Jordan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Volume 8, No. 3, 2015
- 207 -
© 2015 DAR Publishers/The University of Jordan. All Rights Reserved.
*
sadia_afreen_chy@yahoo.com
Received on 11/5/2015 and Accepted for Publication on
10/8/2015.
Pharmacological Investigations of Different Extracts from the Leaf of
Ipomoea fistulosa (Family: Convolvulaceae)
Shah Alam
1
and Sadia Afreen Chowdhury
2
*
1
Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons.) Student, Department of Pharmacy, Stamford University Bangladesh,
51 Siddeswari Road, Dhaka-1217, Bangladesh
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy, Stamford University Bangladesh, 51 Siddeswari Road,
Dhaka-1217, Bangladesh
ABSTRACT
The aim of the study was to evaluate the antimicrobial, cytotoxic, anthelmintic, analgesic and
neuropharmacological properties of the leaf of Ipomoea fistulosa. The extracts of the leaf showed very mild
antimicrobial activity compared with the standard drug, amoxycillin. The cytotoxic activity of n-hexane,
dichloromethane and methanol extracts from the leaf of I. fistulosa were evaluated using brine shrimp lethality
bioassay. The results showed very mild cytotoxicity with the LC
50
value of 33.88, 56.23 and 36.31µg/mL
respectively while LC
50
value of reference drug vincristine sulphate was 0.69 µg/mL. Anthelmintic activity was
found to be moderate by the investigation performed on Pheretima posthuma. The analgesic activity of the
methanol extract of leaf was evaluated by using acetic acid-induced writhing test and tail immersion method on
Swiss Albino mice at a dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight. The writhing test displayed 51.53% and
64.96% of inhibition for the extract in acetic acid which is significant to the reference standard drug, diclofenac-
Na (72.16%) of inhibitation in acetic acid at a dose of 1 mg/kg body weight). The analgesic activity in tail
immersion method was dose dependent. However, the neuropharmacological activity was tested by hole cross
and open field test which revealed notable CNS depressant property when compared to the standard drug,
diazepam (1 mg/kg b.w.). Over all, the extracts showed notable anthelmintic, analgesic and
neuropharmacological activities
Keywords: Ipomoea fistulosa, Convolvulaceae, Antimicrobial activity, Anthelmintic activity, Cytotoxicity,
Analgesic activity, Neuropharmacological property.
1. INTRODUCTION
Ipomoea fistulosa (Family: Convolvulaceae) is
popularly known as Dhol-kalmi in Bangladesh and
Morning glory in English. It is a large diffuse shrub with
milky juice. The flowers are pale rose, pink or light violet
in lax, dichotomously branched axillary and terminal,
pedunculate cymes; fruits have a glabrous capsule; seed
is silky
(1)
. It is quite a common flower in the rural areas of
Bangladesh as well as the roadside.
The leaves of I. fistulosa contain 1-3 flavonol
glycosides and Ergine (D-Lysergic acid amide).
Polyhydroxylated alkaloids were isolated from the
leaves,flowers and seeds. Chromatographic separation of
the leaf extract resulted in the isolation of swainsonine, 2-
epi-lentiginosine, calystegines B (1), B (2), B (3) and
C(1) and N-methyl-trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline and
betasitosterol
(2)
. The plant part is used as aphrodisiac,
purgative and cathartic
(3)
. The plant had immense
potential as an anti-Inflammatory, antioxidant,
antidiabetic, antimicrobial Activity, wound healing,