5 ml) was fed to the rats with the help of a feeding needle. The yield of aqueous curry leaf extract (Cu LE) was 14.72 ± 0.36% (w/w). Male Wistar rats of body weight 160-180 g were used throughout the experiments. The animals were handled as per the

guidelines of institutional animal ethics committee (IAEC) of Department of Physiology, University of Calcutta in accordance with the committee for the purpose of control and supervision of experiment on animals (CPCSEA), Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India. All the experimental protocols had the approval (approved under proposal No. IAEC/PROPOSAL/DB-5/2010 dated 05/05/2010, approval date: 16/11/2011) of Institutional Animal Ethics Committee check details (IAEC) of the Department of Physiology, University MK2206 of Calcutta. Prof. P. K. Samanta, M. Sc. (Vet.), Ph. D., Professor and Veterinary Surgeon and CPCSEA Nominee to Department of Physiology, University of Calcutta, acted as the advisor for animal care and handling. For our present study, the animals were housed in galvanized wire cages, in well ventilated, air conditioned rooms of our animal house with 12 hours light/dark cycle, at about 18 °C room temperature for 7 days to get adapted to laboratory condition. All rats had been given a standard diet

containing 18% protein, 71% carbohydrate and vitamins which are considered to be an adequate (normal) dietary protein level [12]. The animals were released from

quarantine and immediately they were kept on fasting condition in specially designed cages for the following 40 hours. After that treatment of rats was carried out as per the schedule mentioned below. The animals were divided into six groups as follows for the dose response study: GROUP I: Control group (C). Rats were allowed to drink water supplied ad libitum. GROUP II: Piroxicam treated group (Px). Rats were orally administered piroxicam at a dose of Celastrol 30 mg/kg body weight dose with a feeding needle. The treatment was carried out immediately after 40 hours fasting. GROUP III: Cu LE pre-treated at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight and piroxicam fed group (Cu LE1). Cu LE was administered at 50 mg/kg body weight at the onset of the experiment and immediately after one hour, the animals were orally fed piroxicam at 30 mg/kg body weight. GROUP IV: Cu LE pre-treated at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight and piroxicam fed group (Cu LE2). Curry leaf aqueous extract was administered at 100 mg/kg bodyweight at the onset of the experiments and immediately after one hour, the animals were orally fed piroxicam at 30 mg/kg body weight. GROUP V: Cu LE pre-treated at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight and piroxicam fed group (Cu LE3).