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Purpose: To examine 70 % aqueous-methanol crude extract of Crotalaria burhia (Cb.Cr) for its hypotensive and diuretic effects. Methods: The effect of intravenous administration of Cb.Cr on blood pressure (BP) of normotensive anesthetized rats was studied. In vitro experiments on rabbit isolated aortic and atrial preparations were performed to elucidate the mechanism of action. The diuretic effect was assessed following oral administration of Cb.Cr in rats. Results: Intravenous administration of Cb.Cr produced 14.70 ± 1.21, 22.00 ± 2.24 and 36.21 ± 2.65 % reduction in mean arterial blood pressure of the rats at doses of 1, 3 and 10 mg/kg, respectively. It was more potent in relaxing potassium (80 mM)- than phenylephrine (1 μM)-induced contractions in isolated aorta of rabbit with half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) values of 0.58 ± 0.03 and 1.58 ± 0.16 mg/mL, respectively, which are similar to verapamil. The extract showed depressant effects on spontaneously beating atrial preparations of rabbit in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, Cb.Cr also increased urine volume and urinary electrolyte excretion in rats. Conclusion: Crotalaria burhia crude extract exhibits hypotensive and diuretic effects in rats. The hypotensive activity of the extract possibly involves vasodilator, cardio-depressant, calcium channel blocking and diuretic actions. Keywords: Khip, Crotalaria burhia, Calcium channel blocker, Antihypertensive, Diuretic

Background: Appearance of antibiotic resistance has raised the demand to find alternative therapies and modified drug delivery system of medicinal plants to treat bacterial infections. Objective: The aim of this study is the green synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles by using crude extract of Crotalaria burhia and to evaluate their antibacterial potential. Methods: The roots and stems of plant were used to prepare the crude extract. The phytochemical analysis of different compounds in extract was performed. 1mM AgNO3 and different concentrations of plant extract were used for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles. The particles size and zeta potential were measured by zeta sizer while surface morphology of silver nanoparticles was observed with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles was performed by 96 well microdilution plate method. Results: The particle size and zeta potential of optimized formulation was 92 nm and -24.8 mV. The SEM analysis showed that silver nanoparticles are irregular and spherical shape. The antibacterial activity showed that MIC value of silver nanoparticles was lower for E. coli than S. aureus. Conclusion: Silver nanoparticles possess potent bactericidal activity against E. coli and moderate activity against S. aureus. It had been concluded that these nanoparticles can be used against multi-drug resistant bacterial infections.

Dry land plants owing to their capability to grow under stressful environment have shown higher allelopathic potential as compared to cultivated plants. An experiment was conducted to investigate the herbicidal potential of aqueous extracts of four dry land plants viz. fruit and vine of Citrullus colocynthis, and above ground parts of Rhazya stricta; Crotalaria burhia and Calligonum polygonoides, with four concentrations (25, 50, 75 and 100%) of initially prepared extracts against Lathyrus aphaca, a common weed of wheat in the studied region. These plants were collected from dry land area (30.03° N and 70.38° E, 129 m above sea level, almost desert conditions) of Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, Pakistan. All the four plants exhibited pronounced herbicidal potential with 9 to 91% suppression of different parameters in L. aphaca). Maximum inhibition was recorded in germination (36-91%). Significant suppression in leaf count (9-65%), shoot length (12-59%), root length (4-62%), shoot fresh weight (17-71%), root fresh weight (10-60%), shoot dry weight (15-72%), root dry weight (13-64%), and nodule numbers (34-89%) was also observed. The highest inhibition was exhibited by R. stricta followed by C. colocynthis: fruit. However, in case of nodulation maximum suppression was produced by C. burhia extract. Least suppressant activity was observed for the C. polygonides extract. These results encourage the potential use of locally available dry land plants possessing strong allelochemical properties for nonchemical control of weeds ultimately reducing reliance on chemical control.

Crotalaria burhia Buch.-Ham. (C. burhia) (Fabaceae), is an undershurb found distributed in arid parts of the world. It extensively grows in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. It is a highly medicinal plant. The leaves, branches and roots can be used as a cooling medicine. Plant juice is useful for treatments of gout, eczema, hydrophobia, pain and swellings, wounds and cuts, infection, kidney pain, abdominal problems, rheumatism and joint pain in traditional medicine system. The medicinal activity is the result of the presence of various important phytochemicals like alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, polyphenols, tannins, steroids, triterpenoids, anthraquinones, crotalarine, monocrotaline, croburhine, crosemperine, quercetins and β-sitosterol. C. burhia is also known to possess antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities, which supports its traditional uses. In this article, a comprehensive account of phytochemical constituents and pharmacological activities is presented along with traditional uses of C. burhia.

Pakistan is a subtropical country spread over an area of 79.6 million hectares (mha) lying between 24° and 37° N and 61° and 75° E. Most of the area is semiarid to arid, extending over 70 mha (87.94% of its land mass), receiving 250 mm annual rainfall. The deserts of Pakistan cover 11 mha (13.82%) of the land situated in the central and southeastern regions. These areas are broadly separated and are located between 100 and 1000 m above sea level. These deserts are monsoon in type, referring to a wind system marked with seasonal fluctuation in response to temperature variations between continents and oceans. The southeast-directed winds of the Arabian Sea supply heavy summer rains. The aridity is characteristic of a desert, with erratic rainfall occurring in clusters. The most dominant and frequent tree species in the desert habitat include Acacia senegal, Acacia nilotica, Azadirachta indica, Capparis decidua, Prosopis cineraria, Salvadora oleoides, Tamarix aphylla, and Tecomella undulata, with Prosopis cineraria being the most dominant and frequent. Among shrubs, Acacia jacquemontii, Aerva javanica, Calotropis procera, Calligonum polygonoides, Dipterygium glaucum, Euphorbia caducifolia, Fagonia indica, Haloxylon salicornicum, Leptadenia pyrotechnica, and Crotalaria burhia are dominant. Ephemerals are an important component of the desert habitat, here represented mostly by Boerhavia procumbens, Convolvulus prostratus, Gisekia pharnaceoides, Heliotropium strigosum, Indigofera argentea, Indigofera cordifolia, Indigofera linifolia, Limeum indicum, Mollugo cerviana, Senna ialica, and Tephrosia purpurea. Grasses are very prominent inhabitants in deserts, including Aristida spp., Cenchrus biflorus, Cenchrus ciliaris, Eragrostis spp., Panicum turgidum, Pennisetum divisum, Saccharum spontaneum, and Stipagrostis plumosa. Abutilon bidentatum, Abutilon pakistanicum, Alysicarpus monilifer, Alysicarpus tetragonolobus, Caralluma edulis, Cenchrus prieurii, Commiphora wightii, Convolvulus scindicus, Gisekia pharnacioides, Ephedra ciliata, Gynandropsis gynandra, Monsonia heliotropioides, Rhynchosia schimperi, and Tecomella undulata are some of the threatened species that are used by the inhabitants to meet their various socioeconomic needs. Pragmatic conservation measures are required to protect such habitats, because they represent threatened or rare and endemic species that are of economic importance to the local communities and thus are used unsustainably.

Dietary preference and grazing behaviour of male hoggets (6–8 months old) grazed on Cenchrus ciliaris pasture were continuously monitored from 08:30–17:30 h at weekly intervals from December to March. Population distribution (%) and preference index of Cenchrus ciliaris and Crotalaria burhia forb and dead litter were 21.11, 2.01; 6.31, 8.41 and 9.32, 1.60 respectively. Daily rhythmic periodicity in grazing pattern of hoggets was observed with two major periods of active grazing at 08:30–12:50 and 14:20–17:30. Increase in environmental temperature from December (20.6 °C) to March (31.2 °C) resulted in a decrease (P < 0.05) in the length of the grazing period from 8.36 to 7.40 h and an increase in the length of the resting period from 24 to 80 minutes. The study revealed that Crotalaria burhia needed to be protected in bush cleaning operations owing to its preference by sheep during summer. Furthermore, grazing periods of animals should be increased during the dry season in order to achieve optimal production.

Background: Roots of medicinal plants are common ingredients in many folk and herbal medicines system to treat inflammation. The detailed study on C. burhia root was lacking to support their anti-inflammatory potential. Henceforth, present investigation was carried out to establish scientific basis for the traditional uses of Crotalaria buriha root as anti-inflammatory agent. Aims & Objective: The present study was aimed to evaluate anti-inflammatory activity of four fractions of ethanolic extract of Crotalaria burhia Buch.-Ham. root in Wistar albino rats. Materials and Methods: Anti-inflammatory activity of four fractions of ethanolic extract of Crotalaria burhia root (EtCB) was evaluated by Carrageenan induced paw edema and cotton pellets induced granuloma in rats. Animals were divided into eight groups (n=6), in which two control groups (25% DMSO and ddH2O), two groups treated with anti-inflammatory drugs (Indomethacin: 10 mg/kg and Diclofenac: 25 mg/kg of body weight) and four fractions treated groups [Hexane (300 mg/kg of bodyweight in 25% DMSO), chloroform (300 mg/kg body weight in 25% DMSO), ethyl acetate (300 mg/kg body weight in 25% DMSO) and aqueous (300 mg/kg of bodyweight in ddH2O)] were treated with oral intubations. Acute anti-inflammatory response was evaluated by measuring paw volume at different time intervals after treatment of test and standard drug. Chronic anti-inflammatory response was evaluated after administration of test and standard treatment for seven consecutive days. On day eighth, four sterile cotton pellets (50 mg) were implanted subcutaneously in the dorsal region of the rats. On the day 16th, the rats were sacrificed and the cotton pellets with granulomatous tissue were taken out, fresh and dry pellets were weighed. Liver tissues was also excised and stored in 0.9% saline at - 20 ◦C for biochemical analysis. Results: In acute and chronic anti-inflammatory activity hexane (HF), chloroform (CF), ethyl acetate (EAF) and aqueous (AF) of EtCB were shown significant (p