Original Article PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANALGESIC EFFECTS OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF PLANT MURDANIA NUDIFLORA (L) BRENAN (COMMELINACEAE) IN ALBINO MICE USING HOT PLATE METHOD BHARGAB NATH PATWARI 1 , ABDUL BAQUEE AHMED 1 , TRISHNA DAS 1 , RUPA SENGUPTA 2 1 Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Hathkhowapara, Azara, Guwahati 781017, Assam, 2 ROFEL, Shri G.M.Bilakhia College of Pharmacy, Namdha Road, Vapi 396191 Gujarat, India. Email: bhargab.patwari@gmail.com Received: 22 May 2014 Revised and Accepted: 03 Jul 2014 ABSTRACT Objective: Murdania nudiflora (L) Brenan (Commelinaceae) has long been used in folk medicine in treatment of many diseases. In this study, attempts have been made for pharmacological screening of the plant Murdania nudiflora (L) Brenan (Commelinaceae) for analgesic activity and presence of different phytochemicals. Methods: To this end, ethanolic extract of Murdania nudiflora (L) Brenan (Commelinaceae) was evaluated for analgesic properties using plate reaction time in mice and phytochemical screening of the plant was done by different methods. Results: The analgesic study showed that the ethanolic extract of the leaves have significant analgesic effects (P < 0.05; P < 0.001) as compared to morphine sulphate (10 mg/kg) used as a standard drug. The result of the preliminary phytochemical studies revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids as a whole and which are reported to be responsible for the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities in many medicinal plants of this family. Conclusion: From these studies, it may be concluded that ethanol extracts of Murdania nudiflora (L) Brenan may contain novel bioactive principles with analgesic activity. Further study is required for evaluation of active principle(s) in different animal models. Keywords: Murdania nudiflora (L) Brenan (Commelinaceae), Morphine sulphate, Plate reaction time, pain and inflammatory conditions. INTRODUCTION The World health Organization estimates that about 80% of the populations living in the developing countries rely almost exclusively on traditional medicine for their primary healthcare needs. In all most all the traditional medical systems, the medicinal plants play a major role and constitute their backbone. Nearly 50% of medicines in the market are made of natural basic materials. Interestingly, the market demand for medicinal herbs is likely to remain high because many of the active ingredients in medicinal plants cannot yet be prepared synthetically [1]. Currently, available drugs for the management of pains, fever and inflammation conditions are either opoids or non- opoids and these drugs have been reported to posses potential toxic effect such as gastrointestinal bleedings [2]. On the other hand drugs of plant origin have been used for management of diseases for many centuries and have not been reported of any deleterious effects to their hosts. Murdannia nudiflora(L) Brenan is a herb belonging to family Commelinaceae. It is a slender, nearly smooth, creeping perennial herb. The stem is simple to branched 15-30 cm long, reclining on the ground with rooting at the nodes. The roots are fibrous, the leaves are rather thick, linear to linear oblong, alternate, narrowed into a base sheath, entire, acute, tapering to a point with sides incurved, measuring 3-10 cm long and 4-10 mm wide. Stems decumbent below and ascending above, branch lets reddish with white nodes, flowers clustered in terminal or axillary cymes, blue or pinkish. The plant is traditionally being used in the treatment of asthma, leprosy and piles, stomach complaints, giddiness, and astringent. Root paste with goat milk is prescribed orally to cure asthma, whole plant paste with common salt is applied on the affected area to cure leprosy [3]. But, there is no scientific investigation report available in view of analgesic activity of these plants so far. In this study, attempts have been made for pharmacological screening of the plant for analgesic activity and presence of different phytochemicals. MATERIALS AND METHODS Collection and Authentication of Plant Material The plants Murdania nudiflora under the investigation shown in Figure 1 have been collected in the month of Jan-Feb from the Belsor area of Nalbari district of Assam, India. The plant was authenticated at Department of Botany, Gauhati University by Prof. G. C. Sharma. The report of authentication as per voucher specimen (A/N 17708 dated, 6 th May, 2013) was presented in Figure 2. Fig. 1: Murdania nudiflora whole plant Fig. 2: Herbarium sheet of Murdania nudiflora                          