PHYTOCHEMICAL AND SOME PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE LEAF EXTRACT OF ZIZIPHUS MUCRONATA WILLD. (RHAMNACEAE)

PHYTOCHEMICAL AND SOME PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE LEAF EXTRACT OF ZIZIPHUS MUCRONATA WILLD. (RHAMNACEAE)

Abstract:

Chronic inflammation has been implicated in most non-communicable/chronic degenerative diseases including age-related cancers. Ziziphus mucronata, a plant used in ethnomedicine to treat different painful and inflammatory conditions, was subjected to phytochemical investigation and pharmacological studies in order to validate its ethnomedicinal use. The leaves was subjected to extraction using cold maceration and extensive phytochemical investigation was carried out using silica gel column chromatography and gel filtration. Analgesic activity of the methanol extract was investigated using hot plate and acetic acid-induced writhing tests while the anti-inflammatory activity of the methanol extract and n-butanol fraction was evaluated using carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats. Anti-tumor potential of the methanol extract and n-butanol fraction was investigated using quantitative, animal sparing anti-tumor bioassay on potato disc. Preliminary phytochemical screening and thin layer chromatography (TLC) profile of the crude methanol extract revealed the presence flavonoids, steroids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids and triterpenoids. The ethyl acetate fraction was found to contain flavonoids while the n-butanol fraction contained flavonoids, tannins, saponins and alkaloids. Extensive phytochemical investigation of the ethyl acetate fraction led to the isolation and characterization of Catechin, while that of n-butanol fraction led to the isolation and characterization of Rutin, Bis (quercetin 3-O- β-D-glucopyranoside) and 3-O-(5′-hydroxy-3′,4′,5′-trimethylhexanoyl)ursane. The methanol extract (75, 150 and 300 mgkg-1 i.p) produced a significant (p < 0.01) dose dependent increase in mean pain latency on the hot plate at the end of 90 minutes and 150 mgkg-1 significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated (inhibited 68 %) acetic acid induced writhing in mice. Both the crude extract and n-butanol fraction at the doses tested (150 – viii 800 mgkg-1) produced a significant (p < 0.001) anti-inflammatory activity. Both the crude extract and the n-butanol fraction produced a significant (p < 0.001) concentration dependent decrease in the mean number of tumors produced by Agrobacterium tumefaciens on potato tuber at all the tested concentrations (10 – 1000 ppm). All observed activities could be due to the presence of important secondary metabolites isolated from the Leaf extract of the plant. This study has added to the chemotaxonomy of the Rhamnaceae family and lend pharmacological support to the folkloric uses of the plant in the management of pain and inflammatory condition

PHYTOCHEMICAL AND SOME PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE LEAF EXTRACT OF ZIZIPHUS MUCRONATA WILLD. (RHAMNACEAE)