IAAST Vol 4 [2] June 2013 1 | P age © Society of Education, India CODEN: IAASCA ORIGINAL ARTICLE Preliminary in Vitro Biological, Phytochemical Screenings and in Vitro Antioxidant Activities of Blumea lacera (Burm.f.) DC Amrita Rahman, Mohiuddin Ahmed Bhuiyan and Mohammad Shahriar* Department of Pharmacy, University of Asia Pacific, Dhaka, Bangladesh ABSTRACT In this present study, the leaf extracts of Blumea lacera were subjected to a comparative evaluation of the antioxidant capacities, membrane stabilization, thrombolytic, and cytotoxicity to brine shrimps (Artemia salina). When the DPPH (1,1- Diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl) radical scavenging effect was determined spectrophotometrically significant radical scavenging property was observed in ethanol extract with IC50 of 19.9 μg/ml. Here, butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT) and ascorbic acid (ASA) were used as standard antioxidants. The thrombolytic and membrane stabilizing activities were assessed by using human erythrocyte and the results were compared with standard streptokinase (SK) and standard anti-inflammatory drug, acetyl salicylic acid (ASA), respectively. The extracts demonstrated significant toxicity to A. salina with LC50 values ranging from 1.85 to 3.16 μg/ml as compared to standard Vincristine sulphate (VS, LC50 value 0.927 μg/ml). Preliminary phytochemical investigation suggested the presence of alkaloid, carbohydrate, glycosides, saponins and steroids. Key words: Blumea lacera, membrane stabilizing, thrombolytic activity, free radical scavenging, phytochemical screening Received 20.03.2013 Accepted 20.06.2013 © Society of Education, India INTRODUCTION According to the World Health Organization, 1977 [1] “a medicinal plant” is any plant, which in one or more of its organ contains substances that can be used for the therapeutic purpose or which, are precursors for the synthesis of using drugs. The definition distinguishes those plants whose therapeutic properties and constituents have been established scientifically and plants that are regarded as medicinal but which have not yet been subjected to thorough investigation. The team “herbal drug” determines the part/parts of a plant (leaf, flowers, seeds, roots, barks, stems, etc) used for preparing medicines. Blumea lacera L., Compositae, is one of the common rabi weeds of India [2]. It is an annual herb, with a strong odour of turpentine. Stem is erect, ash colored, densely glandular, pubescent. Leaves are often incised or lyrate. There are many flower heads in single plant, arranged in axillary cymes or terminal panicle. Pappus is white. Fruits are an achene, oblong and not ribbed. Flowering time January to April [3]. The plant occurs throughout the plains of India from the north-west ascending to 2,000 ft in the Himalayas. It is a common roadside weed in Ceylon and Malaya. It is distributed to the Malay Islands, Australia, China and Tropical Africa. Blumea consists of about 80 species [4]. Blumea is described in Ayurveda as bitter, astringent, acrid, thermogenic, errhine, anti-inflammatory, styptic, opthalmic, digestive, anthelmintic, liver tonic, expectorant, febrifuge, antipyretic, diuretic, deobstruant, and stimulant [5]. The root kept in the mouth is said to cure disease of the mouth. In the Konkan region of India, the plant is used to drive away fleas and other insects. It is prescribed as an antiscorbutic in West Africa [4]. Study of methonolic extract of leaves of B. lacera showed considerable antifungal activity. The highest percentage of inhibition was showed against A. flavus, where as lowest percentage of inhibition was shown by A. niger. As the concentration of extracts increases, there is increase in percentage of inhibition [6]. Study showed that Blumea lacera exhibited broad anti-leukemic activity at magnitudes ranging from moderate to mild and Ixerischinensis is effective at inhibiting the proliferation of K562 cells. B. lacera and Tithonia diversifolia suppressed the replication of HSV-1 and HSV-2, and had IC50 values below 100 µg/ml. The medicinal plants showed no cytotoxic effect at concentrations that inhibited HSV infection. It was, therefore, concluded that the HW extract of tested medicinal plants exhibited anti-leukemic and antiviral activities at different magnitudes of potency [7]. International Archive of Applied Sciences and Technology IAAST; Vol 4 [2] June 2013: 01- 07 © 2013 Society of Education, India [ISO9001: 2008 Certified Organization] www.soeagra.com/iaast/iaast.htm I I A AA A S S T T ONLINE ISSN 2277- 1565 PRINT ISSN 0976 - 4828