IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY AND IN VIVO ANALGESIC, CYTOTOXIC AND CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DEPRESSION EFFECTS OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF LEUCAS ZEYLANICA (L.) W.T. AITON IN SWISS ALBINO MICE

Md. Mohsin Mian*, Fahmida Fyza Redi and Abdur Rahman

ABSTRACT

Aim: Leucas zeylanica (L.) W. T. Aiton can be traced through the medicinal history as a safe ethno medicinal herb and has been put to treat headache, abdominal pain, and convulsion in India, Bangladesh and China in folkloric medicine. The aim of the study was to evaluate CNS depression, cytotoxic, analgesic and antioxidant activities of whole plant extract of L. zeylanica to justify the traditional uses as per scientific basis. Methods: CNS depressant activity of ethanolic extract was evaluated by hole cross test at dose of 100 and 200 mg/kg. Analgesic activity was determined by acetic acid-induced writhing and formalin-induced paw licking and biting test at 150 and 300mg/kg dose and cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity was assessed by Brine shrimp lethality bioassay and DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging assay respectively. The analysis was conducted at the end of 2015. Result: The extract of L. zeylanica showed a significant dose dependent CNS depressant action by lowering the movement of mice mostly at 60 and 120 minute. The extract also possessed 60.73% (P< 0.01) and 81.94% (P<0.01) inhibition in acetic acid induced writhing test and formalin induced paw licking and biting test. Cytotoxicity screening illustrated moderate to potent toxicity to Artemia salina with LC50 value 11.063μg/ml. Non-enzymatic antioxidant effect was exhibited in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusion: The study demonstrated analgesic, cytotoxic, central nervous system depression and antioxidant effect of L. zeylanica plant.

Keywords: Analgesic study, CNS activity, antioxidant potential, cytotoxicity, Leucas zeylanica.