Anti-inflammatory Activity of Traditionally Important Insulin Plant Costus Species for the Treatment of Inflammation in Human

Abstract

A b s t r a c t A r t i c l e I n f oFresh elder leaves of species viz., Costus pictus and Costus speciosus were collected from Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu. Leaves were washed thrice in sterile distilled water and shade dried and powdered. Then 500g of powdered leaves was soaked in 1 litre of ethanol water mixture (3:1) for 10 days in an air tight clean glass container. Mixing was done every day so as to enable to enhance the maximum extraction of bioactive compounds. After that, the solvent containing bioactive extracts were filtered through muslin cloth and kept in the rotary flash evaporator (with solvent trap) so as to obtain solvent free extract residue and tested for in vitro assessment of anti-inflammatory property. Leaf extract of C. pictus and C. speciosus at different concentrations provided significant protection against denaturation of proteins. The C. pictus extract showed maximum percentage inhibition of 97.87% at 400 mg/ml, whereas C. speciosus gave 86.04% at 400 mg/ml. Diclofenac sodium, a standard anti-inflammatory drug showed the maximum inhibition 97.56% at the concentration of 400 mg/ml. So it can be concluded from the present study that, the C. pictus and C. speciosus leaf extract can be used as an anti-inflammatory agent.