PHYTOCHEMICAL SYNERGY: ANTI-INFLAMMATORY & ANTIOXIDANT EFFECTS OF PANAX GINSENG, GINKO BILOBA & ASTRAGALUS MEMBRANACEUS

Ankur Jain, Noel Rahul Shaw, Renu Solanki, Prashant Kumar Desai, Rekha Tarasingh Rajput,
Mekha Monsi Chenthiyethu, Rakesh Singh, Md. Shakeel Alam* and Narendra Mandoria*

ABSTRACT

Aim: The aim of the present study is to find out the Anti-inflammatory & Antioxidant effects of Panax ginseng, Ginko biloba & Astragalus membranaceus. Material and Methods: All the plant materials were dried under shade and subjected to coarse powder for extraction process. Accurately weighed quantity of powder of Panax ginseng, Ginkgo biloba and Astragalus membranaceus were extracted using 95 % ethanol by soxhlet apparatus for 72 h. Qualitative chemical tests of ethanolic extracts were subjected to various chemical tests to detect various phytoconstituents. Acute oral toxicity studies were conducted following the revised draft guideline 423 of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Inflammation was induced by 0.1 mL of 1% suspension of carrageenan into hind paw of rat by sub planter route. Treatments of all fractions were given 1 h prior to administration of carrageenan. Paw volume was measured with digital plethysmograph at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5th h after injection. The DPPH method refers to the method used by Irawan.13 An amount of 5 mg of extract was dissolved with ethanol pa in a 5 mL measuring flask, resulting in a sample solution with a concentration of 1,000 mg/L. Results: The preliminary phytochemical analysis revealed that different active constituent present in different extracts such as carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, fat, oils, steroids, terpenoids, glycosides, alkaloids, tannins and other phenolics compounds. The ethanolic extracts significantly (p<0.01, p<0.001) inhibited carrageenan induced rat paw edema as compared to control group. Maximum inhibition of rat paw edema was observed with ethanolic extracts of all plants at the end of 5th h when compared to control group. Indomethacin (10 mg/kg) inhibited the paw edema. When free radicals react with antioxidants, their free radical properties are lost because the chains are broken and the color changes from purple to light yellow. The results of the antioxidant activity test with DPPH were expressed as % inhibition. Conclusion: In summary, ethanolic extract of Astragalus membranaceus demonstrated significant therapeutic effects by consistently reducing rat paw edema.

Keywords: Phytochemical Synergy, Anti-inflammatory & Antioxidant Effects, Panax ginseng, Ginko biloba & Astragalus membranaceus.