ABSTRACT

Objective:

This study aimed to assess the thrombolytic, membrane stabilizing, and analgesic activities of the methanolic extract of the fruits of Xanthium indicum Koenig and undertook a phytochemical screening.

Material and Methods:

A qualitative analysis method to evaluate phytochemicals was adopted. Analgesic efficacy was assessed in vivo using the acetic acid-induced writhing method in a mouse model. Membranestabilizing and thrombolytic tests were done in vitro measuring the percentage of inhibition of hypotonic solution-produced hemolysis and running a clot disruption assay, respectively.

Results:

Crude methanolic extract was used for phytochemical screening, confirming the presence of reducing sugars, tannin, saponin, protein, phenol, and diterpenes. In the analgesic activity test, a 500 mg/ kg dose of crude extract showed 40% inhibition of writhing, while 200mg/kg showed a reduction of 22.64%. In the membrane stabilizing activity test, 10 mg/ml extract resulted in the highest inhibition rate of hemolysis with a value of 51.79%, while for acetyl salicylic acid (0.10 mg/ml), this value was 71.35%. In the thrombolytic activity test, 10 mg/ml plant extract showed 27.11% clot-lysis, which was the maximum among our tested concentrations; however, 40.08% lysis was achieved by the standard drug streptokinase. In all cases, we found a dose-dependent response. Tannin and flavonoid are known to be responsible for analgesic and thrombolytic response.

Conclusion:

As the methanolic extract of the fruits of X. indicum possesses potential pharmacological effects, the plant should be scrutinized comprehensively to detect the bioactive components present and the exact mechanism of their action in view of a drug development program.