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Context: Ageratum conyzoides Linn. (Asteraceae) is an annual herbaceous plant with a long history of traditional medicinal and agricultural uses; it is usually grown in the northeast part of Bangladesh. Objective: The ethanol extract of the plant leaves was evaluated for preliminary phytochemical screening with its antinociceptive and antioxidant activities. Materials and methods: The preliminary phytochemical analysis was performed on the basis of standard procedures. The analgesic activity of the extract was investigated using the acetic acid-induced writhing method in mice. Five complementary tests such as DPPH free radical scavenging, nitric oxide (NO) scavenging, reducing power, Fe þþ ion chelating ability and total phenolic content were used for determining antioxidant activities. Results: The results of preliminary phytochemical analysis showed the presence of alkaloids, reducing sugars, saponins, gums, steroids, tannins and flavonoids. The extract possessed a significant dose-dependent DPPH free radical scavenging activity with an IC 50 value of 18.91 mg/ ml compared to ascorbic acid (IC 50 : 2.937 mg/ml) and butylated hydroxyanisole (IC 50 : 5.10 mg/ml). The IC 50 value of the extract for NO scavenging (41.81 mg/ml) was also found to be significant compared to the IC 50 value of ascorbic acid (37.93 mg/ml). Moreover, the extract showed reducing power activity and Fe þþ ion chelating ability. The total phenolic amount was also calculated as quite high (378.37 mg/g of gallic acid equivalents) in the crude ethanol extract. Discussion and conclusion: Therefore, the obtained results tend to suggest the antinociceptive and antioxidant activities of the ethanol extract of the plant leaves and justify its use in folkloric remedies.

The present study determined phytochemical content, antioxidant and antidiarrhoeal effect of methanol extract of Fimbristylis miliacea. Phytochemical screening showed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, tannins, phenols, alkaloids and cardiac glycosides. Total phenolic, flavonoids, flavonols, tannins, βcarotene, lycopene, chlorophyll-α, and chlorophyll-β contents were found 154.13 mg GAE/g, 83.14 mg QE/g, 126.45 mg QE/g, 215.72 mg GAE/g, 1.51 µg/g, 0.66 µg/g, 7.10 mg/g and 4.25 mg/g, respectively. Antioxidant potential was compared against ascorbic acid. IC 50 and EC 50 values were determined as indices of antioxidant potential using five experiments; IC 50 in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical scavenging assay were 138.83 and 353.82 µg/ml respectively. EC 50 of thiobarbituric acid assay, FRAP assay and reducing power assay were observed 2159.5, 31.59 and 129.56 µg/ml respectively. Total antioxidant capacity was 155.35 mg/g AAE. Significant reduction (p≤0.001) in fecal movement was produced by plant extract and the effect was stronger than that of the standard drug loperamide (5 mg/kg.bw). Loperamide showed 58.16% inhibition whereas extract at 400 mg/kg.bw dose inhibited 80.85% diarrhea.

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