Clarification of similarities in control figures published in Phytotherapy Research and the Journal of Ethopharmacology

Abstract

There are similarities in the figures published for the control experiments in the papers in Phytotherapy Research (PTR) 30: 112-119 (2016) and the Journal of Ethopharmacology (JEP) 175 (2015) 346-355, which should have been acknowledged. Both studies were carried out in strict adherence with the 3R policies of our Institute regarding animal use, which allow only one group for normal, control and standard drug per animal model per project. These two sets of experiments, on different plant extracts, were therefore conducted together. The normal, control and indomethacin treated animals are standard for both studies and this does not affect the data of the individual test plant extracts reported separately in each paper.The bar graph in Fig. 4 in JEP is drawn from the same data given in table 1 in PTR for the normal, control and indomethacin groups, as detailed above. After the reviewersˈ suggestions the bar graph was replaced with the table in PTR.We also wish to add that the IHC and western blotting experiments were carried out in three different samples. The same images for normal, control and indomethacin treated groups were submitted due to a misunderstanding; other images were taken and could have been used and are available to view if required. These points should have been explained in the reports and we apologise for these errors.