Shamshad Ahmad’s research while affiliated with Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial Medical College and other places

Seeds of Cichorium intybus L. (Tukhm-e-Kasni) are mainly described to be anti-inflammatory, diuretic, tonic; useful in renal asthenia and nephritic syndrome like condition. In the present study 70% ethanol extract of seeds was investigated for its steroidal and metabolic activity in albino rats of either sex in two different tests. In both the tests, the animals were treated with the test drug (150 mg/kg/p.o.) twice a day for three days and were sacrificed subsequently on 4th day. In the test designed for steroidal activity, thymus gland was dissected out and weighed while in the test for metabolic activity, liver was dissected out for glycogen estimation and blood was collected for the estimation of blood sugar, serum protein and serum cholesterol. The test drug reduced the thymus weight significantly (p<0.01) as compared to the plain control and was found to be moderately lesser than the regression produced by hydrocortisone. Further, the study shows that it also induced hyperproteinemia and liver glycogen increasing effect and moderately increased the blood glucose level. The findings suggest that Tukhm-e-Kasni possesses marked steroidal and metabolic activity. Steroidal effect may be one of the bases for its use in various renal diseases especially nephrotic syndrome like condition. © 2016, National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR). All rights reserved.

In the present study the hydroalcoholic extract of Seeds of Carthamus tinctorius was investigated for its steroidal and metabolic activity in albino rats of either sex in two different tests. In both the tests, the animals were treated with the test drug (100 mg/kg/p.o.) twice a day for three days and were sacrificed subsequently on day 4. Thymus gland was dissected out and weighed in the test for steroidal activity while in the test designed for metabolic activity, liver was dissected out for glycogen estimation and blood was collected for the estimation of blood sugar, serum protein and serum cholesterol. The test drug reduced the thymus weight significantly (p<0.01) as compared to the plain control. It also induced hyperproteinemic, hypocholesteraemic and liver glycogen increasing effect and moderately increased the blood glucose level. The findings suggest that the hydroalcoholic extract of seeds of Carthamus tinctorius possesses marked steroidal and metabolic activity. Steroidal effect may be one of the bases for its use in kidney diseases especially nephrotic syndrome like condition.

32 Ahmad et al.| Evaluation of steroidal and metabolic effect of Tukhm-e-qurtum (Carthamus tinctorius, Linn seed) Evaluation of steroidal and metabolic effect of Tukhm-e-qurtum (Carthamus tinctorius, Linn seed) In the present study the hydroalcoholic extract of Seeds of Carthamus tinctorius was investigated for its steroidal and metabolic activity in albino rats of either sex in two different tests. In both the tests, the animals were treated with the test drug (100 mg/kg/p.o.) twice a day for three days and were sacrificed subsequently on day 4. Thymus gland was dissected out and weighed in the test for steroidal activity while in the test designed for metabolic activity, liver was dissected out for glycogen estimation and blood was collected for the estimation of blood sugar, serum protein and serum cholesterol. The test drug reduced the thymus weight significantly (p<0.01) as compared to the plain control. It also induced hyperproteinemic, hypocholesteraemic and liver glycogen increasing effect and moderately increased the blood glucose level. The findings suggest that the hydroalcoholic extract of seeds of Carthamus tinctorius possesses marked steroidal and metabolic activity. Steroidal effect may be one of the bases for its use in kidney diseases especially nephrotic syndrome like condition.

A number of drugs, both single and compound preparations are used widely in Tibb-e-Unani (Unani Medicine) in the management of renal diseases. But such drugs mostly, have not been investigated for their described effects. The seed of Cichorium intybus Linn (Tukhm-e-Kasni) is one such drug, mainly described to be anti-inflammatory, diuretic and tonic. In the present study 70% ethanol extract of seed of Cichorium intybus was investigated for its protective and curative effects against gentamicin (40 mg/kg) induced acute renal injury and also for the diuretic effect, in albino rats of either sex. Elevation of blood urea and serum creatinine level, and the appearance of histopathological features of acute tubular necrosis were taken as the indicators of nephrotoxicity, while an improvement in these indicators was taken as nephroprotective effect. An increase in urine output and sodium and potassium concentrations was taken as the indices of diuretic activity. In the preventive regimen, the extract showed significant reduction in the elevated blood urea and serum creatinine and normalized the structural disintegration of kidney tissue. Both biochemical markers of kidney function significantly decreased and definite signs of regenerative process were observed in the curative group. The test drug increased the total volume of urine and concentration of sodium and potassium in it and significantly exhibited diuretic effect. The findings suggest that the ethanol extract of seed of Cichorium intybus possesses marked nephroprotective and diuretic activity, and could offer a promising role in the treatment of acute renal injury caused by nephrotoxins like gentamicin.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the diuretic activity of ethanolic extract of Habb-e-Kaknaj on healthy Wistar rats of either sex. The animals were kept on fasting for 8 hrs; thereafter they were administered normal saline (30 ml/kg) and divided into three groups of six animals each. Animals in group I-III were treated with distilled water, furosemide (4 mg/kg) and ethanolic extract of Habb-e-Kaknaj (450 mg/kg), respectively. After respective treatment all the animals were kept separately in metabolic cages and the urine passed by them during a period of 6 hours was collected. In standard control and the test group the urine volume and urinary sodium and potassium level increased significantly when compared with plain control. The study demonstrated that ethanolic extracts of Physalis alkekengi Linn. fruits has significant diuretic effect.

Carthamus tinctorius, Linn. (Qurtum) of the family Compositae, is an annual plant grows in tropical and subtropical parts of India. The seeds of the taxon are extensively used in Unani system of medicine as anti-inflammatory, antiasthmatic, aphrodisiac, blood purifier, carminative, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, hepatoprotective, lithotryptic, liver tonic, purgative, sex stimulant, spermatogenic and tonic. In view the medicinal value of this plant as described in Unani literature, the present study has been designed to set the physicochemical standards of the seeds of Carthamus tinctorius, Linn. evolving some important parameters such as extractive value in different solvents, alcohol and water soluble contents, moisture contents, total ash value, water soluble ash value, acid insoluble ash value, bulk density, pH, chemical reactions, fluorescence analysis and thin layer chromatography. These parameters shall be valuable in quality control and identification of the drug.

In the present study the hydroalcoholic extract of fruits of Physalis alkekengi was investigated for its steroidal and metabolic activity in albino rats of either sex in two different tests. In both the tests, the animals were treated with the test drug (450 mg/kg/p.o.) twice a day for three days and were sacrificed subsequently on day 4. In the test for steroidal activity, thymus gland was dissected out and weighed while in the test designed for metabolic activity, liver was dissected out for glycogen estimation and blood was collected for the estimation of blood sugar, serum protein and serum cholesterol. The test drug reduced the thymus weight significantly (p<0.01) as compared to the plain control. It also induced hyperproteinemic and liver glycogen increasing effect and moderately increased the blood glucose level. The findings suggest that the hydroalcoholic extract of fruits of Physalis alkekengi possesses marked steroidal and metabolic activity. Steroidal effect may be one of the bases for its use in kidney diseases especially nephrotic syndrome like condition.

70% Ethanol extract of the seeds of Carthamus tinctorius Linn. of family Compositae, was investigated for its protective and curative effects against gentamicin (40 mg/kg) induced acute renal injury and for diuretic effect, in albino rats. Elevation of blood urea and serum creatinine level, and appearance of histopathological features of acute tubular injury were taken as the indicators of nephrotoxicity, while an improvement in these indicators following the test drug administration was taken as nephroprotective effect. An increase in urine out put and sodium and potassium concentration was taken as the indices of diuretic activity. In the preventive regimen, the extract showed reduction in the elevated blood urea and serum creatinine level and almost normalized the structural disintegration of kidney tissue caused by gentamicin. In curative group too both biochemical markers of kidney function decreased significantly and definite signs of regenerative process were also seen in histological examination. Similarly, the test drug increased the total volume of urine and the concentration of sodium and potassium in it, significantly and exhibited diuretic effect which was almost equal to the effect produced by furosemide. The findings suggest that the extract of seeds of Carthamus tinctorius possesses marked nephroprotective and diuretic activity.

The fruit of Physalis alkekengi, Linn commonly known as kaknaj is an important drug of Unani Medicine. It has been described to be mainly effective in various renal diseases on account of its diuretic, anti inflammatory, nephroprotective, tonic to kidney, healing, and analgesic etc effects. In the present study ethanol extract of fruit of Physalis alkekengi was investigated for its protective and curative effects against gentamicin (40 mg/kg) induced acute renal injury in groups of albino rats of either sex of Wistar strain. Elevation of blood urea, serum creatinine and histopathological features of acute tubular injury were taken as the indicators of nephrotoxicity. In the preventive regimen, the extract at dose level 450mg/kg showed reduction in the elevated blood urea and serum creatinine level and almost normalized the structural disintegration of kidney tissue caused by gentamicin. The rats in curative group also showed good response, as not only the two biochemical markers of kidney function which were found elevated following pretreatment with gentamicin, decreased significantly but definite signs of regenerative processes were observed in histological examination. The findings suggested that the ethanol extract of fruit of Physalis alkekengi possessed marked nephroprotective activity and could also offer a promising role in the treatment of acute renal injury caused by nephrotoxins such as gentamicin.