Objective: The present work was aimed to investigate the in vitro antioxidant and anti-cancer activities of methanolic extract of Stephania elegans, an unexplored species from Menispermaceae family. Methods:The methanolic extract of S. elegans tubers was prepared and phytochemical screening and total phenolic content were analyzed by using standard methods. In vitro, antioxidant potential of methanolic extract was determined by 2-2'-azinobis (3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Cytotoxicity against human breast cancer cell line, Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 type (MCF-7) was evaluated by 3-(4, 5 dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) (MTT) assay.Results: Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, carbohydrates, tannins, terpenoids, steroids, and saponins in the methanolic extract of S. elegans tubers. The total phenolic content in the methanolic extract was 23.0±0.06 mg GAE/g (dry mass). As revealed by ABTS assay, the methanolic extract of plant tubers showed significant radical scavenging activity (IC50 41.66±0.015 μg/ml). The reducing power activity of the extract increased with the concentration of the extract. MTT assay indicated that S. elegans has potent cytotoxic activity towards MCF-7 cells (IC50 Conclusion: This is the first study demonstrating the antioxidant and anticancer capabilities of the methanolic extract of S. elegans. This study also provides a significant basis for further isolation and characterization of bioactive compounds from S. elegans.158.7±0.13 μg/ml).

The erythrocyte host cell plays a key role in the well defined developmental stages of the malarial parasite growth and propogation in the erythrocyte cycle of malaria. The host cell serves the parasites by supplying metabolites and removing the catabolites produced by the obligatory parasites. It has been observed that the plasma membrane of the infected cells show a substantially higher fluidity due to the depletion of cholesterol content from the host cell. The protein component of the membrane is also modulated due to the insertion of new polypeptides of the parasitic origin, which confers upon it new antigenic properties. We have studied the membrane fraction isolated from mice erythrocytes infected with Plasmodium berghei using fluorescent probes like DPH, ANS and series of fluorenyl fatty acids, which permit depth dependent analysis of membrane. We have observed that there is a marked difference in the fluorescence emission wavelength maximum, the dissociation constant Kd of ANS when bound to normal and infected erythrocytes, though relatively small differences are observed in the fluorescence polarisation values of the two cell types. The fluorenyl fatty acids also show the differences when bound to normal and infected erythrocytes, indicating that either they are in a different environment or they have differing binding properties to the two cell types.