Phenolic Content, Antioxidant Activity, Antibacterial Activity and Phytochemical Composition of Garcinia lancifolia

Evaluation of antinociceptive, antihyperglycemic, and membrane stabilizing activities of Garcinia lancifolia Roxb

This study was undertaken to examine the antinociceptive, antihyperglycemic, and membrane stabilizing activity with phytochemical screening of methanolic extract of Garcinia lanceifolia whole plant. The extracts were subjected to in-vivo antinociceptive, antihyperglycemic activity in laboratory animals and in-vitro membrane stabilizing activity. In peripheral antinociceptive activity, G. lanceifolia (400 and 200 mg/kg) exhibited significant (P < 0.001) inhibition of writhing with 59.15% and 49.30% respectively comparable to standard Diclofenac (54.92% inhibition). In central antinociceptive activity, the extract (400 and 200 mg/kg) exhibited significant analgesic activity having 78.31% (P < 0.05) and 89.95% (P < 0.01) elongation of reaction time respectively in 90 min after administration of sample comparable to the standard Morphine (708.99% elongation). In hypoglycemic activity, the extract (400 and 200 mg/kg) exhibit statistically significant (P < 0.001) antihyperglycemic activity compared to standard drug Glibenclamide (10 mg/kg) at different time interval. In membrane stabilizing activity assay, clearly evident that the methanolic extracts of G. lanceifolia were highly effective to prevent the lyses of erythrocytes induced by heat. The outcomes of the present study revealed that this plant possess noteworthy pharmacological activities that may be basis for further research to disclose feasible mode of action of the plant part.

Traditional Preparations and Methanol Extracts of Medicinal Plants from Papua New Guinea Exhibit Similar Cytochrome P450 Inhibition

The hypothesis underlying this current work is that fresh juice expressed from Papua New Guinea (PNG) medicinal plants (succus) will inhibit human Cytochrome P450s (CYPs). The CYP inhibitory activity identified in fresh material was compared with inhibition in methanol extracts of dried material. Succus is the most common method of traditional medicine (TM) preparation for consumption in PNG. There is increasing concern that TMs might antagonize or complicate drug therapy. We have previously shown that methanol extracts of commonly consumed PNG medicinal plants are able to induce and/or inhibit human CYPs in vitro. In this current work plant succus was prepared from fresh plant leaves. Inhibition of three major CYPs was determined using human liver microsomes and enzyme-selective model substrates. Of 15 species tested, succus from 6/15 was found to inhibit CYP1A2, 7/15 inhibited CYP3A4, and 4/15 inhibited CYP2D6. Chi-squared tests determined differences in inhibitory activity between succus and methanol preparations. Over 80% agreement was found. Thus, fresh juice from PNG medicinal plants does exhibit the potential to complicate drug therapy in at risk populations. Further, the general reproducibility of these findings suggests that methanol extraction of dried material is a reasonable surrogate preparation method for fresh plant samples.

Study on Antibacterial Activity of the Bark of Garcinia lanceifolia Roxb

Garcinia lanceifolia Roxb. is an important and endemic medicinal plant of Assam which has been used by various ethnic communities of Northeast India to treat various disorders like dysentery, dyspepsia, and biliousness. The plant is considered to be containing much medicinal value and is also eaten raw or made into pickles by the local people. Our present study has been focused on the evaluation of the antibacterial activity of the methanolic extract of the bark of Garcinia lanceifolia which may lead us to a scientific evidence of the use of this plant in cases of dysentery and diarrhoea.