PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ANTICONVULSANT STUDIES OF METHANOL LEAF EXTRACT OF HYMENOCARDIA ACIDA, TUL (EUPHORBIACEAE)

PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ANTICONVULSANT STUDIES OF METHANOL LEAF EXTRACT OF HYMENOCARDIA ACIDA, TUL (EUPHORBIACEAE)

ABSTRACT

The research was on the phytochemical and anticonvulsant studies of methanol leafextract of Hymenocardia acida, Tul, (Euphorbiaceae) used inNorthern Nigeria for the treatment of headache, rheumatic pain, sickle cell crisis, malaria, epilepsy and cancer. The preliminary phytochemical screening of crude methanol extract (CME) using standard methods revealed the presence of terpenoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids and flavonoids.Phytochemical evaluations were carried out using silica gel column chromatography, preparative thin layer chromatography and gel filtration using sephadex LH-20. The CME was partitioned successively with n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol to yield different fractions. Extensive phytochemical investigation of n-Hexane soluble fraction of the leaf using silica gel column chromatography, gel filtration and preparative thin layer chromatography led to the isolation of Lupeol. The structure of the isolated compound was elucidated with the help of 1HMR and 13C NMR analysis. The oral median lethal dose (LD50)in mice was found to be greater than 5000mg/kg, suggesting the crude extract is practically non-toxic. Anticonvulsant activity was studied using maximum electroshock test (MEST) in chicks and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced seizure model in mice. The CME of Hymenocardia acida at doses of 150mg/kg, 300mg/kg and 600mg/kg did not exhibit significant activity against MES convulsion because none of the chicks was protected against the seizure but there was 90% protection with the standard drugPhenytoin at a dose of 20mg/kg while the extract produced a dose independent activity in the PTZ induced seizure in mice which was significant at (p<0.05) which was seen as percentage protection against seizure as 50, 33.33, 16.67% at doses of 150mg/kg, 300mg/kg and 600mg/kg respectively i.e the lower the dose of the extract the higher the protection. The standard control, Sodium Valproate 200mg/kg protected the mice 100% . vi The finding of the study suggests that the CME of Hymenocardia acida possesses significant anticonvulsant activity which might be due to the phytochemical constituents. This provides some scientific rationale for the ethnomedicinal claim of the use of the plant in the management of epilepsy.

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