Medicinal potential of Passiflora foetida L. plant extracts: biological and pharmacological activities

OBJECTIVE： To investigate analgesic, antidiarrhoeal and cytotoxic activities of the ethanol extract of Passiflora foetida L. （Passifloraceae） by three experimental methods. METHODS： Analgesic activity of the ethanol extract of Passiflora foetida L. （EEPF） was carried out using acetic acid-induced writhing inhibition in mice. The method of castor oil-induced diarrhoea in mice was utilized to evaluate antidiarrhoeal activity. The cytotoxic activity of EEPF was explored with a brine shrimp lethality bioassay. RESULTS： The extract showed 68.75% and 30.00% inhibition of writhe at the doses of 500 and 250 mg/kg body weight, respectively. The extract increased the mean latent period prior to diarrhoeal onset to about 1.55 h and 1.17 h, and decreased the mean number of stools to 4.4 and 5.6 at the doses of 500 and 250 mg/kg body weight. The extract also demonstrated cytotoxic activity in the brine shrimp lethality assay, and the median lethal concentration for brine shrimp nauplii was 80 pg/mL. CONCLUSION： The results suggest that the plant extract has analgesic and antidiarrhoeal activities, supporting its uses in traditional medicine. The results also demonstrate that the plant extract possesses cytotoxic activities.

Assessment of bioactivities of ethanolic extract of Melia azedarach (Meliaceae) leaves

Objective:To assess ethanolic extract of the leaves of Melia azedarach L.(Family-Meliaceae)for its possible antioxidant,analgesic and antibacterial activities in association with performing phytochemical evaluation.Methods:A number of phytochemical tests of this extract were utilized to distinguish the existence of different sorts of compounds.Qualitative and quantitative antioxidant activities were assessed by TLC and DPPH scavenging assay respectively.Acetic acid induced writhing test in mice and disk diffusion assay of the leaves extract were carried out to demonstrate the analgesic and antibacterial activities respectively.Results:The phytochemical assessment revealed the existence of alkaloids,flavonoids,glycosides,saponins and tannins like compounds.Ethanolic extract of the leaves demonstrated antioxidant,analgesic and antibacterial activities in vitro.Conclusion:Considering the study,this could justify the leaves extract’s bioactivities but,to substantiate the activity of individual compound further investigation is necessary.