EVALUATION OF IN-VITRO ANTIARTHRITIC ACTIVITY OF WHOLE PLANT OF PILEA MICROPHYLLA (L.) LIEBM
Rameeza Khathoon M. A.*, Meera Bhaskaran Nair and Anagha Vijayan K.M.
ABSTRACT
Medicinal plants provide major source of molecules with medicinal properties due to the presence of natural compounds. Arthritis is the swelling, pain and tenderness of one or major joints. Researchers show great interest in those medicinal agents that are derived from plants because the currently available drugs for alleviating pain & symptoms of Osteoarthritis & Rheumatoid arthritis either have certain side effects or are highly expensive. Pilea microphylla (Urticaceae), commonly known as artillery weed, rockweed or gunpowder plant, Mathil pacha has been reported to possess antioxidant, antidiabetic, radioprotective, antimicrobial, cytoprotective, antigenotoxic, antidepressant properties along with many ethnobotanic uses. The present study evaluates the pharmacological potential of Ethanolic Extract of P.microphylla [EEPM] & Aqueous Extract of P.microphylla [AEPM] of whole plant as an antiarthritic agent. The preliminary phytochemical screening of ethanol and aqueous extract showed presence of secondary metabolites like glycosides, saponins, phenolic compound, flavonoids, and alkaloids. In-vitro anti-arthritic activity of P. microphylla extract was evaluated by inhibition of protein denaturation by Egg Albumin [EA] and Bovine Serum Albumin [BSA] Method. The significant results in evaluation of anti-arthritic activity may be due to the combined effect of chemical constituents in the extract or individual effect. Hence ethanol and aqueous extract of P.microphylla offers to be an important source of bioactive constituents for the management of arthritis.
Keywords: Pilea microphylla; Arthritis; in-vitro; Anti-arthritic; BSA; EA.
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