Epilachna vigintioctopunctata is an important pest that causes considerable economic losses to many crops including egg-plants. The crude aqueous extracts of leaves from three indigenous plants namely Ricinus communis, Calotropis procera and Datura metel were used against this beetle aiming at its control under laboratory conditions. Larvicidal bioassays of the extracts showed the following ord...

Calotropis procera, a plant of family Asclepiadaceae is of immense importance as multipurpose plant with medicinal as well as traditional uses. Latex of this plant has been used to cure disease like leprosy, syphilis, inflammation, cutaneous infections, and malarial fever and in many more. In vitro culture of this pharmacologically plant is required otherwise it leads the segregated loss of des...

Angiogenesis is controlled by number of growth factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Plant derived anti-angiogenic molecules acting via VEGF are being investigated for curtailing angiogenesis dependent diseases. In this study, methanolic (CM), n-hexane (CH), ethylacetate (CE) and water (CW) extracts of the roots of Calotropis procera were tested for anti-angiogenic activ...

The cytotoxic potential of stem organic extracts from Calotropis procera (Asclepiadaceae) was firstly evaluated against cancer cell lines by MTT assay. Subsequently, samples considered cytotoxic were tested for antimitotic activity on sea urchin egg development and for in vivo antiproliferative activity in mice bearing Sarcoma 180 tumor. Among the five extracts (hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl a...

Apocynaceae is a large family of tropical trees, shrubs and vines with most species producing white latex. Major metabolites of species are triterpenoids, iridoids, alkaloids and cardenolides, which are known for a wide range of biological and pharmacological activities such as cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antimalarial properties. Prompt...

Received: Revised: Accepted: November 13, 2014 February 12, 2015 February 21, 2015 Gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity is associated with free radicals generation in kidney tissue. Medicinal plants contain bioactive constituents that act as natural antioxidants, which can protect the biological system from oxidative stress. In this study, phytochemical constituents of aqueous extract of Calotropi...

INTRODUCTION Calotropis procera is known to produce contact dermatitis and the latex of this plant produces intense inflammation when injected locally. However, the precise mode of its pro-inflammatory effect is not known. In present study we have pharmacologically characterized the inflammation induced by latex of C. procera in a rat paw edema model and determined the role of histamine in late...

Life history traits are considered key indicators of plant invasibility. Among them, the germination behavior of seeds is of major relevance because it is influenced by environmental factors of invaded ecosystem. Here, we investigated how seed traits and seed tolerance to environmental factors on seed germination of Calotropis procera vary depending on the invaded ecosystems in northeastern Bra...