title: Renoprotective effect of Hemidesmus indicus, a herbal drug used in gentamicin-induced renal toxicity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Owing to the global trend towards improved 'quality of life', there is considerable evidence of an increase in demand for medicinal plants. The WHO guidelines define basic criteria for the standardization of herbal medicines. The present work is an effort in this direction to prove the safety and efficacy of Hemidesmus indicus Linn. in the management of nephrotoxicity induced by aminoglycosides such as gentamicin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Simple, quality control methods using high performance thin layer chromatographic (HPTLC) phytochemical fingerprint, proximate analysis, and the stability of the H. indicus root powder were developed. From the toxicity study using albino Swiss mice, it was observed that the drug (H. indicus) was relatively safe up to 7 g/kg bodyweight dose. Efficacy was evaluated against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in albino Wister rats. The study examined animals from the following groups: no treatment, gentamicin treated, gentamicin treated recovery, and gentamicin and plant treated. Animals from all groups were killed on day 13 of the study; those from gentamicin treated group were killed on the seventh day. Assessment of the drug efficacy drug was conducted by using haematological and histological examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The treatment with H. indicus helped in the management of renal impairment, which was induced by gentamicin in rats. This is evident from the results obtained for various kidney function tests for gentamicin, along with the results from the plant treated group, and is in comparison with the results found for the gentamicin recovery group. A histological examination of kidneys also supports the findings from haematological evaluations. The plant shows promise as an adjunct therapy along side aminoglycosides as it reduces nephrotoxicity caused by aminoglycosides.
authors.affiliation: Animal Testing Unit and Department of Chemistry, Ramnarian Ruia College, Matunga, Mumbai, India. mkotnis@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mangala S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kotnis
authors.forename: Prateek
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Sashikumar Narayan
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Menon
authors.forename: Ramesh Trimbak
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Sane
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000009:adverse effects; D031102:Hemidesmus; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000592:standards; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011786:Quality Control
chemical_list: D005839:Gentamicins; D028321:Plant Preparations