Studies on anti-stress and free radical scavenging activity of whole plant of Coccinia Indica Linn

Abstract

Antistressors or adaptogens are natural substance found not only in a few rare plants and herbs. The plants and herbs provide special nutrients that help the body achieve optimal mental, physical and work performance. The manifestations of stress for any reason causes deleterious changes and alters the normal functioning of the body, decrease labour efficiency, increase fatigue, reduces locomotor activity and induces mental depression. True anti-stressors is supposed to reserve such effects. The stress leads to central neuronal lesions since behavioral depression is a common consequence of stress and the antifatigue activity largely depends on neurochemicals, i.e. central NE and 5-HT. The result shows that pretreatment with 50% ethanolic extract of whole plant of Coccinia indica (EEPCI) increased the labour efficiency and decreased the fatigue.