Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
used in the treatment of anxiety and insomnia disorders in humans. Further,
these extracts have also shown
in vitro
antioxidant activity and skeletal
muscle relaxant effects in mice. In traditional medicines, this plant is used
as an aphrodisiac, anodyne, antiscrophulactic, astringent, cardiotonic,
demulcent, and anti-inlammatory agent.
The ethanolic extract of this species signiicantly increased anxiolytic activity.
In the foot shock-induced aggression test (FSIAT) the above extract was
found to alternate aggressive behavior related to anxiolytic activity, such
as number of vocalizations, leaps, rearing, biting/attacks, and facing each
other in paired mice. Further, this extract also produced a skeletal muscle
relaxant effect assessed by rota rod test (RRT) (Thippeswamy et al., 2011).
ECHINODORUS BERTEROI
(SPRENGEL) FASSETT, 1955
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Alistamatales
Family: Alismataceae
Common name: Cellophane sword
Distribution: United States, Central America, West Indies
Habitat: Shallow and periodic waters, wet to moist swamps, ditches
Description: This monocot plant has an upright stem with both submersed
and immersed leaves. The submersed leaves get modiied into phyllodes,
which are green, linear, or narrowly elliptical and are 50 cm long and 4 cm
wide. The immersed leaves are light green, cordate, petiolated, and mea-
sure 12 cm (length) and 5 cm (width). The inlorescence is compound and
has a white corolla measuring 1.5 cm in diameter.
Compounds and activities: The decoctions of the dried roots of this species have
shown neuroleptic and antiepileptic properties. Repeated administration of
5% decoction (30 min intervals) signiicantly reduced the amplitude (muV)
of the epileptic spikes induced by topical application of penicillin to the
sensorimotor cortex, in curate-treated rats (Buznego and Perez-Saad, 2006).
