In Vitro Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, Thrombolytic Activities and Phytochemical Evaluation of Methanol Extract of the Ampelocissus Barbata (Wall.) Leaves

Abstract

Context: Oxidative stress and pertaining counterbalance mechanism are actively working in the living organisms. The overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the ongoing equipoising process requires to be compensated by strong antioxidants. Plants as a rich source of antioxidants not only reduce oxidative stress but also possess cytotoxic, thrombolytic and phytochemical potentials. Aims: To find out the antioxidant, cytotoxic, thrombolytic and phytochemical capabilities of the methanolic extracts of Ampelocissus barbata (Wall.) leaves. Methods and Material: Assessment of the in vitro antioxidant activity of extract was carried out using DPPH radical scavenging assay, determination of reducing power capacity and total phenolic content. The thrombolytic activity was assessed by disintegration of clot and prospective phytochemical activities were by standard qualitative analysis such as Mayer’s, Dragendroff’s Wagner’s and Hager’s Reagent test for alkaloids; Libermann-Burchared and Salkowski Reagent tests for steroid and terpenoids; Molish Reagent, Benedict’s Reagent, Fehling’s Solution A & B reagent test for carbohydrates; Ferric Chloride (5%) Solution, Potassium Dichromate (10%) Solution tests for tannins; Shinoda test and Alkaline reagent test for Flavonoids; Froth tests & Haemolysis test for Saponins. Statistical analysis used: The statistical analysis was carried out using GraphPad Prism and Microsoft excel Results: Appreciable DPPH radical scavenging activity of the extract was observed with the IC50 value of 107.47±1.46 µg/ml. A significant correlation was found between the standard ascorbic acid (AA) and the plant extracts at the p˂0.05 for the reducing power assay where, the activity increased with the concentration of the extracts and the highest absorbance value was 3.025±0.15 and 1.826±0.006 for the AA and the extracts respectively. The plant also accommodates a considerable amount of polyphenols, reflected in the value of gallic acid equivalent 277.397±0.419 mg/ml. Finally, the percentage (%) of clot lysis for the thrombolytic activity was revealed to be 7.031±0.697, 35.297±1.307, and 75.083±0.599 for the water (negative control), extract, and the standard Streptokinase respectively. The study revealed the presence of phytochemicals namely alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and glycosides. Conclusions: The study disclosed the promising in vitro activity of the plant, which necessitates the further analysis for the isolation and evaluation of the active principles.