Evaluation of antiangiogenic activity of Justicia adhatoda extract by sponge implantation method in mouse

The development of new blood vessels from the existing ones is known as angiogenesis, which is also a prerequisite in order to have tumor growth. Hence, the antiangiogenic therapeutic approach became a trend nowadays in research. The study was conducted on 18 male Swiss albino mice divided into three groups comprising six animals in each. Group, I was kept as a control, group II received a sponge implant with SU5416 (25mg/kg) and group III received a sponge treated with extract of Justicia adhatoda. On the 14^th day, animals were sacrificed and a gel foam sponge was collected for estimation of hemoglobin, VEGF concentration and for histopathological examination. The mean (±SE) hemoglobin concentration (|jg/mg weight of sponge) in mice were 1.920 ± 0.002 in the untreated group, 0.335 ± 0.005 in the positive control group, 1.696 ± 0.007 in Justicia adhatoda extract-treated group. The mean (±SE) VEGF concentration (pg/mg weight of sponge) in groups I to III of mice were 2.401± 0.179, 0.558± 0.059, 1.925± 0.060, respectively. The MVD (±SE) per field from processed sponges in groups I to III of mice were12.33± 0.84, 0.83± 0.30, 8.66± 0.76, respectively. Justicia adhatoda showed a moderate anti-angiogenic effect as compared to the standard inhibitory drug. Further extensive studies are required for assessing the utility of these remedies in clinical set-ups.