Phytochemical and pharmacological profiling of extracts of Pterygota alata (Roxb.) R. Br. leaves deciphered therapeutic potentialities against pain, hyperglycemia and diarrhea via in vivo approaches

Background and aim

Pterygota alata (Roxb.) R. Br. is a large, broad-leaved evergreen plant in the family Malvaceae (formerly Sterculiaceae). The present study aimed to investigate the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of methanolic extract of the leaves (200 mg/kg bw and 400 mg/kg bw) of P. alata focusing on analgesic, hypoglycemic, and anti-diarrheal potentials on the Swiss Albino mice model.

Methods

Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique was employed to identify the bioactive compounds from the plant species. The tail flicking procedure and acetic acid-induced writhing inhibition were carried out to estimate central and peripheral analgesic properties. The anti-diarrheal property of the herbaceous extractive was assessed employing the castor oil-induced antidiarrheal approach, while the hypoglycemia was estimated employing the tail-tipping method.

Results

The study reported a total of thirty-seven phytoconstituents by using GC-MS analysis, where erucamide (25.5 %), 8,11,14-Docosatrienoic acid, methyl ester (14.58 %), methyl linoleate (12.67 %), and methyl palmitate (9.23 %) were most abundant in the plant species. In evaluating central analgesia, the leaf extract of P. alata exerted significant central analgesic (200 mg/kg bw and 400 mg/kg bw) efficacy. The acetic acid-induced writhing was inhibited by 45.84 % and 66.67 % at both doses, demonstrating a promising peripheral analgesic effect compared to diclofenac sodium (75.00 %). On the contrary, hypoglycemic actions remained dosage and time-dependent. In the antidiarrheal activity assay, the number of diarrheal feces was reduced significantly by 40.00 % (200 mg/kg) and 68.00 % (400 mg/kg), correspondingly, which was comparable to the positive control loperamide (72.00 %). In addition, the study of acute oral toxicity revealed that the extracts of the plant species were found to be safe, with a median lethal dose (LD₅₀) value greater than 1000 mg/kg.

Conclusion

The current study supports the assertion that the P. alata plant species is rich in numerous phytoconstituents and has the potential for traditional application in managing pain, hyperglycemia, and diarrhea. Nonetheless, additional investigation is necessary to extract and identify the bioactive compounds from the plant, which is crucial for advancing the discovery of novel medicinal compounds aimed at addressing a range of health conditions.