Indigenous Claim Supports in vitro Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Screening of certain South Indian Medicinal Plants

Abstract

Plant drugs enjoy much acclaim and wide acceptability even in the midst of amazing advancements in modern medicine. Current research in drug discovery from medicinal plants involves a multifaceted approach combining botanical, phytochemical, biological and molecular techniques. Evaluation of certain selected south Indian medicinal plants popularly used in Indian system of medicine has been taken up for their antioxidant and cytotoxic activities. The plants selected were Heliotropium indicum, Schleichera oleosa, Shorea robusta, Symplocos cochinchinensis and Wrightia tinctoria. Antioxidant activities involved DPPH, total antioxidant, iron chelating and nitric oxide assays. Cytotoxicity assay was carried out by MTT using SKMEL-28 and HCT-15 cell lines. Results obtained could very well support the therapeutic claims made for the investigated plants.