ABSTRACT
Background: The plant Rotula aquatica Lour. was traditionally well known due to its large number ofpharmacological action and medicinal uses. The plant is a necessary component of many Ayurvedic drugpreparations since historical times. It is widely used as a crucial ancient drug for kidney and bladderstones.Objectives: The main objective of the study was to evaluate the acute toxicity and anti inflammatoryefficacy of methanolic extract of R. aquatica Lour. in in vivo models.Materials and methods: The qualitative phytochemical analysis and invitro antioxidant activity of theroots of methanolic extract of R. aquatica Lour. (MERA) was evaluated. The acute toxicity effect of MERAwas evaluated with two different doses (550, 2000 mg/kg body weight), were administrated orally toWistar rats. The rats were observed for sign and symptoms of toxicity and mortality for 14 days. Theparameters measured including relative organ weight, blood, biochemical and histopathological parameters of hepatic and renal toxicity. The anti-inflammatory effect of MERA was also evaluated incarrageenan and dextran-induced paw edema models.Results: The phytochemical evaluation of MERA shows the presence of secondary metabolites like alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics and tannins, phytosterols, reducing sugars, proteins and terpenoids. Theresults of in-vitro antioxidant evaluation of MERA reveal its capability to scavenging free radical at alower concentration. The MERA did not show any visible signs of toxicity up to the dose of 2000 mg/kgbody weight. The results obtained from our carrageenan and dextran-induced paw edema model studyalso proved the anti-inflammatory effect of MERA in rat model.Conclusion: The result shows the potential of MERA as an anti-inflammatory drug to reduce the signs ofinflammation devoid of any toxic effect.© 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Institute of Transdisciplinary Health Sciencesand Technology and World Ayurveda Foundation. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-NDlicense (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the anti-bacterial and anti-biofilm activity of ethyl acetate fraction of Rotula aquatica Lour. (EFRA) against clinically isolated uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Methods: In vitro antibacterial and anti-biofilm studies were employed. The antimicrobial activity of EFRA was assayed by the well diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the active fraction were determined by Resazurin method. The time-kill kinetic assay, acridine orange-ethidium bromide staining, propidium iodide uptake assay, and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis were done to evaluate the efficacy of EFRA in killing uropathogenic Escherichia coli. The anti-biofilm activity was determined by 3-[4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl]-2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium-bromide (MTT) assay and specific biofilm formation assay. Results: The well diffusion assay of EFRA showed a very clear zone of inhibition against Escherichia coli BRL-17. The MIC and MBC of EFRA were 2.5 mg/mL and 5 mg/mL, respectively. The time-kill kinetic assay, fluorescence microscopic analysis, propidium iodide uptake assay, and SEM analysis displayed the effect of EFRA in killing the bacteria. The MTT assay and specific biofilm formation assay showed that EFRA prevented the formation of biofilms. Conclusions: The results of the present study confirm that EFRA could prevent bacterial growth and inhibit its biofilm formation.