Petroleum Ether Soluble Fraction Research Articles

Pharmacological Profile Analysis of a Vegetable Crop Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Linn.) Seeds

The seeds of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Linn.) can be utilized as both a conventional and multifunctional dietary constituent. In this study the antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic effects of various fractions such as petroleum ether soluble fraction (PESF), chloroform soluble fraction (CFSF), dichloromethane soluble fraction (DCMSF), and aqueous soluble fraction (AQF) were obtained from crude extract (CE) of the C. maxima seeds were assessed by using 1,1-Diphenyl-2- Picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, disc diffusion technique, and brine shrimp lethality bioassay respectively. The results showed that all the fractions have remarkable antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic activities. The study revealed that both the AQF and PESF and the CF confirmed significant antioxidant properties. The antibacterial activity of different fractions against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria was examined to determine their significant effect. PESF and CFSF fractions exhibited substantial inhibitory activity against Gram-positive bacteria, particularly Bacillus cereus. Bacillus subtilis exhibited significant susceptibility to both CFSF and AQF. Salmonella typhi and Shigella dysenteriae exhibited significant susceptibility to PESF and CFSF, while Escherichia coli was the Gram-negative bacterium most effectively inhibited by CFSF. The IC50 values revealed that the DCMSF exhibited the highest inhibitory activity, followed by other fractions. The new study emphasizes the significance of pumpkin seeds in terms of their pharmacological and biological properties, which may encourage more research on the potential benefits of this plant for human health. Jagannath University Journal of Life and Earth Sciences, 9(1): 7-18, 2023 (June)

GC/GC-MS analysis and biological activities of Lantana Camara Linn.

Medicinal plants have been a part of human history for thousands of years and are still used as healthcare throughout the world. The current research aims to explore the chemical constituents of the methanol soluble extract (LC-Me) and petroleum ether soluble fraction (LCM-PES) from the leaves of Lantana camara Linn by GC/ GC-MS. This chemical analysis revealed the existence of 16 and 23 phytoconstituents in LC-Me and LCM-PES respectively. The major constituents in LC-Me were found to beethyl 9,12,15-octadecatrienoate (31.9%), hexadecanoic acid, ethyl ester (12.6%), n-hexadecanoic acid (11.1%), linoleic acid ethyl ester (9.1%), squalene (8.7%), di-n-octyl phthalate (6.2%), 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)- (4.2%), (E)-9-octadecenoic acid ethyl ester (2.7%) andcyclopropanebutanoicacid,2-[[2-[[2-[(2-pentylcyclopropyl)methyl]cyclopropyl]methyl]cyclopropyl]methyl]-, methyl ester (2.3%). The chief bioactive compounds in petroleum ether soluble fraction were found to beandrost-8-en-3-ol, 4,4,14α-trimethyl-17-(2-bromo-1-methylethyl (57.9%), 14,17-nor-3,21-dioxo-β-amyrin, 17,18-didehydro-3-dehydroxy- (13.0%), barringtogenol B (2.5%), olean-12-ene-3,16,21,22,28-pentol, 21-(2-methyl-2-butenoate), [3β,16α,21β(Z),22α]-(1.7%),perhydrocyclopropa[e]azulene-4,5,6-triol, 1,1,4,6-tetramethyl (1.7%), ethyl iso-allocholate (1.6%) and 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, diisooctyl ester (1.6%). Both the extract and its fraction have exhibited very significant antibacterial, antifungal,mosquito repellent and larvicidal propertiesoriginated by numerous bioactive metabolites. Twenty eight (20 Gram-positive and 8 Gram-negative) bacteria were tested against LC.Me and LCM-PESwith noteworthy zone of inhibition.The significant in vitro antifungal activity was observed against fifteen fungi in LC-Me and LCM-PES. Very robust initial repellency was observed for LC-Me and LCM-PES (94% and 80% respectively) against the dengue-carrying mosquito (Aedes aegypti) at 2% concentration. The extract and its fraction were also found to be an efficient larvicidal agent against fourth-stage larvae of Aedes aegypti. The effective larvicidal property was noted in methanol soluble extract as compared topetroleum ether soluble fraction and standard with LC50value of 20 and 400 ppm respectively.

Chemico-pharmacological and computational studies of Ophiorrhiza fasciculata D. Don and Psychotria silhetensis Hook. f. focusing cytotoxic, thrombolytic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties

The current study sought to examine the pharmacological potentials of crude methanolic extracts of Ophiorrhiza fasciculata and Psychotria silhetensis, as well as their various solvent fractionates, with a focus on cytotoxic, thrombolytic, membrane stabilizing, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities via in vitro and in silico approaches. The extensive chromatographic and spectroscopic analyses confirmed and characterized two compounds as (±)-licarin B (1) and stigmasterol (2) from O. fasciculata and P. silhetensis, respectively. Petroleum ether soluble fraction of O. fasciculata and the aqueous soluble fraction of P. silhetensis showed the lowest 50% lethal concentrations (1.41 and 1.94 μg/mL, respectively) in brine shrimp bioassay. Likewise, petroleum ether soluble fraction of O. fasciculata and aqueous soluble fraction of P. silhetensis showed the highest thrombolytic activity with 46.66% and 50.10% lyses of the clot, respectively. The methanol and dichloromethane soluble fractions of O. fasciculata reduced erythrocyte hemolysis by 64.03% and 37.08%, respectively, under hypotonic and heat-induced conditions, compared to 81.97% and 42.12% for standard acetylsalicylic acid. In antioxidant activity test, aqueous soluble fraction O. fasciculata (IC50 = 7.22 μg/mL) revealed promising antioxidant potentialities in comparison to standard butylated hydroxytoluene (IC50 = 21.20 μg/mL). In antibacterial screening, chloroform, and dichloromethane soluble fractions of P. silhetensis showed a mild antibacterial activity compared with the standard drug ciprofloxacin. Additionally, the molecular docking study corroborated the current in vitro findings, and the isolated two constituents had higher binding affinities toward epidermal growth factor receptor, tissue plasminogen activator, vFLIP-IKK gamma stapled peptide dimer, glutathione reductase, and dihydrofolate reductase enzyme than their corresponding standard drugs. In addition, the both isolated compounds exerted favorable pharmacokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) and toxicological profiles with drug-like qualities in computational-based ADMET and drug likeliness analyses. The current research suggests that both plants have potential as a natural treatment for treating thrombosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. However, more thorough research is required to thoroughly screen for phytochemicals and pinpoint the precise mechanisms of action of the bioactive metabolites derived from these plants against a broad range of molecular targets.

Evaluation of Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, Thrombolytic and Membrane Stabilizing Activities of Canna indica L. Leaves (Family: Cannaceae)

Canna indica L., a perennial plant known as Indian shot and African arrowroot, is a member of the family Cannaceae. Historically, this plant was used to treat menstrual cramps, diarrhea and dysentery. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the antioxidant, cytotoxic, thrombolytic and membrane stabilizing activities of the methanol extract of C. indica leaf and its organic soluble fractions. The DPPH free radical scavenging method and the total phenolic content determination were utilized to evaluate the antioxidant capacity, whereas the brine shrimp lethality bioassay was implemented to study the cytotoxic potential. The ability of the extractives to prevent the hemolysis of red blood cells (RBC) in response to the application of heat and hypotonic solutions was used to estimate of their membrane stabilizing potential. In all of these experiments, the methanolic leaf extract (ME) displayed moderate activity, while the petroleum ether soluble fraction (PSF) and the dichloromethane soluble fraction (DSF) demonstrated the most promising antioxidant and cytotoxic activities among the extractives. However, the strongest thrombolytic and membrane stabilizing activities were observed by the chloroform soluble fraction (CSF). Additional research may be necessary to determine which phytoconstituents are most likely to be responsible for the aforementioned qualities. Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 26(2): 162-166, 2023 (July)

In Vitro and In Silico Anti-Picornavirus Triterpene Alkanoic Acid Ester from Saudi Collection of Rhazya stricta Decne.

The total alcohol extract obtained from the aerial parts of R. stricta and fractions of the liquid-liquid fractionation process were tested against picornavirus-causing foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) based on the traditional use of the plant in Saudi Arabia. The most active petroleum ether soluble fraction was subjected to chromatographic purification, and nine compounds were isolated, identified using various chemical and spectroscopic methods, and tested for their anti-viral potential. The new ester identified as α-Amyrin 3-(3'R-hydroxy)-hexadecanoate (1) was the most active compound with 51% inhibition of the viral growth and was given the name Rhazyin A. Compounds with ursane skeleton were more active than those with lupane skeleton except in the case of the acid derivatives where betulenic acid showed 26.1% inhibition against the viral growth, while ursolic acid showed only 16.6% inhibition. Moreover, molecular docking analysis using a glide extra-precision module was utilized for investigating the possible molecular interactions accounting for anti-viral activity against picornavirus of the nine isolated compounds. Molecular docking studies revealed a strong binding of the discovered hits within the active site of FMDV 3Cpro. Compound 1 showed the lowest docking score within the nine isolated compounds comparable to the two known anti-viral drugs; glycyrrhizic acid and ribavirin. The results of this research will provide lead candidates from natural origin with potential safety and efficacy compared to the synthetic ones with lower production costs for managing FMVD.

Characterization of phytochemicals and determination of antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties of the medicinal plant Ardisia solanacea

The present study was conducted to detect possible phytochemicals and evaluate antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of the extract of Ardisia solanacea. Phytochemical screening was carried out using the standard test methods of different chemical group. For investigating the antioxidant activity, two complementary test methods namely DPPH free radical scavenging assay and total phenolic content determination were carried out. For the evaluation of in vitro antimicrobial activity, disc diffusion method was used. Evaluation of cytotoxic activity was done using the brine shrimp lethality bioassay. In DPPH free radical scavenging test, the petroleum ether soluble fraction showed the highest free radical scavenging activity with IC50 value 40.04 ?g/ml. while compared to that of the reference standards ascorbic acid. Ardisia solanacea was also found as a good source of total phenolic contents. Moreover, the extracts revealed moderate antimicrobial activity at the concentration of 400 ?g/disc. In cytotoxic activity test, the petroleum ether soluble fraction showed significant cytotoxic potential (LC50 value of 0.703 ?g/ml) among all the fractions comparing with that of standard vincristine (0.544 ?g/ml). Therefore, further studies are suggested to determine the active compounds responsible for the pharmacological activities of the plant extracts.

Pro-Neurogenic Potential of Daphne mucronata Royle

The petroleum ether soluble and insoluble fractions of the methanol extract of air dried stem extract of Daphne mucronata and a pure compound daphnin obtained from the more active petroleum ether insoluble fraction were evaluated for the pro-neurogenic activity on cortical and hippocampal primary cell cultures prepared from the neonatal mice brain. It showed significant proliferation of the cells as assessed by MTT assay

Bioassay Directed Fractionation of Petroleum Ether Extract of Aerial Parts of Ceriops tagal: Isolation of Lupeol as the Nematicidal Agent against Cyst Nematode Heterodera zeae.

Plant parasitic cyst nematode Heterodera zeae is a pest, causing substantial economic losses in agriculture. Organic pesticides, based on plant products have emerged as eco-benign nematicidal agents. Ceriops tagal is a well-known marine medicinal plant which has not been evaluated against any nematode. Petroleum ether extract of the aerial parts of the plant (CTP), exhibited promising activity against infective stage larvae of H. zeae. On subjecting to classical solvent-solvent separation, it afforded petroleum ether soluble (CTP-S), methanol soluble (CTPMS-1, CTPMS-2) and insoluble (CTPM-IN-2) fractions, which exhibited activity against the cyst nematode within 24 h exposure. GC, GC/MS and HR-ESI-MS analyses of CTPMS-1 and CTPMS-2 fractions resulted in the identification of a number of compounds, including pentacyclic triterpenoids, lupeol (1), betunal (2), betulin (3), lupenone (4), betulonaldehyde (5), betulonic acid (7), methyl 3-acetoxy-27-O-(3,4-dihydroxy-E-cinnamoyl)-20(29)-lupen-28-oate (8) and β-amyrin, along with phenylpropanoid esters, fatty acids and their derivatives, benzamide, and indole derivatives. CTPM-IN-2 which mainly contained lupeol (1) exhibited maximum nematicidal activity, with 91 % and 93 % mortality of the larvae of H. zeae, after exposure for 72 h at the concentration of 0.5 % and 1 %, respectively. Its fractionation and purification through column chromatography resulted in the isolation and identification of four lupane-type triterpenoids 1, 3, 4 and betulinic acid (6). One of its most abundant column fractions CC-9-18 (145 mg) which exhibited substantial activity, with 81 % mortality at the lowest concentration of 0.125 % after 48 h of incubation mainly contained lupeol. It seems lupeol, a wide spread bio-privileged triterpenoid is the nematicidal principle of the plant as its authentic sample showed LC50 value of 0.061 after 72 h exposure. It is for the first time that nematicidal activity is reported for any part of C. tagal and that of lupeol against H. zeae. Pentacyclic triterpenoids 1-8 are biosynthetically related. Of the twenty-four compounds isolated or identified in the present investigation only five constituents 1, 3, 6, 7 and palmitic acid have been isolated previously from C. tagal.

Characterization of phytochemicals and determination of antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties of the medicinal plant Ardisia solanacea

The present study was conducted to detect possible phytochemicals and evaluate antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of the extract of Ardisia solanacea. Phytochemical screening was carried out using the standard test methods of different chemical group. For investigating the antioxidant activity, two complementary test methods namely DPPH free radical scavenging assay and total phenolic content determination were carried out. For the evaluation of in vitro antimicrobial activity, disc diffusion method was used. Evaluation of cytotoxic activity was done using the brine shrimp lethality bioassay. In DPPH free radical scavenging test, the petroleum ether soluble fraction showed the highest free radical scavenging activity with IC50 value 40.04 μg/ml. while compared to that of the reference standards ascorbic acid. Ardisia solanacea was also found as a good source of total phenolic contents. Moreover, the extracts revealed moderate antimicrobial activity at the concentration of 400 μg/disc. In cytotoxic activity test, the petroleum ether soluble fraction showed significant cytotoxic potential (LC50 value of 0.703 μg/ml) among all the fractions comparing with that of standard vincristine (0.544 μg/ml). Therefore, further studies are suggested to determine the active compounds responsible for the pharmacological activities of the plant extracts.

Two new diterpenoids from the stems of Rhododendron dauricum as GABAA receptor agonists

Two new diterpenoids, dauricumins A (1) and B (2), together with two known aromatic meroterpenoids (3 and 4), were isolated from the petroleum ether soluble fraction of the stems from Rhododendron dauricum through an HPLC-MS-SPE-NMR combination strategy. The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were elucidated by ECD calculations and [Rh2 (OCOCF3)4]-induced CD spectrum analysis. In a membrane potential FLIPR assay, confluentin (4) showed an agonistic effect on GABAA receptor (EC50 = 20 µM).

Isolation and Characterization of Antimicrobial Compound from Stem Bark of Traditional Medicinal Plant Sonneratia apetala: Evaluation of their antimicrobial, Cytotoxic and Antioxidant Properties

Sonneratia apetala (S. apetala) (Lythraceae) has been investigated for the isolation and characterization of antimicrobial compounds and evaluation of their biological activities. The chloroform extract of the stem bark and different partitionate of the chloroform extracts i.e. Petroleum ether soluble fraction (PESF), Ethyl acetate soluble fraction(EASF), Methanol soluble fraction(MSF) and aqueous soluble fractions (ASF) were subjected to different chromatographic techniques to isolate secondary metabolites. Successive chromatographic separation and purification yielded a total of two compounds identified and characterized as Taraxerone(1) and 5,8-dihydroxy- 6-methoxy-4,9-dioxo-1,3,4,9-tetrahydronaphthol[2,3-c]furan-1-yl acetate (2) by extensive proton NMR spectrum (1H-NMRspectrum) analysis. The different partitionate like PESF, EASF, MESF and ASF were subjected to screen their antimicrobial properties against some selected Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria and fungi, brine shrimp lethality and antioxidant activities. The maximum zone of inhibition of chloroform extract was found against Pseudomonas sp. (16mm). All fractions showed more activity against Gram negative bacteria then Gram positive bacteria. In the brine shrimp lethality bioassay, among all extracts, the petroleum ether and ethyl acetate soluble fraction showed significant lethality having the LC50 value of 7.72 μg/ml. The antioxidant activity was evaluated in terms of determination of free radical scavenging activity (DPPH assay). Among all the extracts of S. apetala the highest free radical scavenging activity showed by (Methanol soluble fraction) MESF with IC50 value 18.0 μg/ml.
 Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 38, Number 1, June 2021, pp 1-5

Phytochemical and Biological Studies on Bark Extract of Aporosa wallichii Hook.f.

The ethyl acetate extract of bark of Aporosa wallichii Hook.f. was extensively investigated for the chemical characterization of secondary metabolites and for biological activities. After repeated chromatographic separation and purification, two compounds were elucidated as a phenolic compound ferulic acid (1) and an uncommon triterpene glut-5(6)-en-3β-ol (2) from the ethyl acetate extract of barks of A. wallichii by using high field NMR analyses. This is the first report of isolation of both compounds from this plant species. No significant antimicrobial activity was observed for any fraction after Kupchan partitioning of the extract. During the antioxidant activity assay, the ethyl acetate soluble fraction of A. wallichii demonstrated significant DPPH radical scavenging capacity with an IC50 value of 1.25 μg/mL. The other fractions viz. petroleum ether, aqueous and chloroform soluble fractions exhibited moderate, mild, and weak activity respectively. The petroleum ether soluble fraction demonstrated maximum thrombolytic property (51.33%) which was similar to that of standard streptokinase (66.81%).
 Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 19(2): 139-143, 2020 (December)

Methanolic extracts and different fractions of whole plants of Leucas zeylanica show promising analgesic and antioxidative activities

Background and objective Leucas zeylanica is a medicinal plant used traditionally in tropical Asian countries including Bangladesh. This study was conducted to assess the pharmacological activities of whole plants of L. zeylanica. Materials and methods Methanolic crude extracts (MCEs) and petroleum ether-soluble fractions (PESFs), chloroform-soluble fractions (CSFs), and ethyl acetate-soluble fractions (EASFs) of whole plants were studied for the probable peripheral analgesic, central analgesic, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities by acetic-acid-induced writhing and radiant heat tail-flick tests in mice, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging, and disk diffusion method, respectively. Results and conclusion The MCEs showed the highest peripheral analgesic activity among the test samples with an inhibition of pain sensation of 40% (at 200 mg/kg body weight dose, MCE200) and 32% (at 100 mg/kg body weight dose, MCE100) in comparison to diclofenac sodium (66.67%, P<0.001). In central analgesic activity test, elongation of flicking time was calculated at 30, 60, and 90 min of administration of test samples where morphine was the positive control. All extracts and fractionates showed significant increase in tail-flicking time. However, methanolic extract showed the highest activity (at 60 min) among all test samples (15.44±0.256, P<0.001). In antioxidant tests, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) was used as the positive control where methanolic extracts exhibited the highest antioxidant potentials among the test samples. IC50 (μg/ml) values were 19.61 (BHT), 28.46 (MCE), 65.61 (EASF), 84.75 (PESF), and 97.09 (chloroform-soluble fractions). Additionally, whole plant extracts showed weak antimicrobial activity. This ethnopharmacological investigation suggests that methanolic extracts and different fractions from L. zeylanica have strong analgesic and antioxidant potential and can be a significant source of natural medicine.

Flavonoids from the Leaves of &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Bridelia stipularis&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; with &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;in Vitro&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; Antioxidant and Cytotoxicity Activity

Methanolic extract of the leaves of Bridelia stipularis was studied. From this study, we isolated three known flavonoids. They were identified as 7-O-methyl luteolin, apigenin and 5, 7, 2’, 5’ tetrahydroxyflavone by NMR spectroscopic studies. All of them are first time documented for this plant. Different solvent fractions were subjected to in vitro antioxidant and cytotoxicity studies. Both apigenin and ethyl acetate soluble fraction of Bridelia stipularis showed strong antioxidant activity having IC50 value of 8.005, 8.77 μg/mL respectively. Chloroform soluble fraction of Bridelia stipularis exerted the highest toxicity to brine shrimp and petroleum ether soluble fraction showed moderate toxicity having LC50 value of 1.05, 1.71 μg/mL respectively.

Neuroprotective effect of Salvia splendens extract and its constituents against AlCl3-induced Alzheimer’s disease in rats

Salvia splendens is a species of the genus Salvia that is known for its neuro-therapeutic properties. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of two fractions from the methanolic extract of the aerial parts of S. splendens cultivated in Egypt, the petroleum ether-soluble (PES) and n-butanol-soluble (BS) fractions, against AlCl3-induced Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in rats. Rats treated with AlCl3 (100 mg/kg b.wt. p.o.) for 4 weeks developed behavioral, biochemical and histological changes similar to that of AD. Behavioral deficits were assessed by T-maze test and percentage changes in oxidative stress and AD markers in brain. Extent of DNA damage and histopathological changes were also evaluated. Results revealed that both fractions; PES and BS (at dose of 500 mg/kg b.wt), significantly attenuated AlCl3-induced behavioral impairment in rats. This effect was accompanied by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity inhibition (53.18% and 68.66%, respectively), and Aβ deposition reduction (33.3% and 34.3%, respectively). Both fractions markedly decreased oxidative stress markers level (lipid peroxide, protein carbonyl, reduced glutathione and nitric oxide), and inhibited catalase and caspase-3 activities. Also, the content of noradrenaline, adrenaline, 5-HT and dopamine were significantly increased. The fractions preserved the histo-architecture pattern of the hippocampus and cortex from the AlCl3-induced damage. Bioactivity-guided fractionation led to the isolation of two sterols; β-sitosterol and β-sitosterolpalmitate from PES fraction, and 6 phenolic compounds (acacetin, chrysoeriol, apigenin, luteolin, rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid) from BS fraction. Rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid significantly inhibited AChE in vitro (IC50 values of 0.398 mg/mL and 0.327 mg/mL, respectively) compared to physostigmine (IC50 0.227 mg/mL). The BS fraction is standardized (HPLC–DAD) to contain not less than 0.0254% (w/w)of rosmarinic acid and 0.0129% (w/w) of caffeic acid. These findings suggest that S. splendens is beneficial in attenuating AlCl3-induced neurotoxicity in rats.

Canvassing of biological attributes by In vitro screening of Canarium bengalense

Various Hoang family remedies known as Dai-Thien-Nuong, utilize Canarium bengalense Roxb. (Family: Burseraceae) as a major component for the treatment of tumor and liver damage. This study was performed using the crude methanol extract of C. bengalense Roxb. bark and its petroleum ether, carbon tetrachloride, dichloromethane and aqueous soluble fractions for antioxidant, cytotoxic, thrombolytic, membrane stabilizing and antimicrobial activities. The antioxidant activity was assessed by 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity assay. The cytotoxic and thrombolytic activities were determined using vincristine sulphate and streptokinase as standards, respectively. Heat and hypotonic solution-induced conditions were induced to determine membrane stabilizing activity. Disc diffusion method was used to determine the antimicrobial activity of the test samples. Among all the test samples, the crude methanol extract showed the highest free radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 50.62±0.26 μg/ml). In cytotoxic activity assay, the pet-ether soluble fraction revealed the highest cytotoxic potentials (LC50 = 8.96 ± 0.64 μg/ml). The same sample showed 31.08±0.12% of clot lysis in thrombolytic activity assay. In membrane stabilizing activity assay, the dichloromethane soluble fraction showed 60.94 ± 0.31% inhibition of heat induced haemolysis of RBC and this finding was found to be more significant than that of acetyl salicylic acid (42.12±0.38%) used as standard in this assay. Phytocomponents responsible for the observed activities should be isolated for new drug development. Key words: Canarium bengalense Roxb, total phenolic content, cytotoxicity, thrombolytic activity, membrane stabilizing activity.

Evaluation of Bioactivities of Gouania tiliaefolia Lam., an Indigenous Traditional Medicinal Plant of Bangladesh

The crude methanol extract of Gouania tiliaefolia Lam. was partitioned by the modified Kupchan method and the fractions were evaluated for total phenolic content, antioxidant, cytotoxic, thrombolytic, hypotonic and heat-induced membrane stabilizing activities. The petroleum ether soluble fraction (PESF) and methanol extract (ME) showed the highest phenolic content of 78.30 ±1.60 mg and 70.37 ± 0.84 mg, respectively, which were expressed in gallic acid equivalent (GAE). Similar trends were observed in case of anti-oxidant and cytotoxic activities, where the PESF possessed the highest free radical scavenging activity and brine shrimp lethality (IC50 = 2.88 ± 0.02 μg/ml, LC50 = 2.59 ± 0.14 μg/ml), followed by ME (IC50 = 4.79 ± 0.17 μg/ml, LC50 = 3.38 ± 0.08 μg/ml) and CSF (IC50 = 37.51 ± 0.96 μg/ml, LC50 = 73.55 ± 0.26 μg/ml). In case of assays for thrombolytic and membrane stabilizing activities, all extractives showed insignificant results compared to the respective standards. The crude methanol extract of G. tiliaefolia was used to examine the in-vivo analgesic (central and peripheral), antidiarrheal and antidiabetic activities in Swiss albino mice. In case of castor oil induced diarrhea, the ME gave better reduction of diarrhea by 71.43% (at 400 mg/kg-body weight) compared to loperamide (64.29%). Antidiabetic activity was evaluated by oral glucose tolerance test and the ME showed 71.42% and 75.39% reduction of blood glucose at doses 200 and 400 mg/kg-body weight, respectively when compared with the standard glibenclamide that reduced blood glucose by 66.17%. The central- and peripheral-analgesic activity was evaluated by the tail-flick test and acetic acid induced writhing test, respectively. In both the cases, ME demonstrated dose-dependent analgesic activity compared to the standards.&#x0D; Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 22(2): 200-207, 2019

In vivo Anti-diarrheal and CNS Depressant Activities of Hemigraphis hirta (Vahl) T. Anders.

Hemigraphis hirta has been used by folk practitioners to alleviate symptoms of several diseases, although the pharmacological activities of this plant have not been thoroughly explored. The current study was designed to assess the anti-diarrheal and CNS depressant activities of H. hirta in mice model. For both assays, the experimental mice received the methanolic crude extract and its petroleum ether soluble fraction at dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight which are denoted as CME 200, CME 400, PESF 200 and PESF 400, respectively. Both fractions remarkably attenuated castor oil-induced diarrheal effect in a dose-dependent manner and the results were comparable to standard loperamide (89.47%). Among all, PESF 400 exhibited statistically significant (p &lt; 0.01) anti-diarrheal activity as demonstrated by 78.95% inhibition of defacetion. Compared to reference drug diazepam, all the tested samples considerably shortened the time for onset of sleep and prolonged the duration of phenobarbitoneinduced sleep in mice. The results of our present study, being reported for the first time, demonstrate that the methanol extract of leaves of H. hirta and its organic soluble partionates possesses significant anti-diarrheal and CNS depressant properties. However, this preliminary screening requires further detailed investigation to confirm these findings as well as to isolate and characterize the bioactive compounds.&#x0D; Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 22(2): 176-180, 2019

Isolation of zizyberenalic acid and biological studies of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. growing in Bangladesh

Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. was assessed for phytochemical constituent, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. Powder prepared from the air-dried leaf was extracted with methanol. The concentrated extract was partitioned with petroleum ether, carbon-tetrachloride, and chloroform. A triterpenoid acid was isolated from the petroleum ether soluble fraction of the plant extract by gel permeation chromatography using Sephadex LH-20 followed by preparative thin layer chromatography over silica gel. The structure of the isolated compound was elucidated as zizyberenalic acid (1) by extensive analysis of its NMR spectral data and confirmed by comparison with published value. The methanol extract (IC50 = 7.37 ± 0.38 μg/ml) and its chloroform soluble materials (IC50 = 24.14 ± 0.53 μg/ml) produced strong antioxidant effect where it was comparable to standard agent tert-butyl-1-hydroxy toluene (IC50 = 32.47 ± 0.72 μg/ml) in DPPH free radical assay. The petroleum ether soluble fraction also showed strong cytotoxicity (LC50 = 1.31 ± 0.01 μg/ml) in brine shrimp lethality assay which was comparable to the standard drug, vincristine sulfate (LC50 = 0.31 ± 0.01 μg/ml). The results of the present study suggest that the plant leaf could be considered as a significant natural source for the development of antioxidant as well as cytotoxic compounds.

Preparation of oligomeric dehydrogenation polymer and characterization of its antibacterial properties

To investigate the relationship between the chemical structural characteristics of lignin and its antibacterial activity, a low molecular weight dehydrogenation polymer (DHP) was synthesized in vitro with isoeugenol as a precursor and catalyzed by laccase. The DHP was fractionated to obtain a petroleum ether-soluble fraction (F1), diethyl ether-soluble fraction (F2), ethanol-soluble fraction (F3), and acetone-soluble fraction (F4). The results of antibacterial experiments showed that only F1 and F2 could effectively inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, nine compounds (Z1 to Z9) were obtained via the column chromatographic separation from F1 and F2. Mass spectrum analysis results showed that all of these compounds contained a β-5 structure. Antibacterial experiments showed that dimers (Z1 and Z2) could inhibit both S. aureus and E. coli. The trimers, tetramers, and pentamers (Z3 to Z9) could inhibit S. aureus but had no inhibitory effect on E. coli. The aldehyde groups and the condensed 5-5 structure, decreased the antibacterial properties of DHP, whereas the presence of the β-5 structure may be related to the antimicrobial ability of DHP.