Paper Details

Pharmacognostic and pharmacological studies of leaf, stem and fruit of Emex spinosa (L.) Campd

Samin Jan, Sher Wali, Nadeem Ahmad, Izhar Ahamd, Muhammad Hamayun, Naila Shah

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.12692/ijb/5.10.37-45

Int. J. Biosci. 5(10), 37-45. November, 2014. (PDF)

Abstract:

The current study deals with the pharmacognostic and pharmacological assessment of Emex spinosa  (L.) Campd. The macro studies of leaf showed reticulate venation, anatomically the surface showed stomata with paracytic pattern, polygonal epidermal cells on adaxial surface, single layered palisade cells and vascular bundles. Multicellular trichomes and perismatic crystals were recorded in the powder drug. The transverse section of the stem showed epidermis, cortex, cork, metaxylem, protoxylem, medulla and phloem. Phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, phenols, alkaloids, triterpenoids and flavonoids. The total flavonoids content was 15.08 mg/g in stem, 58.66 mg/g in leaf and 37.39 mg/g in fruit. The total phenolic content varied was 77.84 mg/g in stem, 97.09 mg/g in leaf and 97.72 mg/g in fruit. The highest percent value for free radical scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), was shown by fruit extract 90.45%, followed by leaf 79.32% and lowest by stem 48.33%. The acute toxicity test of the crude extract was safe up to the dose of 50 mg/kg. The leaf extract showed significant cytotoxic activity at concentration of 500 mg/ml against brine shrimps (80%), stem extract showed low activity. Fruit Atropine sulphate extracts produced highest, 55.94%, inhibition at a dose of 2 mg/kg whereas the fruit methanolic extract showed the highest percent inhibition (24.4%) at a dose of 10 mg/kg. Phytotoxic activity in all the plant extracts was moderate at and low at concentrations of 1000µg/ml and 10 µg/ml respectively.