Screening of Skeletal Muscle Relaxant Activity of Plant Vicia Faba

The study was designed to investigate the skeletal muscle relaxant activity of vicia faba (400mg/kg, p.o) by using rota rod apparatus. Experiments were carried out on albino mice and the animals were randomly allotted to the different control, test and standard (diazepam 4mg/kg, p.o) groups. The methanolic extract significantly reduced the fall off time (4.33sec) in comparision with the fall off time of control treated animals (11.6 sec). This reduction in fall off time observed in test extract animals placed on rotarod apparatus indicates motor incoordination. As it is evident from phytochemical studies that vicia faba leaf extract possess tannins and hence the observed skeletal muscle relaxant activity may be attributed to tannins.