Analgesic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective activities of Pulicaria crispa (Forssk. ) Oliv. (Asteraceae)

Abstract Some plants of the genus Pulicaria have been used in traditional medicines for treating back pain and inflammation. They possess various bioactivities such as antipyretic, analgesic, and hepatoprotective. This study aimed to investigate the potential analgesic, antipyretic, anti- inflammatory, and hepatoprotective activities of Pulicaria crispa (P. crispa) extract (PCE). Analgesic activity was evaluated using the hot plate and acetic acid-induced writhing tests. Antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated using rectal temperature and carrageenan-induced hind paw edema methods, respectively. CCl4-intoxication was used for hepatoprotective activity. Also, liver histopathology was assessed. PCE, at 500 mg/kg, exhibited significant analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory effects. The increased serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and bilirubin of CCl4-exposed rats reflects their liver injury. PCE significantly decreased the elevated liver markers. The hepatoprotective effect of PCE was confirmed, as it successfully reversed the altered levels of total protein, malondialdehyde (MDA), and non-protein sulfhydryls (NP-SH) in the liver tissues of CCl4-exposed rats. Histopathological studies confirmed the hepatoprotective nature of PCE. Pretreatment of rats with PCE reduced the severity of CCl4-induced liver damage. These findings concluded that PCE possesses analgesic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective activities.

Evaluation of Free Radical Scavenging Potential of Different Bioactive Fractions Present in Boerhavia diffusa Linn. Root Extract: An in-vitro Approach

Aimand Objectives:Boerhavia diffusa(B. diffusa) frequently known as punarnava is specifically used to replenish the body. The present work was designed to evaluate the scavenging potentialof its bioactive constituents. Materials and Methods:The different fractions ofB. diffusaroot methanolic extractwere examined for phenolic, flavonoids contents, DPPH free radical and Nitric oxide scavenging activities. Further antioxidant activity wasevaluated by ABTS free radical scavenging method and also from the reducing potential scavenging activity. The total phenolic content in different fractions by using various solvent like ethanol, diethyl ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol were carried out to find the antioxidant activities. Results:The phenolic content was highest in ethanolic fraction that was significantly comparable with ascorbic acid. The flavonoid content was highest in ethanol fraction (41.93 ± 3.92 μg/mL) followed by n-butanol fraction (31.68 ± 1.72 μg/mL), then ethyl acetate fraction (29.67 ± 2.83 μg/mL) and least in chloroform fraction (16.91 ± 2.74 μg/mL). The ethanolic fraction of B. diffusaalso showed highest DPPH radical scavenging activity (101.29 ± 3.78) when compared with other fractions of same extract using different solvent phases. Moreover the nitric oxide scavenging activity of ethanolic fraction was maximum (82.31 ± 2.83) than different fractions. The ethanolic fraction also showed improved ABTS radical scavenging activity (81.73 ± 2.73 mg/mL) while chloroform fraction showed poor ABTS radical cation scavenging activity (29.51 ± 2.79 mg/mL). Conclusions:The study concludes that Boerhavia diffusa has rich and ample source of phenolic acid and flavonoids. Among all fractions the ethanolic has potent antioxidant activity, which shows its significance for a better novel approach.