Pharmacological and Toxicological Study of Medicinally Important Plant: Drynaria quercifolia (rhizome)

Abstract

Historically Toxic Herbs like are used both good and bad way. Through there are some evidence that show the recent years of toxic consequence of herbal medicine increase day by day due to the lack of clinical , phytochemical , pharmacological and toxicological study. Medline search was undertaken to identify relevant literature using search terms including 'herbal', 'herbs', ‗toxicities‘, ‗cardiotoxicity‘, ‗hepatotoxicity‘, ‗nephrotoxicity‘, ‗hematologic toxicity‘ etc, which provide enough data on the numbers of adverse events are reported with the use of herbal products. Drynaria quercifolia is widely used as traditional medicine in our country to treat inflammation, rheumatism, headache, bone fracture and jaundice. But a reported journal on Drynaria quercifolia show its effectiveness as Pesticidal and pest repellency. So this study was evaluated the Sub Chronic Toxicity of methanolic extract of the rhizome of Drynaria quercifolia. Mainly three types of dose such as 200, 400 & 600 mg/kg were administered to the Swiss Albino Mice for 45 days. The different hematological test, biological estimation and histological microscopic observation were studied. This result exhibited potent total activity was expressed as an equivalent to control group where used 5% CMC solution. The results significant difference were not found in RBC but difference were found in WBC & different count of WBC (Neutrophil, Monocyte, Eosinophil,& Basophil) values of both treated & control mice. The result shows that increase toxic effect by increase dose such as (200,400 & 600) mg/kg and and decrease (Neutrophil, Monocyte, Eosinophil,& Basophil) values and also increase SGPT value. The histological status of the liver tissues of both the treated mice where normal cellular architecture with prominent central vain was shown which indicates, that the extract can cause damage to liver if used for maximum dose. The crude extract , n-haxen and dichloromethan fraction of methanolic extract of Drynaria quercifolia 200 mg/kg has been used to assess the analgesic properties by using animal models. The results suggest the presence of analgesic principles in Drynaria quercifolia that justifies its use for alleviating painful conditions In addition, for reviewing the sedative and anxiolytic properties of the methanolic extract of Drynaria quercifolia were investigated using mice behavioral models, such as Open Field for sedative property and Hole Board for anxiolytic potential, respectively. In Open Field Test, plant extract at the dose of 400mg/kg and 800 mg/kg both showed significant exploratory behavior. In the Hole Board Test in mice, plant extract at the dose of 400mg/kg and 800 mg/kg both showed anxiolytic activity.