Journal of Applied Sciences1812-56541812-5662Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/jas.2012.581.586Asparagus racemosus]]>KarmakarU.K. SadhuS.K. BiswasS.K. ChowdhuryA. ShillM.C. DasJ. 62012126In ayurveda, Asparagus racemosus Willd is known as the queen of herbs because it has a strong rejuvenating, nurturing and stabilizing effect on excessive air, gas, dryness and agitation in the body and mind. Ethanol extracts of Asparagus racemosus (EEAR) belonging to the family Liliaceae was investigated for biological action. The present study was designed to evaluate the cytotoxicity, analgesic and antidiarrhoeal properties of the ethanol extract of whole plant of Asparagus racemosus. The test for analgesic activity of the crude ethanol extract was performed using acetic acid induced writhing model in mice. On the other hand, antidiarrhoeal test of the EEAR was done according to the model of castor oil induced diarrhoea in mice and brine shrimp lethality bioassay was used to determine the cytotoxic activity of ethanol extract of the plant. In acetic acid induced writhing in mice, the ethanol extract exhibited significant inhibition of writhing reflex 67.47% (p<0.01) at the dose of 500 mg kg-1 body weight. The plant extract showed antidiarrhoeal activity in castor oil induced diarrhoea in mice. It increased mean latent period and decreased the frequency of defecation with number of stool count at the dose of 250 and 500 mg kg-1 body weight, respectively comparable to the standard drug Loperamide at the dose of 50 mg kg-1 body weight. In addition to these, the brine shrimp lethality test showed the significant cytotoxic activity of the plant extract (LC50: 10 μg mL-1 and LC90: 47.86 μg mL-1). The obtained results support the traditional uses of the plant and require further investigation to identify the chemical constituent(s) responsible for cytotoxicity, analgesic and antidiarrhoeal activities.]]>Alam, M.B., M.S. Hossain, N.S. Chowdhury, M.E.H. Mazumder, M.E. Haque and A. Islam,2011In vitro and in vivo antioxidant and toxicity evaluation of different fractions of Oxalis corniculata Linn.]]>6337348Agbafor, K.N., E.I. Akubugwo, M.E. Ogbashi, P.M. Ajah and C.C. Ukwandu,2011Zapoteca portoricensis.]]>5605612Ahmed, F., M.S.T. Selim, A.K. Das and M.S.K. Choudhuri,2004Lippia nodiflora Linn.]]>59329330Beubler, E. and H. Juan,197931681685Chatterjee, T.K.,19931st Edn.,pp: 133-139pp: 133-139Deraedt, R., S. Jouquey, F. Delevallee and M. Flahaut,1980611724Ghani, A.,20032nd Edn.,pp: 114pp: 114Karmakar, U.K., S.K. Biswas, A. Chowdhury, S.Z. Raihan, M.A. Akbar, M.A. Muhit and R. Mowla,2012Asparagus racemosus.]]>85357Anderson, J.E., C.J. Chang and J.L. McLaughlin,1988Allamanda schottii.]]>51307308Myers,19823rd Edn.,pp: 335-337pp: 335-337Nandagopal, M., P. Muralidharan and G. Thirumurugan,2011Asparagus racemosus Willd. in global cerebral ischemia in rats.]]>64961Okwu, D.E. and B.O. Orji,2007Glycine max and Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.]]>2512520Racusen, L.C. and H.J. Binder,197963743749Rahman, M.A., E. Haque, M. Hasanuzzaman and I.Z. Shahid,2011Tamarix indica roots.]]>7527531Rajnarayana, K., M.S. Reddy, M.R. Chaluvadi and D.R. Krishna,200133216Ramesh, M., Y.N. Rao, A.V.N.A. Rao, M.C. Prabhakar, C.S. Rao, N. Muralidhar and B.M. Reddy,1998Caralluma attenuata.]]>626366Ravikumar, P.R., R. Soman, G.L. Chetty, R.C. Pandey and D. Sukh,19872610121017Sekine, T., N. Fukasawa, I. Murakoshi and N. Ruangrungsi,199744763764Taesotikul, T., A. Panthong, D. Kanjanapothi, R. Verpoorte and J.J.C. Scheffer,2003Tabernaemontana pandacaqui poir.]]>843135Trease, G.E. and W.C. Evans,198913th Edn.,Pages: 546Pages: 546Tripathi, K.D.,19994th Edn.,Pages: 432Pages: 432Uche, F.I. and J.S. Aprioku,2008Jatropha curcas sp leaves in mice and Wister albino rats.]]>1299102Ramprasath, V.R., P. Shanthi and P. Sachdanandam,2006Semecarpus anacardium Linn. Nut milk extract in experimental inflammatory conditions.]]>29693700Velavan, S. and V.M.H. Begum,2007Asparagus racemosus on glucose homeostasis in aged rats.]]>3149154Velavan, S. and V.M.H. Begum,2007Asparagus racemosus on age related oxidative damage in heart lysosome of aged rats.]]>34854Whittle, B.A.,196422246253Zakaria, Z.A., R.N.S.R.M. Nor, M.R. Sulaiman, Z.D.F.A. Ghani, G.H. Kumar and C.A. Fatimah,2006Melastoma malabathricum leaves chloroform extract in experimental animals.]]>1337345Hokanson, G.C.,197841497498