Phytochemical and Microbiological investigation on the roots of Piper chaba Hunter and Bombax ceiba Linn.

Abstract

Piper chaba H. belonging to the Piperaceae family and Bombax ceiba L. belonging to the Bombacaceae family has been investigated for isolation of secondary metabolites and evaluation of their biological activities. The ethyl acetate extracts from the roots of Piper chaba and Bombax ceiba was subjected to different chromatographic technique to isolate secondary metabolites and a total of twelve (12) compounds were isolated. From the roots of Piper chaba the isolated Five (5) compounds were stigmasterol, Piperine, 5, 6dihydroxy-

7, 8-dimethyl isoflavan-4-one, two new compound [1-(4"-chlorophenyl)-3-(4'methoxyphenyl)

prop-2-en-1-one] and 1-(4"-chlorophenyl)-3-(p-tolyl)prop-2-en-1-one and Bombax ceiba isolated seven (7) compounds were isohemigossypol-1-methyl ether, isohemigossylic acid lactone-2-methyl ether, 2, 7-dihydroxy-5-isopropyl-3-methyl-2Hnaphtho[1,8-bc]furan-2-one, protocatechuic acid, Scoplotein, Vasicine and

Lupeol. All the isolated compounds were identified by extensive analyses of their high resolution H NMR (400 MHz), 13 C NMR (100 MHz) and 2D NMR (HSQC and HMBC) spectroscopic data.

The compound piperine and all the roots extract of P. chaba were found to have mild antioxidant activity. The isolated compounds stigmasterol, Piperine, [1-(4"-chlorophenyl)3-(4'-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-one]

and the all extracts showed moderate antimicrobial activity.

The methanol extract of the roots of Bombax ceiba and different partitionate of the crude methanol extracts i.e. n-hexane (HEX), dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EAC) and aqueous soluble partitionate (AQP) were subjected to various biological screenings such as thrombolytic, antioxidant, brine shrimp lethality, antimicrobial, antidiarrheal and central analgesic activities.

Thrombolytic activity of all the extractives of B. ceiba was evaluated as a part of discovery of cardioprotective drugs. Among different fractionates of B. ceiba, the highest percentage of clot lysis was exhibited as 44.55% by AQP. The antioxidant activity was evaluated in terms of free radical scavenging activity (DPPH assay). Among all extractives of B. ceiba the highest free radical scavenging activity showed by AQP with IC value 3.30 μg/mL. The highest lethality revealed by HEX having LC 50 50 value of 1.02 g/mL in brine shrimp lethality bioassay of different partitionates of the roots of B. ceiba. The maximum zone of inhibition, in the microbiological investigation, was produced by DCM extract of B. ceiba against Shigella dysenteriae (14 mm).

The methanol extract of the roots of B. ceiba at dose of 400 mg/kg exhibited significant antidiarrheal activity with 54.57% reduction of diarrheal feces as compared to the standard, Loperamide (68.21%). Crude methanol extract of B. ceiba was subjected to central analgesic activity evaluation test. The methanol extract of B. ceiba exhibited significant central analgesic activity at 400 mg/kg doses with 62.76% inhibition of writhing.