Ethnopharmacological investigations of methanolic extract of Pouzolzia Zeylanica (L.) Benn

Phytochemical derived from plant consisting of phenols and flavonoids possess antioxidant properties, which are useful to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS). The aim of the work is to ascertain the level of antioxidant, cytotoxic, anti-microbial properties and in vivo analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of methanolic extracts of Pouzolzia zeylanica (L.) Benn. The present study was conducted to evaluate antioxidant, cytotoxic, anti-microbial potential, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of methanol extracts of Pouzolzia zeylanica (L) Benn. using DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging assay, cupric reducing antioxidant capacity, nitric oxide scavenging assay, ferric reducing antioxidant power, total antioxidant capacity, determination of total phenol and flavonoid contents and cytotoxic activity test using brine shrimp lethality bioassay whereas antimicrobial activity was evaluated against some potent Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria by disc diffusion method, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity were determined by Xylene-induced ear edema and acetic acid induced writhing method respectively. Preliminary phytochemical study revealed the presence of alkaloid and flavonoids in the extract. The tested fraction showed significant antioxidant activities in the assay compared to the reference ascorbic acid in a dose dependent manner. In DPPH radical scavenging assay, the IC50 value of the crude methanol extract was 485.223 μg/mL, whereas IC50 value for the reference ascorbic acid was 34.88 μg/mL. In case of nitric oxide scavenging assay, the IC50 value of the extract was 76.737 μg/mL, whereas IC50 value for the reference ascorbic acid was 51.078 μg/mL. Moreover, at 200 μg/mL extract concentration, lower grade total antioxidant activity (160.813 ± 0.653 mg/g equivalent to ascorbic acid) was observed. Furthermore, extract showed good cupric reducing power and ferric reducing power capability. In addition, significant amount of flavonoids and low phenols content were obtained from the extract. In case of cytotoxicity test the crude extract showed a significant activity compared to the standard vincristine sulfate. In essence the tested extract exhibited moderate antibacterial activity which reveals that Pouzolzia zeylanica (L) Benn. might be a source of antimicrobial agent. In case of anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity the tested extracts showed dose dependent significant inhibition (78.86 and 21.95 % at 500 mg/kg doses). Further study on different solvent extracts of Pouzolzia zeylanica (L.) Benn. would be carried out to elucidate the active principles for its outmost activity.