Exploring therapeutic potential of Woodfordia fruticosa (L.) Kurz leaf and bark focusing on antioxidant, antithrombotic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antidiarrheal properties

Md Mahfuzur Rahman; Mahfuza Afroz Soma; Nahid Sultana; Md Jamal Hossain; Md Abu Sufian; M Oliur Rahman; Mohammad A Rashid

doi:10.1002/hsr2.1654

Exploring therapeutic potential of Woodfordia fruticosa (L.) Kurz leaf and bark focusing on antioxidant, antithrombotic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antidiarrheal properties

Health Sci Rep. 2023 Oct 25;6(10):e1654. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.1654. eCollection 2023 Oct.

Authors

Md Mahfuzur Rahman¹, Mahfuza Afroz Soma², Nahid Sultana³, Md Jamal Hossain⁴, Md Abu Sufian⁵, M Oliur Rahman⁶, Mohammad A Rashid⁷

Affiliations

¹ Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Research Division, BCSIR Chattogram Laboratories Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Chattogram Bangladesh.
² Department of Pharmacy University of Asia Pacific Dhaka Bangladesh.
³ Department of Botany Jagannath University Dhaka Bangladesh.
⁴ Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences State University of Bangladesh Dhaka Bangladesh.
⁵ Marketing Strategy Department Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Dhaka Bangladesh.
⁶ Department of Botany, Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Dhaka Dhaka Bangladesh.
⁷ Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy University of Dhaka Dhaka Bangladesh.

Abstract

Background and aims: The study aimed to evaluate the pharmacological properties of methanolic extracts of leaves and barks of Woodfordia fruticosa (L.) Kurz (family: Lythraceae) focusing on antioxidant, thrombolytic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, analgesic, and antidiarrheal effects.

Methods: 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay, clot lysis, disc diffusion, and membrane stabilizing methods were employed to assess in vitro antioxidant, thrombolytic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties of the leaf and bark methanolic extracts (ME) of W. fruticosa and different organic solvents, that is, petroleum ether (PE), dichloromethane (DCM), chloroform (CL), and aqueous (AQ) fractions. In addition, in vivo central and peripheral analgesic and antidiarrheal activities of both crude extracts were evaluated at two doses (200 and 400 mg/kg of body weight [bw]).

Results: All the extracts and fractions showed promising antioxidant properties by scavenging DDPH free radicals with IC₅₀ of 6.11-20.79 μg/mL. AQ fraction (41.24%) of leaves and ME (44.90%) of bark exerted notable in vitro thrombolytic activity. The CL fraction of leaves and AQ fraction of the bark showed 43.16% and 45.37% inhibition of RBC hemolysis, respectively, compared to the inhibition of RBC hemolysis by aspirin in a hypotonic-induced membrane stabilizing assay. Besides, both extracts were observed to provide significant (p < 0.001) central and peripheral analgesic responses at both doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg bw. Furthermore, both doses of bark extract (p < 0.001) and the 400 mg/kg bw of leaf extract (p < 0.05) were observed to possess statistically significant antidiarrheal activity. Additionally, in an in vivo acute toxicity investigation, both extracts had a median lethal dose (LD₅₀) greater than 5000 mg/kg bw, indicating their safety level.

Conclusion: The current study proves the ethnomedicinal uses of W. fruticosa; however, further studies are required for phytochemical screening to isolate the responsible bioactive compounds and discover the lead molecules from the plant species.

Keywords: Woodfordia fruticosa; analgesics; antidiarrheal; antimicrobial; antioxidant; membrane stabilization; thrombolytic.