Phytochemical Screening and Analgesic activity study of different solvent fractions of Aerial parts of Operculina turpethum (L.)

Abstract

Preliminary phytochemical analysis of ethanol extract of the aerial parts of Operculina turpethum L. (Family: Convolvulaceae) exhibited the presence of reducing sugar, phenolic compounds, tannins, flavonoids, carbohydrate, glycosides, alkaloids, acidic compounds, steroids, saponin, and terpenoids. The ethanolic crude extract showed significant (p<0.0001) peripheral analgesic activity at the doses of 250 mg/kg (26.47% writhing inhibition) and 500 mg/kg (50.74% writhing inhibition) determined by acetic acid induced writhing reflex in mice as compared to control Diclofenac sodium (77.94%). After solvent fractionation, n-Hexane, ethyl acetate, butanol and water fraction of Operculina turpethum showed 58.82%, 39.70%, 30.14%, and 20.58% writhing inhibition respectively at the dose of 500 mg/kg body weight. Different phytochemicals present in the extract might be responsible for biological activities found with this study. This research could form the basis of further investigation including pure compounds isolation.