PHYTOCHEMISTRY, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF THE ROOT BARK OF ANTHOSTEMA AUBRYANUM (BAILL)

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ABSTRACT The work presented in this thesis involves the scientific investigation into the traditional uses of the root bark of Anthostema aubryanum (Baill., family, Euphorbiaceae) as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent. It also describes the isolation and characterization of two compounds from the alkaloid extract of the root bark of Anthostema aubryanum Baill. The anti-inflammatory activity was investigated using the acute carrageenan – induced foot pad edema model in six weeks old rats. The extracts were given orally to the rats at 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg body weight, 1 hour after induction of oedema with carrageenan using diclofenac as the reference drug. All extracts of the root bark were demonstrated to display a time-and dose-dependent anti-inflammatory effects in rats with methanolic extract showing the highest activity (ED50 = 5.29± 0.02 BDW) compared to the standard drug, diclofenac (ED50 = 1.99± 0.01). The antioxidant properties of the extracts were investigated using three assays; total antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content and DPPH scavenging activity. The antioxidant activity of the methanolic crude extract (IC50=8.84±0.02 µg/ml) was equivalent to the standard vitamin E (IC50=8.61±0.01 µg/ml) with total phenolic content of 74.53±0.004. Comprehensive chromatographic and spectroscopic analyses of the alkaloid extract led to the isolation and characterization of two major anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent as 5-methoxycanthin-6-one and canthin-6-one with the former showing the highest pharmacological activity (ED50=60.84±0.01, IC50=27.62±0.010 and ED50=96.64±0.01, IC50=33.60±0.01 respectively). This is the first report of the isolation of these compounds from the family Euphorbiacea

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