniculata which is comparable with ASV.

Objective:To study the effect of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) cinnarizine and nifedipine on maximal electroshock (MES)-induced and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced convulsions and also their effect in combination with conventional antiepileptic drugs (CAED).Materials and Methods:For this study, Swiss albino mice were used. Effects of cinnarizine (30 mg/kg), nifedipine (5 mg/kg), sodium valproate (300 mg/kg) and carbamazepine (8 mg/kg) alone and in combination were studied in MES and PTZ seizure models. Abolition of hind limb tonic extension was an index of anticonvulsant activity in MES, while for PTZ seizures, failure to observe even a single episode of tonic spasm for 5 s duration for 1 h was the index. With this, percentage protection was calculated and statistical analysis was carried out using Fisher’s exact test (Ovvind Langsrud software, German version).Results:In MES seizures, augmented effects were obtained when cinnarizine was combined with sodium valproate, i.e. 100%. In PTZ-induced seizures, augmented effects were obtained when nifedipine was combined with sodium valproate, i.e. 100%. Thus, cinnarizine added to sodium valproate therapy produces significant protection against MES seizures while nifedipine added to sodium valproate therapy produces significant protection against PTZ seizures.Conclusion:The results provide a lead for potential benefit of adding CCBs to sodium valproate in the treatment of epilepsy, which needs to be explored further.

Background:The study was undertaken to investigate the neutralizing effect of the alcoholic extract of Andrographis paniculata against the Russell's viper venom. Materials and Methods: The lethal dose 99 (LD 99 ) value of snake venom was calculated and then the venom-neutralizing ability of the plant extract at doses of 1 and 2 g/kg was determined using in vitro and in vivo methods. The alleviation in the mean survival time of the animals was used to infer the antivenom property of the drug after challenging it with the LD 99 value of snake venom. Results: The ethanolic extract of plant A. paniculata signifi cantly increases the mean survival time and the protection fold but could not protect animals from death when used alone. The protection was more when the plant extract was given at a lower dose, i.e., 1 g/kg, than at a higher dose, i.e., at 2 g/kg. Polyvalent antisnake venom (ASV) was found to be more effective than the plant extract. When the plant extract was given along with polyvalent ASV, it potentiated its effect. Conclusion: The observation demonstrates that the ethanolic extract of A. paniculata has an antivenom activity against the Russell's viper venom which is comparable with polyvalent ASV.