Phytochemical screening and anti-inflammatory evaluation of methanolic and aqueous extracts of Euphorbia heterophylla Linn (Euphorbiaceae)

Euphobia heterophylla is a local medicinal plant used in ethnomedicine for the treatment of constipation, bronchitis and asthma. The aqueous decoction and the methanolic extracts were subjected to anti-inflammatory activity using experimental animal model, in the presence of the positive control drugs. The inflammation was induced by carraegenean. From the results obtained the aqueous extract showed significant activity (P < 0.001) comparable to the reference drug used. At the different dose range used (50, 100 and 150 mg/kg), there was no significant differences in their anti-inflammatory activity hence they were not dose-dependent. However, the methanolic extract did not show any appreciable activity (20-24% inhibition) and were also not dose-dependent. The results of the study showed the justification of the use of the plant in the treatment of inflammatory disease conditions, and the active chemical constituents when isolated will be added to the present anti-inflammatory agents.Key words: Anti-inflammatory activity, Euphorbia heterophylla, leaf extract

Phytochemical and in-vitro antimicrobial screening of Sanseviera liberica Gérôme and Labroy (Agavaceae) root extract

Sanseviera liberica is used in Nigerian folk medicine for the treatment of asthma, abdominal pain, diarrhea, wounds of the foot, gonorrhea, snake bites etc. Some of these diseases are caused by pathogenic bacteria. To validate the trado-medical applications of S. liberica, an investigation of the phytochemical and antimicrobial properties of the methanol and n – hexane extracts was conducted. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, saponins, reducing sugars and   carbohydrates in both extracts. Alkaloids were present only in the methanol extract. Glycosides, terpenoids and steroids were absent in both extracts. The proximate analysis of S. liberica showed total ash value of 6.0 %, acid insoluble ash of 1.10 %, alcohol extractive value of 6.80 %, water  extractive value of 5.20 % and moisture content of 14.50 %.The broth microdilution technique was used to evaluate the antimicrobial activities ofboth the methanol and n – hexane extracts of S. liberica. Results showed that Psuedomonas. aureginosa, Streptococci pyrognase and Staphylococcus aureus were sensitive to the methanol extract while Candida albicans,  Klebsiella pneumonia, Salmonella typhii, Baccilus subtilis and Escherischia coli were not sensitive. All the eight microorganisms involved in the  antimicrobial assay were not sensitive to the n-hexane extract. © JASE

Reactions of O-Amino-N-(1,1-Dimethylprop-2-Ynyl)-Benzamide

Carbonylation of o-amino-N-(1,1-dimethylprop-2-ynyl)-benzamide 3 with ethyl chloroformate gave 2-carbethoxyamino-N-(1,1-dimethylprop- 2-ynyl)-benzamide 6. Attempted cyclization of 6 under basic conditions did not give the quinazoline 8 but an oxazole 7. When 3 was also refluxed in triethylorthoformate-acetic anhydride mixture, 2-acetylamino-N-(1,1-dimethylprop- 2-ynyl)-benza-mide 4 was formed as the major compound with negligible amount of 3-(1,1- dimethylprop-2-ynyl)-quinazolin-4-(3H)-one 5

Reaction of Prop-2-ynylamine with Isochromadiones : Formation of Amides

The ring opening of isochromadiones by prop-2-ynylamine was accomplished in non-polar solvents to form N-prop-2-ynylbenzamide-2-acetic acid 3 N-prop-2-ynylhomophthalimide 4. Compound 3 was found out to be an intermediate product in the formation of 4. These compounds were screened for anticonvulsant and antibacterial properties and were found to have no activity

Short Communication - Phytochemical screening and anti-inflammatory evaluation of methanolic and aqueous extracts of Euphorbia heterophylla Linn (Euphorbiaceae)

Euphorbia heterophylla is a local medicinal plant used in ethnomedicine for the treatment of constipation, bronchitis and asthma. The aqueous decoction and the methanolic extracts were subjected to anti-inflammatory activity using experimental animal model, in the presence of the positive control drugs. The inflammation was induced by carraegenean. From the results obtained the aqueous extract showed significant activity (P < 0.001) comparable to the reference drug used. At the different dose range used (50, 100 and 150 mg/kg), there was no significant differences in their anti-inflammatory activity hence they were not dose-dependent. However, the methanolic extract did not show any appreciable activity (20-24% inhibition) and were also not dose-dependent. The results of the study showed the justification of the use of the plant in the treatment of inflammatory disease conditions, and the active chemical constituents when isolated will be added to the present anti-inflammatory agents