Evaluation of Analgesic and Anthelmintic Activities of Edible Mangrove Fruits in the Sundarbans

Abstract

In this study, solvent extracts were prepared from edible mangrove fruits in the Sundarbans' and their analgesic and anthelmintic activities were evaluated. The analgesic activity was investigated by acetic acid induced writhing test (chemical method) and hot plate test (thermal method) on Swiss albino mice, whereas anthelmintic activity was tested on the ruminant parasite, Paramphistomum cervi. All the extracts (EtOH:MeOH 1:1) inhibited acetic acid induced writhing. C. decandra showed the highest activity (44.5%) followed by H. fomes (38.1%), A. comiculatum (36.4%) and P. paludosa (34.8%) at 250 mg/kg body weight whereas diclofenac sodium, a positive control showed 51.3% of inhibition at 25 mg/kg. Similarly in hot plate test, C. decandra showed the highest response time (17.4 sec.) at 250 mg/kg followed by H. fomes (14.2 sec.) and A. corniculatum (13.6 sec.) at 90 min whereas morphine, a positive control showed 18.2 sec. All fruits also significantly (p<O.05) showed anthelmintic activity, compared with the control group. The anthelmintic activity of the fruits was evaluated by observing both the paralysis time and the time until death. Among them, the A. comiculatum showed the strongest anthelmintic activity (26.3±2.41 and 46.2±3.71 min required for paralysis and death, respectively) at a dose of 10 mg/ml followed by P. paludosa (143.6 ± 11.43 and 200.6 ± 23.48 min required for paralysis and death, respectively). Albendazole, a standard drug at 15 mg/ml, showed a paralysis time of 78.4±7.87 min and a time until death of 106.3±12.33 min; corresponding times for the control group were 316.8±17.37 and 371.29 ± 26.75 min, respectively. Furthermore, five different successive fractions (n-hexane, di-ethyl ether, chloroform, ethanol and methanol) of A. comiculatum were studied for anthelmintic activity, where methanol fraction showed the strongest activity. Therefore, it can be concluded that the edible fruits in the Sundarbans' possess various types of potential bioactive compounds which might be used as analgesic and anthelmintic medication.