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PubMed2006

The anti-amoebic activity of some medicinal plants used by AIDS patients in southern Thailand.

The anti-amoebic activities of chloroform, methanol and water extracts from 12 Thai medicinal plants (39 extracts) commonly used by AIDS patients in southern Thailand were screened, at a concentration of 1,000 microg/ml, against Entamoeba histolytica strain HTH-56:MUTM and strain HM1:IMSS growing in vitro. The extracts were incubated with 2x10(5) E. histolytica trophozoites/ml of medium at 37 degrees C under anaerobic conditions for 24 h. The cultures were examined with an inverted microscope and scored (1-4) according to the appearance and numbers of the trophozoites. The extracts that caused inhibition were selected and retested using the same conditions but with concentrations that ranged from 31.25 to 1,000 microg/ml using E. histolytica strain HM1:IMSS, and the IC(50) values for each extract were calculated. The chloroform extracts from Alpinia galanga (IC(50) 55.2 microg/ml), Barleria lupulina (IC(50) 78.5 microg/ml), Boesenbergia pandurata (IC(50) 45.8 microg/ml), Piper betle (IC(50) 91.1 microg/ml) and Piper chaba (IC(50) 71.4 microg/ml) and the methanol extract from B. pandurata (IC(50) 57.6 microg/ml) were all classified as "active", i.e. with an IC(50) of less than 100 microg/ml, whereas those from Murraya paniculata (IC(50) 116.5 microg/ml) and Zingiber zerumbet (IC(50) 196.9 microg/ml) were classified as being "moderately active". The IC(50) of a standard drug, metronidazole, was 1.1 microg/ml.

Amebicides↗

PubMed2005

Oral supplementation of piperine leads to altered phase II enzymes and reduced DNA damage and DNA-protein cross links in Benzo(a)pyrene induced experimental lung carcinogenesis.

In recent years, considerable emphasis has been focused on identifying new chemopreventive agents, which could be useful for the human population. Piperine is a pure, pungent alkaloid constituent of black and long peppers (piper nigrum and piper longum), which is a most common spice used throughout the world. In the present study, we examined the protective role of piperine during experimental lung carcinogenesis with reference to its effect on DNA damage and detoxification enzyme system. The activities of detoxifying enzymes such as glutathione transferase (GST), quinone reductase (QR) and UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UDP-GT) were found to be decreased while the hydrogen peroxide level was increased in the lung cancer bearing animals. Supplementation of piperine (50 mg/kg bwt) enhanced the detoxification enzymes and reduced DNA damage as determined by single cell electrophoresis. Furthermore, the DNA-Protein cross links which was found to be high in lung cancer bearing animals was also modulated upon supplementation with piperine. Our present results explain the understanding of unique association between anti-peroxidative effect of piperine and ultimately the capability of piperine to prevent cancer.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2005

Chemopreventive effect of piperine on mitochondrial TCA cycle and phase-I and glutathione-metabolizing enzymes in benzo(a)pyrene induced lung carcinogenesis in Swiss albino mice.

Piperine is a major component of black (Piper nigrum Linn) and long pepper (Piper longum Linn) used widely in various systems of traditional medicine. We have evaluated the effect of piperine on mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle and phase I and glutathione-metabolizing enzymes in Benzo(a)pyrene induced experimental lung carcinogenesis in swiss albino mice. Lung cancer bearing mice showed a significant decrease in the activities of mitochondrial enzymes-isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH), -ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (KDH), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and significantly increased NADPH-Cytochorome reductase (NADPH-C reductase), cytochrome P450 (cyt-p450) and cytochrome b5(cyt-b5). The activities of glutathione-metabolizing enzymes glutathione peroxidase(GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and glucose-6-phospho dehydrogenase(G6PDH) were significantly lowered in lung-cancer bearing mice when compared with control mice. Piperine supplementation to tumour-induced animals significantly lowered the phase-I enzymes (NADPH-C reductase, cyt-p450 and cyt-b5)) and there was a rise in glutathione-metabolizing enzymes (GPx, GR and G6PDH), which indicated an antitumour and anti-cancer effect. Comparison of normal control mice and mice administered piperine only as drug control showed no significant variations in enzyme activities. Piprine administration to benzo(a)pyrene induced animals significantly increased the activities of mitochondrial enzymes, thereby suggesting its role in mitochondrial energy production.

Alkaloids↗

PubMed1993

Modelling the dependence of contrast sensitivity on grating area and spatial frequency.

We modelled the human foveal visual system in a detection task as a simple image processor comprising (i) low-pass filtering due to the optical transfer function of the eye, (ii) high-pass filtering of neural origin, (iii) addition of internal neural noise, and (iv) detection by a local matched filter. Its detection efficiency for gratings was constant up to a critical area but then decreased with increasing area. To test the model we measured Michelson contrast sensitivity as a function of grating area at spatial frequencies of 0.125-32 c/deg for simple vertical and circular cosine gratings. In circular gratings luminance was sinusoidally modulated as a function of the radius of the grating field. In agreement with the model, contrast sensitivity at all spatial frequencies increased in proportion to the square-root of grating area at small areas. When grating area exceeded critical area, the increase saturated and contrast sensitivity became independent of area at large grating areas. Spatial integration thus obeyed Piper's law at small grating areas. The critical area of spatial integration, marking the cessation of Piper's law, was constant in solid degrees at low spatial frequencies but inversely proportional to spatial frequency squared at medium and high spatial frequencies. At low spatial frequencies the maximum contrast sensitivity obtainable by spatial integration increased in proportion to spatial frequency but at high spatial frequencies it decreased in proportion to the cube of the increasing spatial frequency. The increase was due to high-pass filtering of neural origin (lateral inhibition) and the decrease was mainly due to the optical transfer function of the eye. Our model explained 95% of the total variance of the contrast sensitivity data.

Computer Simulation↗

PubMed1981

Scientific evidence on the role of Ayurvedic herbals on bioavailability of drugs.

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the scientific basis of the use of the trikatu group of acrids (long pepper, black pepper and ginger) in the large number of prescriptions in Ayurveda. [3H] vasicine and [3H] sparteine were taken as test drugs. Piper longum (long pepper) increased the blood levels of vasicine by nearly 233%. Under the influence of piperine, the active principle of Piper species, sparteine blood levels increased more than 100%. The results suggest that these acrids have the capacity to increase the bioavailability of certain drugs. It appears that the trikatu group of drugs increase bioavailability either by promoting rapid absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, or by protecting the drug from being metabolised/oxidised in its first passage through the liver after being absorbed, or by a combination of these two mechanisms.

Abortifacient Agents↗

PubMed2006

Modulation of cadmium induced alterations in murine thymocytes by piperine: oxidative stress, apoptosis, phenotyping and blastogenesis.

Piperine, a main component of Piper longum Linn. and Piper nigrum Linn., is a plant alkaloid with a long history of medicinal use in Indian medicine. It is known to exhibit a variety of biological activities which include anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant, hepatoprotective and antitumor. Its immunomodulatory role has so far been limited to humoral response. The influence of piperine on murine thymocytes, immunocompromised by cadmium has been reported by us in this investigation. The various biochemical parameters such as oxidative stress markers (ROS and GSH), Bcl-2 protein expression, mitochondrial membrane potential, caspase-3 activity, DNA damage, blastogenesis and T lymphocyte phenotypes were determined. Cadmium (25 microM) induced apoptosis earliest at 6 h. Alterations in ROS and GSH preceded mitochondrial membrane depolarization and caspase-3 activation followed by apoptosis. The phenotypic changes occurred at 18 h and blastogenesis at 72 h. Various conc. of piperine (1, 10 and 50 microg/ml) when added along with Cd (25 microM) from 1.5 to 72 h, caused a dose and time dependent amelioration in all the cellular events mentioned above. Modulation of oxidative stress has earlier been reported to reduce Cd induced apoptosis in murine lymphocytes. Inhibition of the ROS production and replenishment of GSH by piperine, may in part be responsible for the suppression of downstream cascade of events, i.e. apoptosis, blastogenesis and T lymphocyte phenotyping. The study clearly demonstrated the anti-oxidative, anti-apoptotic, and restorative ability against cell proliferative mitogenic response and phenotypic alterations by piperine, suggesting its therapeutic usefulness in immunocompromised conditions.

Alkaloids↗

PubMed2006

Evaluation of binding of perylene diimide and benzannulated perylene diimide ligands to DNA by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and spectroscopic studies in solution were used to evaluate the self-association, G-quadruplex DNA binding, and selectivity of a series of perylene diimides (PDIs) (PIPER, Tel01, Tel11, Tel12, and Tel18) or benzannulated perylene diimide ligands (Tel34 and Tel32). Fluorescence and resonance light scattering spectra of Tel01, Tel12, Tel32, and Tel34 reveal that these analogs undergo self-association in solution. UV-Vis and fluorescence titrations with G-quadruplex, duplex, or single-stranded DNA demonstrate that all the analogs, with the exception of Tel32, bind to G-quadruplex DNA, with those PDIs that are self-associated in solution showing the highest degree of selectivity for binding G-quadruplex DNA. Parallel ESI-MS analysis of the stoichiometries demonstrates the ability of the ligands, with the exception of Tel32, to bind to G-quadruplex DNA. While most ligands show major 1:1 and 2:1 binding stoichiometries as expected in the case of end-stacking, interestingly, three of the most quadruplex-selective ligands show a different behavior. Tel01 forms 3:1 complexes, while Tel12 and Tel32 only form 1:1 complexes. Collisional activation dissociation patterns are compatible with ligand binding to G-quadruplex DNA via stacking on the ends of the terminal G-tetrads. Experiments with duplex and single strand DNA were performed to assess the binding selectivities of the ligands. PIPER, Tel11, and Tel18 demonstrated extensive complexation with duplex DNA, while Tel11 and Tel18 bound to single strand DNA, confirming the lack of selectivity of these two ligands. Our results indicate that Tel01, Tel12, and Tel34 are the most selective for G-quadruplex DNA.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2003

Screening for acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity in plants used in Thai traditional rejuvenating and neurotonic remedies.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor has been used as a drug for the symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer's disease. In order to search for new AChE inhibitors, 32 plants used in Thai traditional rejuvenating and neurotonic remedies were collected. The plant methanolic extracts were tested for AChE inhibitory activity using Ellman's colorimetric method in 96-welled microplates. The results showed that the methanolic extracts from roots of Stephania suberosa Forman. and Tabernaemontana divaricata (L.) R.Br. ex Roem. & Schult. at concentration of 0.1 mg/ml inhibited more than 90% of AChE activity. At the same concentration, four extracts, i.e. stems of Piper interruptum Opiz., seeds of Piper nigrum L., rootbarks of Butea superba Roxb. and roots of Cassia fistula L. extracts showed 50-65% inhibitory activity on AChE. The rest of the extracts showed the AChE inhibitory activity below 50%.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

PubMed2004

Vasorelaxation induced by common edible tropical plant extracts in isolated rat aorta and mesenteric vascular bed.

In this study, the vasodilatory actions of nine edible tropical plant extracts were investigated. Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato leaf), Piper betle (betel leaf), Anacardium occidentale (cashew leaf), Gynandropsis gynandra (maman leaf), Carica papaya (papaya leaf), and Mentha arvensis (mint leaf) extracts exhibited more than 50% relaxing effect on aortic ring preparations, while Piper betle and Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass stalk) showed comparable vasorelaxation on isolated perfused mesenteric artery preparation. The vascular effect on the aortic ring preparations were mainly endothelium-dependent, and mediated by nitric oxide (NO) as supported by the inhibition of action in the presence of N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine (NOLA), an nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, or by the removal of endothelium. In contrast, vasodilatory actions in resistance vessels (perfused mesenteric vascular beds) appear to involve several biochemical mediators, including NO, prostanoids, and endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizing factors (EDHFs). Total phenolic contents and antioxidant capacities varied among different extracts and found to be independent of vascular relaxation effects. This study demonstrates that many edible plants common in Asian diets to possess potential health benefits, affording protection at the vascular endothelium level.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Antibacterial screening of some Peruvian medicinal plants used in Callería District.

Nine ethanol extracts of Brunfelsia grandiflora (Solanaceae), Caesalpinia spinosa (Caesalpiniaceae), Dracontium loretense (Araceae), Equisetum giganteum (Equisetaceae), Maytenus macrocarpa (Celastraceae), Phyllanthus amarus (Euphorbiaceae), Piper aduncum (Piperaceae), Terminalia catappa (Combretaceae), and Uncaria tomentosa (Rubiaceae), medicinal plants traditionally used in Calleria District for treating conditions likely to be associated with microorganisms, were screened for antimicrobial activity against nine bacterial strains using the broth microdilution method. Among the plants tested, Phyllanthus amarus and Terminalia catappa showed the most promising antibacterial properties, inhibiting all of the strains tested with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.25 to 16 mg/ml. The extract from aerial part of Piper aduncum was significantly more active against Gram-positive (MICs ranging from 1 to 2 mg/ml) than against Gram-negative bacteria (MICs > 16 mg/ml).

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed2006

Acute toxicity and mutagenic activity of Mexican plants used in traditional medicine.

The present work was undertaken to determine safety parameters of selected Mexican medicinal plants chosen on the basis of their frequency of medicinal use and commercial importance. The medicinal herbs included Amphipteryngium adstringens, Hintonia standleyana, Hintonia latiflora, Piper sanctum, Haemathoxylon brasiletto, Iostephane heterophylla, Valeriana procera, Arracacia tolucensis, Brickellia veronicaefolia, Scaphyglottis livida, Exostema caribaeum, Hippocratea excelsa, Ligusticum porteri, Poliomintha longiflora and Gnaphalium sp. In the acute toxicity studies in mice performed according to the Lorke procedure, Exostema caribaeum, Hippocratea excelsa, Ligusticum porteri and Poliomintha longiflora were the most toxic with LD(50) values between 1085 and 2mg/kg. The Ames test revealed that Gnaphalium sp. and Valeriana procera extracts induced mutations of S. typhimurium TA98 with or without the S9 microsomal fraction, and TA100 in the presence of the enzymatic fraction, respectively. The tincture of Valeriana procera, however, was non-mutagenic. Finally, in the Artemia salina lethality test Brickellia veronicaefolia, Arracacia tolucensis, Poliomintha longiflora and Piper sanctum caused significant mortality of the crustacean larvae with LC(50) in the range of 37-227 microg/mL.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

In vivo effect of piperine on serum and tissue glycoprotein levels in benzo(a)pyrene induced lung carcinogenesis in Swiss albino mice.

In recent years, considerable emphasis has been focused on identifying new cancer chemopreventive agents, which could be useful for the human population. Piperine is a pure, pungent alkaloid constituent of black and long peppers (Piper nigrum and Piper longum), that acts as an antioxidant and anticancer agent by its numerous macromolecules associated with them. In the present study, piperine was found to suppress benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)p) induced lung cancer in Swiss albino mice. In lung cancer bearing mice, altered levels of total protein and protein bound carbohydrate components (hexose, hexosamine and sialic acid) were observed in serum, lung and liver tissues. Dietary supplementation of piperine (50 mg/kg body weight) to B(a)p administered animals decreased the total protein and protein bound carbohydrate levels of lung cancer bearing animals in during initiation and post-initiation phases. Our data suggest that piperine may extend its chemopreventive effect through modulating the protein bound carbohydrate levels, as they are one of the indicators of tumorigenesis.

Alkaloids↗

PubMed2000

Measurement of fatigue in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and in asthma.

Despite recognition of a high prevalence of fatigue in individuals with chronic airflow obstruction conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, and its importance from a quality of life perspective, no research was found in which fatigue was measured directly in these populations. This may be due to a seeming lack of appropriate instruments for measuring fatigue in these populations. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to pretest an instrument, the Piper Fatigue Scale, which was developed to measure chronic fatigue in clinical populations. The outpatient sample consisted of 17 persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 19 with asthma. Findings revealed that the visual analogue scale version of the Piper Fatigue Scale may not be appropriate for measuring fatigue in these populations. Instruments with validity and reliability for fatigue in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma need to be developed.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

The mutagenicities of alkaloids and N-nitrosoguvacoline from betel quid.

In Taiwan, betel quid is a natural masticatory, which is composed of fresh green areca fruit, Piper betle and slaked lime paste. Areca fruit contains some alkaloids, of which arecoline is the major one. N-Nitrosoguvacoline (NG), one of the N-nitrosation products of arecoline, is the only one N-nitrosamine found in Taiwanese betel quid chewing saliva. The mutagenic studies in Ames Salmonella microsome test showed that crude alkaloid extracts of areca fruit and arecoline were active in Salmonella typhimurium TA100, and NG was weakly active in TA98 and TA100. The activities in both arecoline and NG decreased further in the presence of rat liver S9 mix. Nitrite was significantly consumed during the N-nitrosation of arecoline and sodium nitrite at acidic condition (pH 3), whereas the formation of NG was favored at neutral condition (pH 7). Crude phenolic extracts of leaf and inflorescence of Piper betle inhibited the formation of NG by blocking the nitrite. However, a high amount of crude phenolic extracts of areca fruit enhanced the formation of NG.

Alkaloids↗

PubMed1997

Effects of kawain and dihydromethysticin on field potential changes in the hippocampus.

1. The kava-pyrones kawain and dihydromethysticin are constituents of Piper methysticum which exert anticonvulsant, analgesic and anxiolytic properties. 2. In the present study the effect of these kava-pyrones were tested on field potential changes (fp) induced by omission of the extracellular Mg2+, recorded from the area CA1 and CA3 of the hippocampal slice preparation of guinea pigs. These fp are generated by an activation of NMDA receptors and voltage dependent calcium channels. 3. Kawain and dihydromethysticin reduced reversibly the frequency of occurrence of fp in a concentration range from 5 to 40 mumol/l and 10 to 40 mumol/l, respectively. 4. Reduction of the fp frequency after addition of subthreshold concentrations of 5 mumol/l kawain and 10 mumol/l dihydromethysticin indicated additive actions of both drugs. 5. Since the serotonin-1A agonist ipsapirone also exerts anxiolytic effects, subthreshold concentrations of kawain or dihydromethysticin were combined with a subthreshold concentration of ipsapirone in another set of experiments. Combining kawain and ipsapirone or dihydromethysticin and ipsapirone caused a reduction of the rate of fp to 0.76 and 0.81 of the baseline value, respectively. 6. The findings suggest that (i) single constituents of Piper methysticum may have additive actions, (ii) that the two components kawain and dihydromethysticin may enhance the effects of the anxiolytic serotonin-1A agonist ipsapirone and (iii) that activation of NMDA receptors and/or voltage dependent calcium channels may be involved in the elementary mechanism of action of some kava-pyrones.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Automated treatment planning engine for prostate seed implant brachytherapy.

PURPOSE: To develop a computer-intelligent planning engine for automated treatment planning and optimization of ultrasound- and template-guided prostate seed implants. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The genetic algorithm was modified to reflect the 2D nature of the implantation template. A multi-objective decision scheme was used to rank competing solutions, taking into account dose uniformity and conformity to the planning target volume (PTV), dose-sparing of the urethra and the rectum, and the sensitivity of the resulting dosimetry to seed misplacement. Optimized treatment plans were evaluated using selected dosimetric quantifiers, dose-volume histogram (DVH), and sensitivity analysis based on simulated seed placement errors. These dosimetric planning components were integrated into the Prostate Implant Planning Engine for Radiotherapy (PIPER). RESULTS: PIPER has been used to produce a variety of plans for prostate seed implants. In general, maximization of the minimum peripheral dose (mPD) for given implanted total source strength tended to produce peripherally weighted seed patterns. Minimization of the urethral dose further reduced the loading in the central region of the PTV. Isodose conformity to the PTV was achieved when the set of objectives did not reflect seed positioning uncertainties; the corresponding optimal plan generally required fewer seeds and higher source strength per seed compared to the manual planning experience. When seed placement uncertainties were introduced into the set of treatment planning objectives, the optimal plan tended to reach a compromise between the preplanned outcome and the likelihood of retaining the preferred outcome after implantation. The reduction in the volatility of such seed configurations optimized under uncertainty was verified by sensitivity studies. CONCLUSION: An automated treatment planning engine incorporating real-time sensitivity analysis was found to be a useful tool in dosimetric planning for prostate brachytherapy.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2000

Snakebites and ethnobotany in the northwest region of Colombia. Part III: neutralization of the haemorrhagic effect of Bothrops atrox venom.

Thirty-one of 75 extracts of plants used by traditional healers for snakebites, had moderate or high neutralizing ability against the haemorrhagic effect of Bothrops atrox venom from Antioquia and Chocó, north-western Colombia. After preincubation of several doses of every extract (7.8-4000 microg/mouse) with six minimum haemorrhagic doses (10 microg) of venom, 12 of them demonstrated 100% neutralizing capacity when the mixture was i.d. injected into mice (18-20 g). These were the stem barks of Brownea rosademonte (Caesalpiniaceae) and Tabebuia rosea (Bignoniaceae); the whole plants of Pleopeltis percussa (Polypodiaceae), Trichomanes elegans (Hymenophyllaceae) and Senna dariensis (Caesalpiniaceae); rhizomes of Heliconia curtispatha (Heliconiaceae); leaves and branches of Bixa orellana (Bixaceae), Philodendron tripartitum (Araceae), Struthanthus orbicularis (Loranthaceae) and Gonzalagunia panamensis (Rubiaceae); the ripe fruits of Citrus limon (Rutaceae); leaves, branches and stem of Ficus nymphaeifolia (Moraceae). Extracts of another 19 species showed moderate neutralization (21-72%) at doses up to 4 mg/mouse, e.g. the whole plants of Aristolochia grandiflora (Aristolochiaceae), Columnea kalbreyeriana (Gesneriaceae), Sida acuta (Malvaceae), Selaginella articulata (Selaginellaceae) and Pseudoelephantopus spicatus (Asteraceae); rhizomes of Renealmia alpinia (Zingiberaceae); the stem of Strychnos xinguensis (Loganiaceae); leaves, branches and stems of Hyptis capitata (Lamiaceae), Ipomoea cairica (Convolvulaceae), Neurolaena lobata (Asteraceae), Ocimum micranthum (Lamiaceae), Piper pulchrum (Piperaceae), Siparuna thecaphora (Monimiaceae), Castilla elastica (Moraceae) and Allamanda cathartica (Apocynaceae); the macerated ripe fruits of Capsicum frutescens (Solanaceae); the unripe fruits of Crescentia cujete (Bignoniaceae); leaves and branches of Piper arboreum (Piperaceae) and Passiflora quadrangularis (Passifloraceae). When the extracts were independently administered by oral, i.p. or i.v. route either before or after an i.d. venom injection (10 microg), neutralization of haemorrhage dropped below 25% for all the extracts. Additionally, B. rosademonte and P. percussa extracts were able to inhibit the proteolytic activity of B. atrox venom on casein.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2002

Liquid chromatographic method for determination of piperine in rat plasma: application to pharmacokinetics.

Piperine, a major alkaloid of Piper longum and Piper nigrum has been reported to have several pharmacological/toxicological effects. Though a number of methods for analysis of this omnipresent food component in pepper fruits are available, its analysis in body fluids has been largely neglected. A high-performance liquid chromatography method for the analysis of piperine in rat plasma is presented in this communication. Analysis was performed using a Symmetry C(18) column (250x4.6 mm) by isocratic elution with 25 mM KH(2)PO(4) (pH 4.5)-acetonitrile (35:65) and UV detection at 340 nm. The calibration plot was linear over the range studied (2-2000 ng) with correlation coefficient of 0.9984. Limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 1 ng/ml and 3 ng/ml, respectively. Good overall recovery (85.5+/-6%) was obtained with 4 ml ethyl acetate and extraction time of 3 min. Intra- and inter-assay coefficient of variation was found to be less than 7.5%. Plasma concentration-time profile of piperine in a conscious rat implanted with jugular vein cannula was obtained using this method. The method is simple, sensitive and reproducible.

Alkaloids↗