Research Article ISSN 2250-0480 VOL3/ISSUE4/OCT-DE2013 P - 1 Pharmaceutical Science Phytochemistry EUPATORIUM AYAPANA LEAF EXTRACTS ENHANCE ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL IN EHRLICH’S ASCITES CARCINOMA - BEARING SWISS ALBINO MICE MADHUBANTI BEPARI 1 , PRALAY MAITY 1 , BANADEB SINHA 2 AND SUJATA MAITI CHOUDHURY 1 * 1 Department of Human Physiology with Community Health, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore-721102, W.B, India. 2 Department of Biochemistry, Midnapore Medical College, Midnapore - 721101, W.B, India. ABSTRACT Medicinal plants have gained significant importance in the potential management of cancer. Eupatorium ayapana, belonging to the Asteraceae, is therapeutically used as an antiseptic, antidysenteric, antibacterial and haemostatic agent. The present study was aimed to evaluate the antioxidant potential of ethanolic (EEEAL) and water extracts (WEEAL) of Eupatorium ayapana leaf in Ehrlich’s ascites carcinoma-bearing Swiss albino mice. EEEAL, WEEAL were administered intraperitoneally at the dose level of 150 mg/kg b ody weight/day for consecutive 14 days after 24 hours of EAC cell inoculation (1×10 6 cell) to mice using 5- fluorouracil as standard drug. Treatment with the extracts decreased the levels of hepatic and renal malon-di- aldehyde (MDA), oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and increased reduced glutathione (GSH) level, catalase (CAT) and super oxide dismutase (SOD) activity in EAC-bearing mice. The study reveals that the extracts of Eupatorium ayapana leaf exhibit antioxidant activities in Ehrlich’s ascites carcinoma-bearing Swiss albino mice. Keywords: Eupatorium ayapana; Ehrlich’s ascites carcinoma; Antioxidant potential; Glutathione. 1. INTRODUCTION From ancient time Indians using plants as source of medicines. Despite Ayurveda other systems and medicines like Unani, Siddha also used plants as source of medicine. Nowadays active principles are being isolated and their activities are being studied scientifically throughout India and world. Eupatorium ayapana Vent (Family: Asteraceae) is one of the most important plants used in herbal medicine. It is an aromatic shrub, native of South America and has long been naturalized in India in other tropical countries as well (Gupta M et al. 2004). Chemical constitutions like 7-ethoxy coumarin (ayapanin), 6, 7-dimethoxy coumarin (ayapin); carotene, vitamin-C and stigmasterol have been isolated from its leaves (Bose PK and Roy AC, 1936). Five additional coumarins, viz. hydrangetin, daphnetin, daphnetin-7-methyl ether dimethyl ether, and umbelliferone have also been isolated (Chaturvedi R and Mulchandani NB, 1989). The leaves are helpful to protect the liver, inflammation of the urinary tract, tetanus, sore throat, cough and dyspepsia. The leaf juice is highly used against snakebite in the Brazilian Amazon and for ulcers. The juice of fresh leaves is also used for digestion (Bose PK and Sarkar BB, 1937). In Europe, ‘Ayapana tea’ which is prepaired from the dried leaves of the plant used as a tonic. It is a potent haemostatic. Traces of finely divided ayapanin or ayapin reduced blood coagulation time in rabbit (Bose PK and Sen PB, 1941). Eupatorium ayapana showed antimicrobial activity (Gupta M et al. 2002).The plant is hepato-protective and it has