Preliminary Phytochemical Screenings and Pharmacological Activities of Three Medicinal Plants of Bangladesh

Abstract

The present study was designed to evaluate the preliminary phytochemical screening and antimicrobial,
antidiarrheal, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, anxiolytic, thrombolytic and membrane stabilizing properties
of the methanolic extract of three medicinal plants Perilla ocymoides L., Murraya koenigii (Linn.) Spreng.,
Baliospermum montanum (Wild.) Muell growing in Bangladesh. In antimicrobial test, maximum zone of inhibition
was found against Salmonella typhi (18.0 mm) and Escherichia coli (17.0 mm) by B. montanum extract. In the castor
oil-induced antidiarrheal assay, the methanol extract of M. koenigii showed maximum 50% inhibition of defecation.
During in-vitro anti-inflammatory test, the methanol extract of B. montanum at 500 μg/ml, b.w. revealed 39.62%
inhibition of protein denaturation. Due to analgesia, the M. koenigii extract showed 53.29% inhibition of acetic acidinduced
writhing reflex in experimental mice. Antipyretic effect of P. ocymoides, M. Koenigii and B. montanum
extractives was assessed by Brewer’s yeast-induced pyrexia in mice. The B. montanum extract possesses significant
anxiolytic effect that was evidenced by both hole cross test and open field test in mice. In thrombolytic assay, the
highest activity (57.81%) was observed by B. montanum extract. Results of the preliminary phytochemical screenings
demonstrated the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, reducing sugars, gums etc.