EVALUATION OF SOME INDIGENIOUS HERBAL PLANT EXTRACT FOR THEIR ANTIMETIC ACTIVITY

Abstract

Emesis is a common problem especially in females during pregnancy (motion sickness). The market available allopathic drugs are costly and a number of adverse effects are reported for them. It was, therefore, considered worth while to look for some cheap herbal medicine, capable of preventing or inhibiting emesis and which may be easily procurable in both rural and urban areas of Pakistan. Keeping this objective in view, Cymbopogon citraus and Prunus domestica were selected to evaluate its anti-emetic action. Both the herbs are indigenous, cost effective and safe for use. Cymbopogon citratus On phytochemical analysis it was observed that alcoholic extract of C. citratus leaves possess most important vital chemical constituents like triterpenes, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, sterols, protein and carbohydrates. A dose dependant antioxidant activity is present in crude extract of the leaves of C. citratus and its ethyl acetate fraction, while in the case of chloroform and n-butanol fractions a non-significant activity was found which is increasing very little as the concentration is increased. Significant antibacterial activity is found against Salmonella typhi. A moderate activity was found against Bacillus cereus and Proteus mirabilus. According to acute oral toxicity test results, the test drug C. citratus was found safe up to the dose of 7.5g/kg body weight. It was found that the test drug has slight CNS depressant effects. C. citratus extract possesses significant analgesic activity persisting for 1 hour and then the effect started diminishing up to 4 hours at 300mg/kg dose. When the dose is increased to500mg/kg body weight the values are slightly increased. The results of anti-emetic assay revealed that C. iiicitratus possesses very low activity against emesis at lower dose (26.45% inhibition) and high activity against emesis at high dose (48.23 % inhibition). Prunus domestica The phytochemical screening reveals that the alcoholic extract of P. domestica contains tannins, saponins, flavonoids, sterols, protein and carbohydrates which were also confirmed by other research studies. Significant antioxidant activity at all concentrations in ethyl acetate fraction and at 5% concentration in crude extract and chloroform fractions was found. A highly significant antibacterial activity is present against E. coli, S. typhi, K. pneumoniae and P. mirabilus. The ethanol extract of P. domestica did not show any untoward effect up to the dose of 5g/kg body weight. The animals were found active and alert after the administration of the test drug at both doses. They were found to have a strong grip up to 4 hour period of observation. Their pain, sound and touch responses were found to be normal. Pinna reflex was also found to be accurate. The extract of P. domestica has a CNS stimulant effect up to 3 hours of administration of drug. The results of analgesic activity revealed that at 500mg/kg dose, possesses highly significant and prolonged activity in dose dependent manner. In anti-emetic assay the results are expressing mild significant activity at 300 mg/kg dose and highly significant activity at the dose of 500mg/kg body weight, which is almost equivalent to that of standard anti-emetic drug i.e. Motilium. In short after pharmacological screening of ethanol extracts of C. citratus and P. domestica, it was found that both the plants extracts possess significant activities against different disease related with nausea and vomiting. Further research can be carried out to find the mode of action and the chemical constituents responsible for these pharmacological actions.