Antioxidant and in vitro anti-inflammatory activities of Mimusops elengi leaves

Free radical is defined as unstable, highly reactive atom or molecule possessing unpaired electrons, which induces free radical damage. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are widely believed to be involved in the etiology of many diseases such as ageing, cancer, coronary heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, neurodegenerative disorders, atherosclerosis, cataracts and including inflammation as indicated by the signs of oxidative stress[1]. Inflammation is our body’s natural reaction to invasion by an infectious agent, burn, toxin or physical, chemical or traumatic damage[2]. One purpose of inflammation is to protect the site of an injury. Mimusops elengi (M. elengi) Linn. commonly known as Bakul belongs to the family Sapotaceae. It is a small to large evergreen tree found all over the different parts of India, Andaman Islands, Burma, Pakistan, Thailand and parts of Northern Australia. Several triterpenoids, steroids, steroidal glycosides, flavonoids and alkaloids have been reported from this species[3]. Phytochemical review shows the presence of taraxerol, taraxerone, ursolic acid, betulinic acid, V-spinosterol, W-sitosterol, lupeol, alkaloid isoretronecyl tiglate and mixture of triterpenoid saponins in the bark and hentriacontane, carotene and lupeol in the leaves, heartwood and roots of M. elengi[4]. The bark of M. elengi has been used for antioxidant activity[5], antibacterial[6], antiulcer[7], anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activity[8] and leave of this plant used as antioxidant[9] and antidiabetic activity[10]. In the traditional use, leaves boiled and applied to the head as a cold compress for headache and juice of the leaves squeezed into the eye for sore eyes, together with bark of this plant has many therapeutic uses such as cardiotonic, alexipharmic, stomachic, anthelmintic and astringent[11]. The wide use of traditional medicine and plants still have represent a large source of natural antioxidants that might serve as leads for the development of the novel drugs. This plant has been used externally for rheumatism and pain by the local people of salipur, Cuttack districts in Odisa. However the leave part of this plant is not scientifically explored for its anti-inflammatory activity. Hence an effort has been made here to investigate the methanol extract of M. elengi of leave for its antioxidant and in vitro anti-inflammatory activity. ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT