Alpinia officinarum is a rhizome belonging to the family zingeberaeceae. Hydro alcoholic extract by hot and cold maceration and methanol extract by percolation process Qualitative phytochemical analysis of extract of Alpinia officinarum rhizome showed a majority of the compound including tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids and saponins. Hydroalcoholic extract prepared by hot maceration process was found to contain more phenol and flavonol and it was measured as 50.1 mg/g and 54.02 mg/g, respectively. All the three extracts showed moderate to potent antimicrobial activity against the Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureas, Pseudomonas auroginosa, Escherichia coli. None of the extracts showed antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. All the three extracts showed a concentration dependent radical scavenging activity by inhibiting diphenylpicrylhydrazyl free radical at the same time hydroalcoholic extract prepared by hot maceration process showed better reducing and total antioxidant activity.

The antidiabetic activity of various subfractions of the alcohol extract of the bark of Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. was evaluated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The effect of these extracts on lipid profile and liver function tests were also assessed to evaluate their activity in controlling diabetes related metabolic alterations. The parameters measured were plasma glucose, total protein, cholesterol, triglycerides, alkaline phosphatase, SGOT and SGPT. The results indicate the effective role of Pterocarpus marsupium on the above mentioned parameters indicating that Pterocarpus marsupium can also control the diabetes related metabolic alterations apart from controlling the glucose levels. Among the fractions tested the butanol subfraction was found to be more active in comparison with other subfractions. It can be concluded that the butanol subfraction of the alcohol extract of Pterocarpus marsupium exhibits significant antidiabetic activity and corrects the metabolic alterations in diabetic rats and this activity may resemble insulin-like properties.

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Aloe vera gel is used traditionally for the treatment of skin diseases, including psoriasis. An ethanolic extract of the gel was assessed for antipsoriatic activity using a mouse tail model of psoriasis. The extract produced a significant differentiation in the epidermis, as seen from its degree of orthokeratosis (85.07 ± 3.36%) when compared with the negative control (17.30 ± 4.09%). This was equivalent to the effect of the standard positive control, tazarotene (0.1%) gel, which showed a 90.03 ± 2.00% degree of orthokeratosis. The ethanolic extract of Aloe vera leaf gel also produced a significant increase in relative epidermal thickness when compared with the control group, whereas the standard tazarotene showed no change. Taken together, the extract showed an overall antipsoriatic activity of 81.95%, compared with 87.94 for tazarotene, in the mouse tail model for psoriasis.

Objective:To evaluate the antidiabetic activity of ethanolic extract of Dioscorea alata in glucose loaded and alloxan induced diabetic rats.Materials and Methods:The authenticated tubers of D. alata (DA) (JSSCPDP/2008/157) were collected from Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu. The ethanol extract was tested for hypoglycemic activity in normal rats. In oral glucose tolerance test, glucose (3 g/kg, p.o.) was administered to non diabetic control, metformin (250 mg/kg, p.o.) and DA extract (100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) to treat treated rats. Diabetes mellitus was induced by alloxan monohydrate (120 mg/kg, i.p.) in physiological saline after overnight fasting for 18 hours. DA extract (100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) and standard drug metformin (250 mg/kg, p.o.) were administered to diabetic rats for 21 days. Fasting blood glucose level and changes in body weight were measured on days 0, 7, 14, and 21. At the end of 21st day, serum lipid profile, total protein, albumin, and creatinine were assessed.Results:In glucose loaded normal rats, the treatment with the extract of DA had shown a highly significant reduction (P < 0.001) in blood glucose levels at the doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. The extract did not produce hypoglycemic activity at both the dose levels in normal, fasted rats. In alloxan induced diabetic rats, the body weight of the DA extract treated animals had shown a significant increase (P < 0.001) after 21 days treatment. The blood glucose level was reduced significantly by 47.48% and 52.09% after 21 days treatment at dose levels 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Serum lipid levels, total protein, albumin, and creatinine were reversed toward near normal in treated rats as compared to diabetic control.Conclusion:The results indicate that ethanol extract of DA tubers possesses significant antidiabetic activity.