Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and preliminary chemical investigations of crjnum asiaticum leaves

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Date
2001
Authors
S. Arafat, Ossama Mohammad
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Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of Crinum asiaticum leaves through activity guided chemical fractionation in an attempt to determine the active compound(s) in the plant. The anti-inflammatory activity' was evaluated using the method of carrageenan induced hind paw oedema in mice while analgesic activity was evaluated using Randall and Selitto ( 1957) method. The dried pulverized C. asiaticum leaves were serially extracted with petroleum ether, followed by chloroform and lastly methanol. The strongest anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities were shown in the chloroform extract (250 mg/kg, p.o). The chloroform extract was then fractionated using column chromatography into 5 fractions (ji-fs). Fractio~s /4 and f5 screened positive for both anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. Combination of f4 and f5. were fractionated again using column chromatography to afford 8 fractions: D1 - D8. The results show that, at the dose of250 mg/kg only fraction D6 significantly inhibited carrageenan induced oedema which suggest that the compound(s} with anti-inflammatory activity is in fraction D6. Hyperactivity (which sometime lead to death) and diarrhoea were observed in mice treated with chloroform and methanol extracts as well as D1, D2 and D3 fractions. Hyperactivity was absent in fractions 0 4 - 0 8 treated mice. Preliminary phytochemical analysis by thin layer chromatography using specific reagents showed that fractions f4, f5 and 06 contained alkaloids, anthrones, coumarins, triterpenes, glycosides, flavonoids and essential oils. Fractionation of the chloroform extract of the plant into alkaloid (IA) and non-alkaloid ( :'-JA) fractions found that the anti-inflammatory .1ctivity was in the alkaloid fraction and it was accompanied with hyperactivity while :ne analgesic activity was in the nonalkaloid fraction. This led us to conclude that the compound(s) responsible for analgesic activity is different from the compound(s) that caused anti-inflammatory activity and the side effects of hyperactivity and diarrhoea.
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Chemical investigations , Crinum asiaticum leaves
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