Phytochemical analysis, anti-oxidant and analgesic activity investigation of methanolic extract of Azadirachta indica Leaves (original) (raw)

2017, Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry

Azadirachta indica plants have been used for centuries in Indian folk medicine. This research was performed to determine the presence of major phytochemicals and to evaluate the analgesic and antioxidant activity of methanolic extract of Azadirachta indica leaves. Methanolic extract from the leaves of the plant was prepared by using drying, grinding, filtration and solvent evaporation methods. Phytochemical analysis of the leaves indicated the presence of Glycosides, Alkaloids, Flavonoids, Tannins, Saponins and Terpenoids. The analgesic activity of the samples was studied using acetic acid induced writhing model in mice. Significant analgesic effect was monitored (p<0.05) as the oral extract dose of 500 mg/kg showed 47.48% inhibition of writhing movements compared to standard drug Diclofenac-Na which inhibited 90.65% writhing movement. Anti-oxidant activity of the leaves was evaluated using DPPH free radical scavenging activity method. The methanolic extract of the leaves showed mild free radical scavenging activity. The IC 50 of the plant extract was 310.259 µg/ ml, whereas IC 50 of reference agent Ascorbic acid was found to be 17.33 µg/ ml.