Callus can be a viable alternative to obtain important phytochemicals and analyze crude extract for pharmacological activities rather than going the cumbersome way of collecting and destroying possibly endangered plants. In this study, callus was produced using nodal explant of Ipomoea mauritiana, and methanol extract of dried and powdered callus was evaluated for its analgesic and antihyperglycemic potential. The extract, when administered to Swiss albino mice at doses of 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg per kg significantly reduced the number of writhings in mice produced by intraperitoneal administration of acetic acid by 23.3, 33.3, 43.3, and 53.3%, respectively. A standard analgesic drug, aspirin, at doses of 200 and 400 mg per kg, reduced the number of writhings by 40.0 and 46.7%, respectively. In oral glucose tolerance tests conducted with glucose-loaded mice, the extract at doses of 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg per kg significantly reduced blood glucose levels by 35.1, 42.5, 53.6, and 58.8%. In comparison, a standard antihyperglycemic drug, glibenclamide, at a dose of 10 mg per kg reduced blood glucose levels by 60.7%. Our study indicates that methanol extract of callus of I. mauritiana can be used to alleviate pain and high blood sugar levels.

Bambusa vulgaris, also known as 'Ora Bansh' in Bangladesh is grown throughout the country for housing and scaffolding purposes. As part of our analgesic and antihyperglycemic plants of Bangladesh screening program, it was of interest to evaluate the analgesic and antihyperglycemic potential of aerial parts of the plant. Methanolic extract of aerial parts (MEBV) at doses of 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg per kg significantly reduced the number of writhings in acetic acid-induced pain model Swiss albino mice by 25.9, 29.6, 37.0, and 44.4%, respectively compared to reductions of 40.7 and 51.9%, respectively, obtained with 200 and 400 mg per kg of a standard analgesic drug, aspirin. MEBV, at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg per kg also significantly lowered blood glucose levels in mice, respectively, by 32.8, 45.8, and 55.3% compared to control mice. A standard antihyperglycemic drug, glibenclamide, when administered at a dose of 10 mg per kg lowered blood glucose level by 50.8%. Taken together, the results indicate that the aerial parts of the plant possess considerable analgesic and antihyperglycemic potential, which can possibly be attributed to the presence of alkaloids and saponins in the extract.

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