Pharmacological and biochemical investigations of methanolic extract of Myristica fragrans seeds

Abstract

The methanolic extract of Myristicafragransseeds and fractions of petroleum ether, n-hexane and chloroform screened for phytochemical analysis and revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, glycosides, proteins and tannins. Methanolic extract and fractions hadinvestigated for its antioxidant, cytotoxic and anti-microbialproperties. Myristicafragrans had remarkable antioxidant property, where IC50 value of chloroform fraction was 16.879 µg/ml. In the cytotoxic assay,they tested for brine shrimp lethality bioassay using brine shrimp nauplii and LC50 value of petroleum ether fraction was 0.098 µg/ml. Theantimicrobial screening was done against 16 microorganisms including gram-positive, gramnegative bacteria and fungi by the disc diffusion method. The chloroform fraction showed little antimicrobial activity with average zone of inhibition 9.5 mm at a concentration of 400μg/disc.Methanolic extract and fractions of Myristicafragransseeds also investigated for peripheral analgesic, anti-hyperglycaemic and anti-diarrhoeal activities on swiss albino mice and anti-inflammatory and anti-pyretic activities on long evans rats at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg/p.o.The methanolic extract showed significant anti-inflammatory, peripheral analgesic and anti-pyreticactivitiesin carrageenan induced paw edema, intraperitoneallyacetic acid injected writhingand subcutaneously brewer yeast injectedpyrexia models respectivelywhen compared to the control. The results were found comparable to those of diclofenac sodium and paracetamol respectively, reference drugs used in the study. In the streptozotocin induced diabetic model, chloroform fraction showed significant anti-diabetic effect characterized by reduction of blood sugar when compared to the control. The results were comparable to those of glibenclamide, a reference drug used in the study. In the castor oilswalloweddiarrhoeal model, the n-hexane fraction showed significant anti-diarrhoeal effect characterized by reduction in the number of faeces when compared to the control. The results were comparable to those of loperamideHCl, a reference drug used in the study.