Phytochemical Screening andinvivoNootropic Evaluation ofCarissacaranduslinn. Roots

Abstract

The present investigation was planned with an objective to screen phytochemically andneuropharmacologically the roots of Carissa carandus Linn.in rats. Carissa carandus Linn.(karaunda), common herb of dogbane family Apocynaceae. It has been used as additive in Indian pickles1. The extraction of Carissa carandus Linn. roots was carried out by Soxhlet apparatus by successive solvent extraction in the order of increasing polarity with solvents such as hexane, methanol and water respectively for 24 hours. Phytochemical screening of the extracts reveals the presence of following chemical constituents such as carbohydrates, proteins, lignans, flavonoids, terpenes, saponins glycosides, cardiac glycosides etc. Nootropic activity was carried out with methanolic extract (200 mg/kg) in albino rats by using object recognition test. The rats of all the groups are placed one by one in an empty object recognition test chamber to get habituated to the environment for a period of 5 minutes before the test session. The rats were allowed to explore a familiar object (F) and a new object (F1) on first day test trail for a period of 5 minutes. Second day test trial includes exploration of a previous familiar (F) object and a new object (N). The result obtained indicate that discrimination index with control rats were found to be 0.0470±0.113 sec, whereas with test treated rats discrimination index was found to be 0.2042 ±0.412 sec. This increase in discrimination index with Carissa carandus Linn. methanolic root extract treated rats in object recognition test suggests that Carissa carandus Linn. roots posseses significant memory enhancing potential.