10PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF VERNONIA CINEREA AGAINST BILATERAL CAROTID ARTERY OCCLUSION INDUCED STROKE IN RATSThe plants of the genus Vernonia (Asteraceae) are widely distributed in most tropical and subtropical countries, and have long been used in traditional medicine to treat various types of diseases. In recent years, the interest in the plant-based medicine has increased noticeably worldwide. One of such plants belonging to genus Vernonia and known to have healing potential is Vernonia cinerea Less (Asteraceae). V. cinerea have many therapeutic uses in the practice of traditional medicine. To evaluate the cerebroprotective effect of Ethanol extract of whole plant of Vernonia cinerea Linn. (EVC) against the global model of ischemia in rats. In the present study, the animals were pre-treated with EVC for a period of 1week (250 and 500 mg/kg) p.o. The animals were anaesthetized with thiopentone sodium (45mg/kg) and stroke was induced by Bilateral Carotid Artery Occlusion (BCAO) for defined period with aneurism clamps placed on both arteries and later (10 minutes) clamps were removed to allow reperfusion and animals were then returned to their cages. After 24 hours of reperfusion, the animal behaviors were evaluated by various methods such as behaviour pattern, Juvenile recognition, Motor activity, rotar rod test, Morris water maze test in stroke induced animals. The treatment was continued for another week after surgery with EVC. The present studies suggest that, there was a decrease in the escape latency in water maze in stroke induced (negative control) group. The group treated with 250mg/kg and 500 mg/kg EVC showed significant (P<0.01) improvement in the behaviour pattern, and spatial learning, which was confirmed in trial sessions in water maze test when compared with the negative control group. In conclusion, Ethanol extract of whole plant of Vernonia cinerea Linn. produced cerebroprotective effects in global cerebral ischemia as evident from reduction in behavioral score, hyper locomotion and neuronal damageharisarun1985@gmail.comReview212012Whole plant of Vernonia cinerea Linn,Bilateral Carotid Artery Occlusion,Cerebral ischemiaA. Arunachalam,S. Selvakumar,S. JeganathDepartment of Pharmaceutics, A.M.Reddy Memorial College of Pharmacy, Narasaraopet, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India,Department of pharmaceutical chemistry, Jagan’s college of Pharmacy, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India,Department of Pharmaceutics, Saastra College of Pharmaceutical education and research, Varigonda, Gudur, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India