Research Article
Papiya Bigoniya, A.C. Rana
Abstract
Pharmacological screening of Euphorbia neriifolia Linn. (Euphorbiaceous) leaf hydro alcoholic extract were performed to explore the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antidiarrhoeal and antiulcer activities. All tests were conducted on rats using 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg dose as LD50 of extract was found to 2779.71 mg/kg. Study revealed strong analgesic effect of E. neriifolia against thermal (P<0.001), and in mechanical and chemical (p < 0.01) noxious stimuli and anti-inflammatory activity (P<0.001 to 0.01) at the 1000 mg/kg dose. In carrageenan-induced paw edema and cotton pellet induced granuloma model E. neriifolia extract showed significant (P<0.001 to 0.01) antiinflammatory activity. Extract considerably increases urine volume as an effective hypernatraemic and hyperchloraemic diuretic. E. neriifolia showed laxative property by increasing wet defecation along with castor oil. Extract showed very prominent protection against ethanol-induced ulceration as well as on pyloric ligated ulceration in dose dependent manner. Extract increases total hexoses (P<0.001), hexosamine (P<0.05), sialic acid and total carbohydrate content (P<0.001) with a decrease in total protein content (P<0.001) of gastric mucosa at 400 mg/kg dose. Presence of phytoconstituents like tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids and triterpenoidal saponins may be responsible for the found pharmacological activities.