Atiar Rahman

Analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect of whole Ageratum conyzoides and Emilia sonchifolia alcoholic extracts in animal models

This study was designed to investigate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of Ageratum conyzoides and Emilia sonchifolia alcoholic extracts in animal models. Analgesic effects have been investigated in acetic acid induced writhing model and formalin induced licking model of Swiss albino mice. Anti-inflammatory effect was investigated in carrageenan induced anti-inflammatory paw edema model of Wistar albino rat. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Tukeys post hoc test for multiple comparisons. In a dose-dependent response, A. conyzoides and E. sonchifolia extracts inhibited 49.85 and 39.47% of acetic acid induced pain at the highest dose 2.0 g/kg body weight (BW). These effects were statistically significant (P < 0.05) as compared to the reference drug, diclofenac sodium (40 mg/kg). A. conyzoides reduced 35.48% and E. sonchifolia reduced 38.70% of formalin induced pain by 2.0 g/kg which were also statistically significant (P < 0.05) as compared to morphine (0.5 mg/kg). In a time-dependent inhibition of carrageenan induced paw edema model, the extracts of A. conyzoides and E. sonchifolia promoted 50.23 and 48.11% inhibition of paw edema at the 4th hour of administration, respectively and the effects were statistically significant (P < 0.05). No mortality was observed in acute toxicity test. Observed results demonstrate an effective analgesic and anti-inflammatory potentials of the extracts to be used as complementary and alternative therapy.

Phytochemical, analgesic, antibacterial, and cytotoxic effects of Alpinia nigra (Gaertn.) Burtt leaf extract

This research evaluated the phytochemical contents as well as the analgesic, cytotoxic, and antimicrobial effects of the methanolic extract of Alpinia nigra leaf. Phytochemical analysis was carried out using established methods. The analgesic effects of the extract were measured with the formalin test and tail immersion test. The antibacterial activity of the extract was evaluated using the disc diffusion technique. Cytotoxicity was assessed with the brine shrimp lethality bioassay. Data were analyzed with one-way analysis of variance using statistical software (SPSS, Version 19.0). The qualitative phytochemical screening of A. nigra leaf extract showed the presence of medicinally active secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, glycosides, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, steroids, tannins, anthraquinone glycosides, and saponins. The extract at a dose of 200 mg/kg revealed a prevailed central nociception increasing the reaction time in response to thermal stimulation. The extract also showed a response to chemical nociceptors, causing pain inhibition in the late phase. The leaf extract (2 mg/disc) showed mild antibacterial activity compared to tetracycline (50 μg/disc). In the brine shrimp lethality bioassay, the LC50 (lethal concentration 50) value of the extract was found to be 57.12 μg/mL, implying a promising cytotoxic effect. The results evidenced the moderate analgesic and antibacterial effects with pronounced cytotoxic capability.

Effects of organic extracts and their different fractions of five Bangladeshi plants on in vitro thrombolysis

BackgroundThe increasingly high incidence of ischemic stroke caused by thrombosis of the arterial vessels is one of the major factors that threaten people’s health and lives in the world. The present treatments for thrombosis are still unsatisfactory. Herbal preparations have been used since ancient times for the treatment of several diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate whether herbal preparations possess thrombolytic activity or not.MethodsAn in vitro thrombolytic model was used to check the clot lysis effect of the crude extracts and fractions of five Bangladeshi plant viz., Trema orientalis L., Bacopa monnieri L., Capsicum frutescens L., Brassica oleracea L. and Urena sinuata L. using streptokinase as a positive control and water as a negative control. Briefly, venous blood drawn from twenty healthy volunteers was allowed to form clots which were weighed and treated with the test plant materials to disrupt the clots. Weight of clot after and before treatment provided a percentage of clot lysis.ResultsUsing an in vitro thrombolytic model, different fractions of five Bangladeshi medicinal plants namely T. orientalis, B. monnieri, C. frutescens, B. oleracea and U. sinuata showed various range of clot lysis activity. Chloroform fractions of T. orientalis, B. monnieri, C. frutescens, B. oleracea and U. sinuata showed highest significant (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001) clot lysis activity viz., 46.44 ± 2.44%, 48.39 ± 10.12%, 36.87 ± 1.27%, 30.24 ± 0.95% and 47.89 ± 6.83% respectively compared with positive control standard streptokinase (80.77 ± 1.12%) and negative control sterile distilled water (5.69 ± 3.09%). Other fractions showed moderate to low clot lysis activity. Order of clot lysis activity was found to be: Streptokinase > Chloroform fractions > Methanol (crude) extract > Hydro-methanol fractions > Ethyl acetate fractions > n-hexane fractions > Water.ConclusionsOur study suggests that thrombolytic activity of T. orientalis, B. monnieri and U. sinuata could be considered as very promising and beneficial for the Bangladeshi traditional medicine. Lower effects of other extracts might suggest the lack of bio-active components and/or insufficient quantities in the extract. In vivo clot dissolving property and active component(s) of T. orientalis and B. monnieri for clot lysis could lead the plants for their therapeutic uses. However, further work will establish whether or not, chloroform soluble phytochemicals from these plants could be incorporated as a thrombolytic agent for the improvement of the patients suffering from atherothrombotic diseases.

Alpinia calcarata Roscoe: A potential phytopharmacological source of natural medicine

Alpinia calcarata Roscoe (Family: Zingiberaceae), is a rhizomatous perennial herb, which is commonly used in the traditional medicinal systems in Sri Lanka. Alpinia calcarata is cultivated in tropical countries, including Sri Lanka, India, and Malaysia. Experimentally, rhizomes of Alpinia calcarata are shown to possess antibacterial, antifungal, anthelmintic, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, aphrodisiac, gastroprotective, and antidiabetic activities. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of polyphenols, tannins, flavonoids, steroid glycosides and alkaloids in the extract and essential oil of this plant. Essential oil and extracts from this plant have been found to possess wide range of pharmacological and biological activities. This article provides a comprehensive review of its ethnomedical uses, chemical constituents and the pharmacological profile as a medicinal plant. Particular attention has been given to the pharmacological effects of the essential oil of Alpinia calcarata in this review so that the potential use of this plant either in pharmaceutics or as an agricultural resource can be evaluated.

Phytochemical, Antimicrobial, Cytotoxic, Analgesic and Anti-InflammatoryProperties of Azadirachta Indica: A Therapeutic Study

In this study the ethanol extract, n-hexane extract and chloroform extract of Azadirachta indica were first evaluated for phytochemical study. The phytochemical screening of the three extracts of Azadirachta indica exhibited the presence of important secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids and tannins. The extracts showed potential antimicrobial activities against thirteen different strains of microorganisms. Secondly, they were screened in vitro for cytotoxicity test by brine shrimp lethality bioassay and results illustrated significant (p<0.05) cytotoxicity against Artemia salina. To test the analgesic properties of ethanol extract of Azadirachta indica, hot plate and acetic acid induced writhing methods were used. At two different doses (250 and 500 mg/kg body weight), the analgesic tests were performed on Swiss Albino mice. Also, the anti-inflammatory tests were performed by carrageenan induced paw edema method on long Evans rats at the two different doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight using ethanol extract. Our results indicated that Azadirachta indica possesses remarkable analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity.