Chemical group characterization and determination of pharmacological activities of Pandanus fascicularis L. fruit.

The present study was designed to investigate analgesic, anti-pyretic, anti-inflammatory, GI motility and cytotoxic activities of fruit extract of P. fascicularis L. The analgesic effect was evaluated by using the acetic acid-induced writhing test. Antipyretic study was done by yeast induced pyrexia. The cytotoxic activity was evaluated by using brine shrimp lethality bioassay. The extracts are used for anti-inflammatory studies by albumin induced edema over a period of time. GI motility test was performed using charcoal. The methanolic, ethanolic and chloroform extracts show presence of maximum phytochemicals such as alkaloid, tannin, saponin, steroid, terpenoid, protein, flavonoid etc. The dose of 400mg/kg is capable of inhibiting 62.96% writhing in comparison to standard Diclofenac sodium. The initial and final rectal temperatures treated with chloroform extract (400 mg/kg) were 38.7±0.45°C and 37.83±0.37°C; where the values for Acetyl salicylic acid (100mg/kg) were 38.4±0.11°C and 37.5±0.010°C respectively. During cytotoxic bioassay LC50 value was found 1.0636 mg/ml. Oedema reduced from 0.62 ± 0.06 to 0.45 ± 0.02 after 5hr administering of chloroform extract (400 mg/kg), where aspirin did this from 0.60±.002 to 0.42±0.01 at 200mg/kg. The motility rates of castor oil and chloroform extract were 53.24%& 31.78% at 10 ml/kg and 400 mg/kg respectively, where the control showed 63.68% motility rate. These results show that, chloroform extract of fruit of P. fascicularis L. has significant analgesic, anti-pyretic, cytotoxic, antiinflammatory and GI motility effects that increase with the increase of concentration. It can be assumed that, phytochemicals present, are the source of potency of the chloroform extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]