Antioxidant, antimicrobial, toxicity and analgesic properties of ethanol extract of Solena amplexicaulis root

BACKGROUND: This study was subjected to investigate different pharmacological properties of ethanol extract ofSolena amplexicaulis root. RESULTS: The extract contains flavonoid, alkaloid, saponin and steroid compounds. The extract exhibited excellent antioxidant activity in DPPH radical scavenging activity. The extract also showed potent activity in brine shrimp lethality bioassay. The LC50 value was found to 44.677 µg/ml. The extract showed better anti-bacterial activity against gram-negative bacteria. In antifungal assay, the maximum 79.31% of anti-mycotic activity was observed against Aspergillus ochraceus while minimum 44.2% against Rhizopus oryzae. MIC value ranged between 1500 - 3000 µg/ml. The extract was found moderately toxic with a 24-hr LD50 value of 81.47 mg/kg in Swiss albino mice. The degree of inhibition by the ethanolic extract of the root was found less than that of standard analgesic drug diclofenac sodium. The extract also showed moderate anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activity and anti-diabetic property. Reducing power of the extract was comparable with standard ascorbic acid. Moderate in vitro thrombolytic activity, lipid peroxidation inhibition property, metal chelating ability and stress-protective activity was also observed. CONCLUSION: Ethanol extract of Solena amplexicaulis root can be valuable for treatment of different diseases.

Evaluation of antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic effects of Clausena suffruticosa ethanolic root extract.

Clausena suffruticosa (Family: Rutaceae) root ethanolic extract was subjected to analyze for its antioxidant effect by DPPH free radical scavenging method, antibacterial & antifungal effect by disc diffusion technique and cytotoxic effect by brine shrimp lethality test. The extract showed very significant antioxidant activity with the LC50 value of 3.28μg/ml. In antibacterial screening, moderate zone of inhibition (7.5-9.0mm in diameter) was observed against gram positive Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus aureus, Bacillus polymyxa & Bacillus megaterium and promising zone of inhibition (10.0-13.0mm in diameter) against gram negative Salmonella typhi, Shigella flexneri,, Proteus sp. & Escherichia coli. Klebsiella sp. and Shigella sonnei did not show sensitivity. The MIC values against these bacteria were ranged from 3,000 to 4,500μg/ml. Root extract showed significant zone of inhibition against Aspergillus ustus, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus ochraceus in antifungal assay. In the cytotoxicity assay, LD50 and Chi-square value of the ethanolic extract against brine shrimp nauplii were 546.94μg/ml and 1.9932 demonstrating potent cytotoxic effect of the extract.