In vitro screening for acetylcholinesterase inhibition of Baliospermum montanum, Humboldtia brunonis Wall. var. raktapushpa and Pittosporum viridulum.

Ethanolic extracts of three medicinal plants collected from South India were analyzed for their activity towards acetylcholinestrase (AChE) enzyme. The AChE inhibition was measured spectrophotometrically. All the three species namely, Baliospermum montanum, Humboldtia brunonis Wall. var. raktapushpa and Pittosporum viridulum showed substantial inhibitory activity towards acetylcholinesterase with IC50 values, 137.5μg/ml, 128.7 μg/ml and 105.3μg/ml, respectively.

Radical scavenging and in-vitro hemolytic activity of aqueous extracts of selected acacia species.

The aqueous extracts of three Acacia species were screened for their free radical scavenging and in vitro hemolytic activity. The total phenolic content was also determined in all the three species. The total phenolics were estimated spectrophotometrically based on the reduction of phosphomolybdate ion of Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and was expressed as milligram equivalent of Gallic acid. The radical scavenging activity was evaluated by DPPH assay. Acacia nilotica showed maximum radical scavenging activity with EC50 12.5. Hemolytic activity of the aqueous extracts was screened against normal human erythrocytes. Aqueous extract of A. leucophloea possessed minimum hemolytic activity where as A.nilotica showed highest hemolytic activity.