IN-VITRO ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, ANTI-OXIDANT AND IN-VIVO ANALGESIC, ANTI-DIARRHEAL ACTIVITIES OF FRACTIONAL LEAF EXTRACTS OF HIBISCUS SURATTENSIS

Sayema Sultana, Abdullah Al Faruq, Nahid-Al-Rashid, Dr. Talat Nasim and Md. Qamrul Ahsan*

ABSTRACT

Objective: To determine the effect of fractional extracts (ethanol, chloroform and n-hexane) of Hibiscus surattensis in treating inflammation, oxidant, pain and diarrhea using in vitro and in vivo experimental models. Methods: The activities of different fractional plant extracts were tested for protein denaturation of egg albumin. Additionally, inhibition of DPPH free radical, acetic acid-induced writhing and castor oil-induced diarrheal models were applied for evaluation of anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, analgesic and anti-diarrheal activities respectively. Results: All tested extracts demonstrated a significant (*P< 0.05, **P< 0.005) mild to moderate activity of inhibition of protein denaturation compared with the positive control group of acetyl salicylic acid. Extracts also showed significant (*P< 0.05) moderate inhibition of DPPH free radical scavenging activity compared with the standard drug ascorbic acid at the similar doses. In analgesic test, these extracts significantly (*P<0.05) reduced the number of writhing and increased the mean latent period of defecation in castor oil-induced diarrheal model mice at the dose of 500 mg/kg body weight. Conclusions: These results suggest that the crude leaf extracts possesses significant anti-inflammatory (mild to moderate), anti-oxidant (moderate), analgesic and anti-diarrheal activities. These observations offer the opportunity for the identification of more active chemical entities, which may support the clinical and experimental uses of this plant.

Keywords: Anti-inflammatory; anti-oxidant; analgesic; anti-diarrheal and Hibiscus surattensis.