INTEGRATED IN-VITRO & IN-VIVO PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF ANTI-PARKINSONIAN ACTIVITY OF COMBINED ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF PHYSALIS MINIMA AND PERONEMA CANESCENS

This study investigates the anti-Parkinsonian properties of ethanolic extracts derived from Physalis minima and Peronema canescens. Efficacy was assessed using a combination of in-vitro biochemical assays and in-vivo behavioural screening models in Swiss albino mice. Parkinson’s disease symptoms were induced and subsequently evaluated using the body swing test. Oral administration of the extracts, individually and in combination, noticeably reduced behavioural abnormalities associated with Parkinsonism. Treated groups exhibited significant increases in monoamine neurotransmitters, specifically dopamine (DA), compared to control groups (DA levels approximately 0.35 vs. 0.05). Furthermore, the extracts enhanced the endogenous antioxidant defence by elevating crucial biomarkers, including glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). These biochemical findings were complemented by histological investigations of brain tissue. The results indicate that both Physalis minima and Peronema canescens extracts possess considerable neuroprotective and anti-parkinsonian activity, demonstrating an effect comparable to conventional standard pharmaceutical treatments like Levodopa. The study concludes that these plant extracts warrant further investigation as potential natural therapeutic agents for managing Parkinson’s disease symptoms.