STUDY OF PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, ANTIOXIDANT, ANTIDIARRHOEAL AND ANALGESIC ACTIVITIES OF HYDROMETHANOL EXTRACTS OF POLYALTHIA SUBEROSA (ROXB.)

Abstract

Hydromethanol extracts of three different parts namely leaves, bark and fruits of the Polyalthia suberosa (Roxb.) was screen for it’s antioxidant, analgesic and antidiarrheal activity. Bark extracts showed the maximum reducing activity in both model and higher than the reference standard ascorbic acid. Fruits extract was also found to have strong reducing capacity but slightly lower compared to the ascorbic acid. The analgesic activity of all parts of P. suberosa at all doses, produced significant (p<0.05-0.01) inhibition of writhing reaction in a dose dependent manner. Maximum inhibition of writhing (55.15% inhibition) was produced by the bark extract at 400 mg/kg dose whereas fruits and leaves extracts at the same dose displayed a maximum of 53.09% and 38.92% inhibition of writhing response respectively and at the dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg, produced a significant (p<0.05-0.001) increase in pain threshold in tail immersion methods in a dose dependent manner after 60 and 90 min of drug administration. In castor oil-induced diarrhoea statistically significant (p<0.05) inhibition of frequency of diarrhoeal was observed with bark (69.52% inhibition) and fruits (63.81% inhibition) of the plant at 400 mg/kg dose level. Similarly in MgSO4-induced diarrhoeal model, the antidiarrhoeal actions exhibited by the hydromethanol extracts of the three parts of the plant, at 400 mg/kg dose, were found to be statistically significant (p<0.05) and was comparable to the reference drug Loperamide.The overall results were bark and fruits extracts of Polyalthia suberosa possess strong antioxidant potential along with excellent analgesic and antidiarrheal activity while leaves extract possess moderate activity.

KEYWORDS: Polyalthia suberosa, antioxidant, analgesic and antidiarrheal activity