PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON THE ANTIINFLAMMATORY, ANALGESIC AND DIURETIC ACTIVITY OF STAGNINOL, A SESQUITERPENE ISOLATED FROM PERSICARIA-STAGNINA

Stagninol, a sesquiterpene, isolated from Persicaria stagnina Linn sho wed significant antiinflammatory and analgesic activity (P < 0.001) in animals. A sedative action of stagninol was revealed by a marked pote ntiation of pentobarbital induced sedation with significant effect on both onset (P < 0.001) and duration (P < 0.01) of sleep. Measurement o f urine volume after administration of stagninol indicated its signifi cant diuretic action. Biochemical investigations revealed that both cr ude extract and stagninol showed dose dependent reduction of blood uri c acid and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). There was an increase in serum g lutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and serum alkaline phosphatase (SA P) level with the crude extract but stagninol showed no significant ch anges of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), SGPT and SAP level.