Methanol soluble fraction of fruits of Annona muricata possesses significant antidiarrheal activities.

Medicinal plants are the major sources of traditional treatment of disease in Indian subcontinent due to abundant presence of plants and vast side effects of synthetic drug. The present study was subjected to observe in vitro thrombolytic, antibacterial, and in vivo antidiarrheal activities of methanol soluble fraction of fruits of Annona muricata. In thrombolytic activity assay, various concentrations (2 ─ 10 mg/ml) of methanol soluble fraction was used and dose dependently less potent activity was found. The maximum clot lysis 18.33% (p* < 0.05) was achieved at 10 mg/ml of methanolic fruit extract, whereas standard drug streptokinase showed 55.50% (p*** < 0.001) clot lysis. In antibacterial assay, disc diffusion method was used comprising two gram positive (S. aureus and Micrococcus luteus) and two gram negative (E. coli and P. aeruginosa) bacteria. None of four (0.25, 0.5, 1, and 5 mg/disc) concentration of fruit extract showed antibacterial potentiality, whereas standard amikacin (3 mg/disc) revealed strong antibacterial activities (=~ 23 ─ 24 mm of MIC). To evaluate antidiarrheal activity, castor oil induced diarrhea was created in Swiss albino mice and different doses (100, 200, and 400 mg/kgbw) of fruit extract was introduced post orally. All of three different doses of fruit extract showed significant (p < 0.05 ─ 0.001) antidiarrheal activities. Notably, the percent inhibition of diarrhea by methanolic extract of fruits of Annona muricata was found to be 58.38% at a dose of 400 mg/kgbw. The effect of vehicle saline (10 ml/kgbw) was considered as control and loperamide (5 mg/kgbw) as standard that provided 67.01% inhibition of diarrhea. The results suggest that, the fruits of Annona muricata possess potent antidiarrheal properties, providing scientific basis of using the plant parts in the treatment of diarrheal disease.

The Genus Curcuma and Inflammation: Overview of the Pharmacological Perspectives.

The Curcuma genus has been extensively used for therapeutic purposes in traditional or folk medicine worldwide, including for its anti-inflammatory activity. Curcuma spp.'s active constituents, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenoids, can act on various targets in the signaling pathway, restrain pro-inflammatory enzymes, lower the production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, and reduce oxidative stress, which subsequently suppresses inflammatory processes. Preclinical and clinical studies have reported the predominant anti-inflammatory activity of several Curcuma species. This review provides an overview of the anti-inflammatory effects of different extracts, preparations, and bioactive components in this genus. This analysis may provide a scientific basis for developing new and alternative methods for the isolation of a single entity from this genus to attenuate inflammatory conditions. The Curcuma genus is waiting for researchers interested in developing safe and efficient anti-inflammatory agents for further investigation.

Antinociceptive and antioxidant potential of the crude ethanol extract of the leaves of Ageratum conyzoides grown in Bangladesh.

CONTEXT: Ageratum conyzoides Linn. (Asteraceae) is an annual herbaceous plant with a long history of traditional medicinal and agricultural uses; it is usually grown in the northeast part of Bangladesh. OBJECTIVE: The ethanol extract of the plant leaves was evaluated for preliminary phytochemical screening with its antinociceptive and antioxidant activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The preliminary phytochemical analysis was performed on the basis of standard procedures. The analgesic activity of the extract was investigated using the acetic acid-induced writhing method in mice. Five complementary tests such as DPPH free radical scavenging, nitric oxide (NO) scavenging, reducing power, Fe(++) ion chelating ability and total phenolic content were used for determining antioxidant activities. RESULTS: The results of preliminary phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids, reducing sugars, saponins, gums, steroids, tannins and flavonoids. The extract possessed a significant dose-dependent DPPH free radical scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 18.91 µg/ml compared to ascorbic acid (IC50: 2.937 µg/ml) and butylated hydroxyanisole (IC50: 5.10 µg/ml). The IC50 value of the extract for NO scavenging (41.81 µg/ml) was also found to be significant compared to the IC50 value of ascorbic acid (37.93 µg/ml). Moreover, the extract showed reducing power activity and Fe(++) ion chelating ability. The total phenolic amount was also calculated as quite high (378.37 mg/g of gallic acid equivalents) in the crude ethanol extract. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Therefore, the obtained results tend to suggest the antinociceptive and antioxidant activities of the ethanol extract of the plant leaves and justify its use in folkloric remedies.