Phytochemical and Pharmacological Investigations of Uraria lagopodies DC. and Urena lobata L.

Abstract

Easy availability and reduced side effects of plants and plant-derived herbal preparations are the gifts
of nature and are useful since ancient time for the treatment of various diseases. From this view point two
Bangladeshi plants, Uraria lagopodies DC. and Urena lobata L. have been evaluated for their possible
pharmacological activities. Preliminary phytochemical screenings with the crude ethanol extracts demonstrated the
presence of alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, saponins, steroids and reducing sugars. The crude extract of U. lagopodies
significantly (p<0.001) increased the charcoal evacuation by 375 min at 500 mg/kg body weight of mice when
compared to the standard, Loperamide by 391.8 min at 5 mg/kg b.w. In the acetic acid induced analgesic activity test,
the oral administration of ethanol extract of U. lobata produced significant (p<0.05) pain relieving activity (number
of writhing 32) at 500 mg/kg body weight as compared to standard diclofenac-Na. Both the crude extracts showed
mild anti-inflammatory and membrane stabilizing activities during the heat induced anti-inflammatory test and
membrane stabilization screening. A dose dependent biological activity was observed during the study period.