Vol. 2, Issue 5 (2013)

Author(s):
Nusrat Ahmed Mourin, Tasnuva Sharmin*, Sharmin Reza Chowdhury, Farhana Islam, Mohammad S. Rahman, Mohammad A. Rashid

Abstract:
The crude methanol extract of whole plant of Heliotropium indicum L. as well as its organic and aqueous soluble partitionates were subjected to screening for antioxidant, cytotoxic, thrombolytic, membrane stabilizing and antimicrobial activities. In free radical scavenging activity assay, the carbon tetrachloride soluble fraction revealed the highest free radical scavenging activity (IC₅₀ = 37.88±0.51 μg/ml) which could be correlated to its total phenolic content (40.35±0.17 mg of GAE/g of extractives). In brine shrimp lethality bioassay, the crude methanol extract (LC₅₀= 2.57±0.22 μg/ml) revealed the presence of the highest amount of considerable bioactive principles. During assay for thrombolytic activity, the carbon tetrachloride soluble materials revealed 36.90±0.75 % of clot lysis as comparable to 66.77% by standard streptokinase. In hypotonic solution and heat induced conditions, the carbon tetrachloride soluble fraction inhibited haemolysis of human erythrocyte by 41.47±1.12 % and 37.97±0.14 %, respectively. The carbon tetrachloride soluble materials demonstrated activity against microbial growth with zone of inhibition ranging from 7.0 to 20.0 mm.