A preliminary evaluation of cytotoxicity, antihyperglycemic and antinociceptive activity of Polygonum hydropiper L. ethanolic leaf extract

Abstract

Background: Polygonum hydropiper L. is used by folk medicinal practitioners of Bangladesh. Juice of leaves is used in headache, pain, toothache, liver enlargement, gastric ulcer, dysentery, loss of appetite and dysmenorrhea; roots are used as stimulant; juice is applied to wounds, skin. In this study, we analyze the cytotoxicity property of aerial parts of the plant along with antihyperglycemic and antinociceptive activity. Methods: Cytoxicity was determined by brine shrimp lethality assay and antihyperglycemic activity was measured by oral glucose tolerance tests. Antinociceptive activity was determined by observing decreases in abdominal writhings in intraperitoneally administered acetic acid-induced pain model in mice. Results: Administration of ethanol extract of leaf led to dose-dependent and significant reductions in blood glucose levels in glucose-loaded mice. Blood sugar levels of the tested mice were reduced significantly by 48.8, 51.5, 54.1, 58.2 % (p < 0.05) compared to control mice with the increasing dosage of the extract such as 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg of body weight respectively. In contrast, when glibenclamide, a standard antihyperglycemic drug was administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg body weight, it reduced blood glucose level by 42.1 %. On the other hand stem extract only reduced 1.5 % of blood sugar level of the tested mice which was not significant. In the case of antinociceptive activity tests, the extract at the above four doses reduced the number of abdominal writhings by 14.10, 17.95, 29.49 and 41.02 % respectively in comparison with a standard drug Aspirin. In cytotoxicity tests, nauplli were treated with a gradually increased concentration of the extract, ranging from 10 to 45 μg/ml. The LC 50 was found at a concentration of 16.22 μg/ml, compared with control. Conclusion:The results of the present study showed that Polygonum hydropiper L. ethanolic leaf extract possess antihyperglycemic and antinociceptive activity. All these effects could be due to the bioactive components of this plant and need to be identified for further research about this plant. This could justify its ethnomedical use.

Evaluation of sedative and anxiolytic activities of methanol extract of leaves of Persicaria hydropiper in mice

“…Flavonoids are able to influence central nervous system activity (CNS) by binding to the benzodiazepine site on the GABA A receptor resulting in sedation, anxiolytic effects [11]. Several bioactive constituents have also been indicated from P. hydropiper with antihyperglycemic [12], antioxidant [13], antinociceptive [8], anti-inflammatory [14], cytotoxicity and anthelmintic activities [2].…”

An Update on Phytochemicals and Pharmacological Activities of the Genus Persicaria and Polygonum

“…Ethyl acetate extract showed a moderate dose-dependent effect, with writhing inhibition of 54.95% at a dose of 500 mg/kg compared with the standard aminopyrine (inhibition of 73.62% at dose of 50 mg/kg). Additionally, Oany et al [ 82 ] reported that crude EtOH extract of P. hydropiper leaves exhibited a good antinociceptive activity compared to the standard drug aspirin, displaying a reduction in the abdominal writhing’s number of 41.02% and 69.23%, respectively, at a dose of 400 mg/kg b.w. Petroleum ether and chloroform (Chl) extracts of P. barbata showed antinociceptive properties, with an inhibition of writhing response of 46.8% and 44.8%, respectively (at a dose of 400 mg/kg b.w.…”

Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic and antidiabetic activities of Abutilon hirtum (Lam.) Sweet

“…Blood glucose levels were measured at intervals of 0 (fasting), 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 h by collecting blood samples from the tail vein (caudal vein). The percentage of change in blood glucose level was calculated by the following formula [23,24]:…”