Carbon Clearance Test (810) :

1. The four groups of Swiss albino mice were administered drug or vehicle for 5 days orally. 2. After 48 h of the last dose of the drug, mice were injected with 0.1 mL of Indian ink via the tail vein. 3. Blood samples were withdrawn at 0 min and 15 min. 4. A 50l blood sample was mixed with 4 mL of 0.1% sodium carbonate solution and the absorbance of this solution was determined at 660 nm. 5. The phagocytic index K was calculated using the following equation : K = (Loge OD1-Loge OD2)/15 Where OD1 and OD2 are the optical densities at 0 and 15 min respectively.

Carbon clearance test [8-9]

Swiss albino mice of either sex weighing between 25-30g were used for the screening. They were divided into 7 groups of 5 animals each, and then the animals were marked for their identity. Animal groups I-IV received NBS extracts of root and leaf of Polyscias balfouriana dissolved in 2 % saline at doses 250 mg/kg and 500mg/kg body weight. Group V and VI received root powder of white Panax ginseng at a dose of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg. The group VII animals received 2 % saline. The scheduled doses were administrated to all the groups orally for 15 days prior to the injection of carbon particles. On the 16th day the animals were injected 0.1ml of carbon suspension (Pelikan Tuschea ink, Germany) intravenously through tail vein. Blood samples were collected from the retro-orbital plexus immediately at 3, 6, 9, 12 and 25 minutes after injection of carbon suspension. Blood samples of 25 mcl were taken from all the animals and were analyzed with 2 ml of 0.1% acetic acid and then the samples were measured for absorbance spectrophotometrically at wavelength of 675 nm. The graph of absorbance against time was plotted for each animal in respective group. The rate of carbon clearance, termed as Phagocytic index is the slope of time concentration curve obtained from the graph. The mean phagocytic index was calculated for each group and is tabulated in Table 1.

RESULTS
Carbon clearance assay
Administration of ALD (5 mg/kg, po) and AHD (50 mg/kg, po) produced increase in clearance of carbon particles from blood as indicated by a significant increase in phagocytic index (P<0.01). The OSE also produced a significant increase (P<0.01) in the phagocytic index (Table II).

Cyclophosphamide induced neutropenia(16, 17) :

Swiss albino mice received the drug or vehicle orally for 10 days. On 10th day, a neutropenic dose of cyclophosphamide (200mg/kg, sc) was administered and this day was labeled as day zero. Blood samples were collected through retro-orbital vein. The total leucocyte count (TLC) and DLC were performed prior to and on day 3 after injection of cyclophosphamide. The TLC and DLC in treated groups were compared with the values of the control group.

RESULTS Cyclophosphamide induced neutropenia

Administration of Cyclophosphamide (200mg/kg, sc) produced a decrease in neutrophil count in all the groups. However, the reduction in neutrophil count was less in ALD and OSE treated groups compared to control. The ALD administration produced a 46.65% reduction in TLC and 27.28% reduction in neutrophil count and OSE treated group had 44.80% reduction in TLC and about 30.27% reduction in neutrophil count compared to 43.04% reduction in neutrohpil count and 58% reduction in TLC in control. However, the AHD did not produce any significant effect in neutrophil reduction when compared to control (Table III).