Qualitative phytochemical screening and evaluation of analgesic and antidiarrheal activity of ethanolic extract of Leucas cephalotes Leaves

Medicinal plants are widely used as alternative medicines for the treatment or prevention of many diseases. Traditionally, Leucas cephalotes is used for the treatment of asthma, pain, bronchitis, inflammation, dyspepsia, paralysis, jaundice, diarrhea, wounds and fever. To qualitatively evaluate the profile of phytochemical constituents as well as acute toxicity, analgesic and antidiarrheal activities of ethanol extract of Leucas cephalotes leaves, the present study was designed. Phytochemical constituents, acute toxicity, analgesic and antidiarrheal activities were determined and assessed by various tests such as Molisch’s test, Fehling test, Mayer’s test, frothing test, FeCl3 test, alkali test, Salkowski’s test, Keller-killiani test and CuSO4 test, OECD guidelines, formalin induced paw licking, acetic acid induced writhing, castor oil and MgSO4 induced diarrheal test. This extract figured the presence of carbohydrates, flavonoids, tannins, glycosides, triterpenoids, fat and fixed oils. Behavioral changes, mortality or sign of any toxicity were not observed up to the dose as high as 4000mg/kg. The crude extract was found to have significant (p<0.05, vs. control) analgesic activity at the oral dose of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg (b. wt.) in the tested animals. Moreover, both doses of (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg) ethanol extract significantly (p<0.05, vs. control) reduced the gastro-intestinal motility and inhibit the percentage of diarrhea in antidiarrheal models. But 400 mg/kg dose showed better analgesic and antidiarrheal activity than 200 mg/kg dose compared to control. The results indicate that Leucas cephalotes leaves may provide a potential source of analgesic and antidiarrheal activities.