Formulation and Development of Herbal Gel of Selected Medicinal Plants and Evaluation of Anti Inflammatory Activity

Abstract

The present thesis is entitled as Formulation and Development of Herbal Gel of Selected Medicinal Plants and Evaluation of Anti-Inflammatory Activity . newlineIn the present study, selected medicinal plants i.e. Alstonia scholaris (Saptaparni) leaves and Centella asiatica leaves (Mandukaparni) were collected from Washim district of Maharashtra state in India. Plants were identified and authenticated by Dr. G. D. Wadankar, Botanist at the Department of Botany, R.A. Arts, M.K. Commerce and Shri S.R. Rathi Science College, Washim (M.S.). In the preliminary study, dried powders of both plants were extracted by using methanol. The extracts were dried and screened for the presence of various active constituents. The extracts showed the presence of alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, glycosides, phenolic compounds, tannins, steroids and fatty acids. For the preliminary assessment, methanolic extract of both plants were evaluated in acute model of inflammation in rats. newlineAcute oral toxicity studies of methanol extract of Alstonia scholaris and Centella asiatica were studied. No toxic effects i.e. hypersensitivity reactions, diarrhoea, itching, behavioural changes and mortality at the dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight was seen. newlineFor the acute inflammatory condition, methanol extract was evaluated by carrageenan induced rat paw edema model. In case of both selected plants, methanol extracts shown significant activity. Methanol extract was further selected for the fractionation and isolation of active constituents. Carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats as an in vivo model of inflammation has been regularly used to evaluate the anti-edematous effect of natural products, which is known to be responsive to cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors and has been used to evaluate the effects of NSAIDs. Maximum activity was shown by methanolic extract of both plants at dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight compared to the control group. newlineAcute oral toxicity studies of each fraction of Alstonia scholaris and Centella asiatica were studied.