EVALUATION OF PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF NEPHELIUM LAPPACEUM L SEEDS

The study was carried out to assess the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, CNS depressant and anti-diarrhoeal activity of methanolic extract of Nephelium lappaceum L. seeds (MNLS). Analgesic activity was evaluated using acetic acid-induced writhing and formalin-induced licking paw test in mice. Anti-inflammatory effect was studied using the carrageenan-induced inflammatory method. Hole cross and open field models were used to evaluate CNS depressant activity whereas castor oil- induced diarrhoeal model was employed for testing anti-diarrhoeal activity. In the analgesic activity, MNLS at a dose of 500 mg/kg exhibited potent (51.27%) activity against acetic acid-induced pain in mice whereas indomethacin (10 mg/kg) displayed 58.86% inhibition. Furthermore, the extracts showed 50.87% and 57.60% inhibition of the formalin-induced paw licking in mice at a dose of 250 and 500 mg/kg b.w. respectively and indomethacin produced 70.72% inhibition. In the carrageenan-induced paw edema test, the extract showed a significant (p<0.05) inhibition of paw edema after 30 min to a 4^th h of the study period. In hole cross and open field tests, maximum 88.09% and 85.94% suppression of locomotor activity were observed with the higher dose (500 mg/kg) of the extract whereas suppression of the locomotor activity of the standard drug diazepam (1mg/kg) was 92.85% and 92.77% respectively, in these test. In the antidiarrhoeal activity, the extract (500 mg/kg) exhibited significant inhibition (53.46%, p <0.001) of fecal dropping in castor oil induced diarrhea in mice where loperamide (3 mg/kg) showed 56.43% inhibition of defecation.