Pharmacological studies on Melothria maderaspatana

M. maderaspatana is used in Indian traditional system of medicine against a variety of diseases. The ethanol extract of the aerial parts, which gave positive test for steroids, exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity in rats and prolongation of pentobarbitone-induced sleeping time in mice. The extract also showed antagonistic effect on acetylcholine-induced contraction on guinea pig ileum and oxytocininduced contraction on rat uterus.