Ethnopharmacological investigation of the aerial part of Phragmites karka (Poaceae)
-
Ramiz Ahmed Sultan
,
Mohi Uddin
Abstract
Background:
In this ethnopharmacological study, methanolic extract of the aerial plant parts of Phragmites karka (Family: Poaceae) and its petroleum ether and carbon tetrachloride fractions were investigated for bioactivities in Swiss-albino mice, namely, analgesic, central nervous system (CNS) depressant, hypoglycemic, and antidiarrheal activity.
Methods:
The cold methanolic extract of the aerial plant parts of Phragmites karka (MEPK) was first prepared, and it was then further fractionated as petroleum ether (PEFMEPK) and carbon tetrachloride (CTFMEPK) fractions. Analgesic activity was performed employing acidic acid-induced writhing test, central analgesic effect by radiant heat tail-flick method. CNS depressant activity was evaluated by phenobarbitone-induced sleeping time test. Hypoglycemic activity was tested by glucose tolerance test (GTT). Antidiarrheal activity was evaluated by castor oil-induced diarrhea method. For all in vivo tests, doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight were used.
Results:
In the mice model, the MEPK, PEFMEPK, and CTFMEPK fractions showed significant peripheral analgesic activity at a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight with percentage of inhibition of acetic acid-induced writhing 77.67 (p<0.001), 33.50 (p<0.001), and 40.29 (p<0.001), respectively, compared to the standard dichlofenac (60.68%, p<0.001) group. The hypoglycemic properties of MEPK, PEFMEPK, and CTFMEPK extracts were evaluated in normoglycemic mice where the reduction of blood glucose level after 30 min of glucose load were 69.85%, 78.91%, and 72.73%, respectively, and for standard glibenclamide, the reduction was 72.85%. All results were significant (p<0.05). In the case of the CNS depressant activity by phenobarbitone-induced sleeping time test, the crude ME significantly reduced sleep latency by 57.14% and increased the duration of sleep by 63.29% compared to the control, which were comparable to that of standard diazepam (65.71% and 77.62%, respectively). Among all the extract and fractions, methanolic extract showed the maximum antidiarrheal effect. The methanolic extract at 200 mg/kg dose induced a significant decrease in the total number of defecation in 4 h (69.05% of inhibition, p<0.001) and at 400 mg/kg dose showed 76.19% of inhibition (p<0.001).
Conclusions:
In light of the available literature, these findings represent the first experimental investigation of biological activities of P. karka in the perspective of their traditional use.
Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission. This work was carried out in collaboration among all authors. Authors MTH and MSA collected the plant leaves and prepared the extracts and fractions. MMNU, MSHK, MH, and MRH carried out the study design, performed the experiments, data collection, data interpretation, manuscript preparation, and statistical analysis. ZAM designed and planned the studies, supervised the experiments. NMMAB and FA participated in the experiments, data collection, and literature search. NQ supervised the whole study, planning, design, and data interpretation. Author MMNU also acted as correspondence.
Research funding: None declared.
Employment or leadership: None declared.
Honorarium: None declared.
Competing interests: The funding organization(s) played no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the report for publication.
References
1. Ansari SH, Islam F, Sameem M. Influence of nanotechnology on herbal drugs: a review. J Adv Pharm Technol Res 2012;3: 142–6.10.4103/2231-4040.101006Search in Google Scholar
2. Csermely P, Agoston V, Pongor S. The efficiency of multi-target drugs: the network approach might help drug design. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2005;26:178–82.10.1016/j.tips.2005.02.007Search in Google Scholar
3. Tian XY, Liu L. Drug discovery enters a new era with multi-target intervention strategy. Chin J Integr Med 2012;18:539–42.10.1007/s11655-011-0900-2Search in Google Scholar
4. Bonifacio BV, Silva PB, Ramos MA, Negri KM, Bauab TM, Chorilli M. Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems and herbal medicines: a review. Int J Nanomedicine 2014;9:1–15.10.2147/IJN.S52634Search in Google Scholar
5. Gunasekaran T, Haile T, Nigusse T, Dhanaraju MD. Nanotechnology: an effective tool for enhancing bioavailability and bioactivity of phytomedicine. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed 2014;4(Suppl 1):S1–7.10.12980/APJTB.4.2014C980Search in Google Scholar
6. Farokhzad OC, Langer R. Impact of nanotechnology on drug delivery. ACS Nano 2009;3:16–20.10.1021/nn900002mSearch in Google Scholar
7. Burkill HM. The useful plants of west tropical Africa. UK: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, vol 2, 1985.Search in Google Scholar
8. Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants. Available at: http://www.toxicologycentre.com/English/plants/Botanical/chorapullu.html.Search in Google Scholar
9. Beckett M, Stenlake OI. Modified Kupchan partition. J Med Chem 1986;52:1525–9.Search in Google Scholar
10. Sofowora A. Medicinal plants and traditional medicine in Africa.New York: John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 1982.Search in Google Scholar
11. Ghani A. Medicinal plants of Bangladesh: chemical constituents and uses. Bangladesh: Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 1998.Search in Google Scholar
12. Koster R, Anderson M, De Beer E. Acetic acid-induced analgesic screening. In: 1959: Federation Proceedings, 1959. Available at: http://en.journals.sid.ir/ViewPaper.aspx?ID=224522.Search in Google Scholar
13. Hardy JD. Thresholds of pain and reflex contraction as related to noxious stimulation. J Appl Physiol 1953;5:725–39.10.1152/jappl.1953.5.12.725Search in Google Scholar
14. Williamson EM, Okpako DT, Evans FJ. Pharmacological methods in phytotherapy research, vol 1. New York. John Wiley & Sons, 1996.Search in Google Scholar
15. Trinder P. Quantitative determination of glucose using the GOD-PAP method. Clin Biochem 1969;6:24–7.10.1177/000456326900600108Search in Google Scholar
16. Chattergee TK. Handbook of laboratory mice and rats, 1st ed. Calcutta: Jadavpur University Press, 1993.Search in Google Scholar
17. Trongsakul S, Panthong A, Kanjanapothi D, Taesotikul T. The analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activity of Diospyros variegata Kruz. J Ethnopharmacol 2003;85:221–5.10.1016/S0378-8741(03)00020-5Search in Google Scholar
18. Bispo M, Mourão R, Franzotti E, Bomfim K, Arrigoni-Blank MdF, Moreno M, et al. Antinociceptive and antiedematogenic effects of the aqueous extract of Hyptis pectinata leaves in experimental animals. J Ethnopharmacol 2001;76:81–6.10.1016/S0378-8741(01)00172-6Search in Google Scholar
19. Deraedt R, Jouquey S, Delevallée F, Flahaut M. Release of prostaglandins E and F in an algogenic reaction and its inhibition. Eur J Pharmacol 1980;61:17–24.10.1016/0014-2999(80)90377-5Search in Google Scholar
20. Dhara A, Suba V, Sen T, Pal S, Chaudhuri AN. Preliminary studies on the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of the methanolic fraction of the root extract of Tragia involucrata Linn. J Ethnopharmacol 2000;72:265–8.10.1016/S0378-8741(00)00166-5Search in Google Scholar
21. Banerjee A, Matai S. Composition of Indian aquatic plants in relation to utilization as animal forage. J Aquat Plants Manage 1990;28:69–73.Search in Google Scholar
22. Abideen Z, Qasim M, Rasheed A, Adnan MY, Gul B, Khan MA. Antioxidant activity and polyphenolic content of Phragmites karka under saline conditions. Pak J Bot. 2015;47:813–8.Search in Google Scholar
23. Ramprasath VR, Shanthi P, Sachdanandam P. Immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects of Semecarpus anacardium Linn. Nut milk extract in experimental inflammatory conditions. Biol Pharm Bull 2006;29:693–700.10.1248/bpb.29.693Search in Google Scholar
24. Uche F, Aprioku J. The phytochemical constituents, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of methanol extract of Jatropha curcas leaves in mice and Wister albino rats. J Appl Sci Environ Manag 2008;12:99–102.10.4314/jasem.v12i4.55247Search in Google Scholar
25. Whittle B. The use of changes in capillary permeability in mice to distinguish between narcotic and nonnarcotic analgesics. Br J Pharmacol Chemother 1964;22:246–53.10.1111/j.1476-5381.1964.tb02030.xSearch in Google Scholar
26. Collier H, Dinneen L, Johnson CA, Schneider C. The abdominal constriction response and its suppression by analgesic drugs in the mouse. Br J Pharmacol Chemother 1968;32:295–310.10.1111/j.1476-5381.1968.tb00973.xSearch in Google Scholar
27. Ben-Ari Y, Khazipov R, Leinekugel X, Caillard O, Gaiarsa JL. GABAA, NMDA and AMPA receptors: a developmentally regulated ‘menage a trois’. Trends Neurosci 1997;20:523–9.10.1016/S0166-2236(97)01147-8Search in Google Scholar
28. Staley KJ, Soldo BL, Proctor WR. Ionic mechanisms of neuronal excitation by inhibitory GABAA receptors. Science 1995;269:977–81.10.1126/science.7638623Search in Google Scholar
29. Kase Y, Saitoh K, Makino B, Hashimoto K, Ishige A, Komatsu Y. Relationship between the antidiarrhoeal effects of Hange-Shashin-To and its active components. Phytother Res 1999;13:468–73.10.1002/(SICI)1099-1573(199909)13:6<468::AID-PTR504>3.0.CO;2-VSearch in Google Scholar
30. Zavala MA, Perez S, Perez C, Vargas R, Perez RM. Antidiarrhoeal activity of Waltheria americana, Commelina coelestis and Alternanthera repens. J Ethnopharmacol 1998;61:41–7.10.1016/S0378-8741(98)00014-2Search in Google Scholar
31. Bajad S, Bedi KL, Singla AK, Johri RK. Antidiarrhoeal activity of piperine in mice. Planta Med 2001;67:284–7.10.1055/s-2001-11999Search in Google Scholar
32. Havagiray R, Ramesh C, Sadhna K. Study of antidiarrhoeal activity of Calotropis gigantea R.Br. in experimental animals. J Pharma Pharmaceut Sci 2004;7:70–5.Search in Google Scholar
33. Soni A, Dahiya P. Screening of phytochemicals and antimicrobial potential of extracts of Vetiver zizanoides and Phragmites karka against clinical isolates. Int J App Pharm 2015;7:22–4.Search in Google Scholar
©2017 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review
- Isolated heart models for studying cardiac electrophysiology: a historical perspective and recent advances
- Reproduction
- Sub-chronic indomethacin treatment and its effect on the male reproductive system of albino rats: possible protective role of black tea extract
- The effect of extracellular ATP on rat uterine contraction from different gestational stages and its possible mechanisms of action
- Cardiovascular Function
- Effect of cardiovascular and muscular endurance is not associated with stress fracture incidence in female military recruits: a 12-month follow up study
- Cardiovascular-Pulmonary Interactions
- Comparison of structured and unstructured physical activity training on predicted VO2max and heart rate variability in adolescents – a randomized control trial
- Oxidative Stress
- Aminoguanidine pretreatment prevents methotrexate-induced small intestinal injury in the rat by attenuating nitrosative stress and restoring the activities of vital mitochondrial enzymes
- Anti-aging effects of M2000 (β-D-mannuronic acid) as a novel immunosuppressive drug on the enzymatic and non-enzymatic oxidative stress parameters in an experimental model
- Metabolism
- Long-term exposure to a butter-rich diet induces mild-to-moderate steatosis in Chang liver cells and Swiss albino mice models
- Effect of adrenocorticotropic hormone on UCP1 gene expression in brown adipocytes
- Phytotherapy
- Antidiabetic effect of Ruta montana L. in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats
- Ethnopharmacological investigation of the aerial part of Phragmites karka (Poaceae)
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Review
- Isolated heart models for studying cardiac electrophysiology: a historical perspective and recent advances
- Reproduction
- Sub-chronic indomethacin treatment and its effect on the male reproductive system of albino rats: possible protective role of black tea extract
- The effect of extracellular ATP on rat uterine contraction from different gestational stages and its possible mechanisms of action
- Cardiovascular Function
- Effect of cardiovascular and muscular endurance is not associated with stress fracture incidence in female military recruits: a 12-month follow up study
- Cardiovascular-Pulmonary Interactions
- Comparison of structured and unstructured physical activity training on predicted VO2max and heart rate variability in adolescents – a randomized control trial
- Oxidative Stress
- Aminoguanidine pretreatment prevents methotrexate-induced small intestinal injury in the rat by attenuating nitrosative stress and restoring the activities of vital mitochondrial enzymes
- Anti-aging effects of M2000 (β-D-mannuronic acid) as a novel immunosuppressive drug on the enzymatic and non-enzymatic oxidative stress parameters in an experimental model
- Metabolism
- Long-term exposure to a butter-rich diet induces mild-to-moderate steatosis in Chang liver cells and Swiss albino mice models
- Effect of adrenocorticotropic hormone on UCP1 gene expression in brown adipocytes
- Phytotherapy
- Antidiabetic effect of Ruta montana L. in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats
- Ethnopharmacological investigation of the aerial part of Phragmites karka (Poaceae)
