IMMUNOGENIC AND SOME PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF CRUDE EXTRACTS OF CASSIA TORA LINN (FAMILY – CAESALPINIACEAE

IMMUNOGENIC AND SOME PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF CRUDE EXTRACTS OF CASSIA TORA LINN (FAMILY – CAESALPINIACEAE

Abstract:

Cassia tora Linn (family – Caesalpiniaceae) is a shrub widely used ethnomedically in Africa for impetigos, ulcers, helminthiasis and as a purgative. In the present study, C. tora leaves were soxhlet extracted with methanol and the yield was 34% w/w. C. tora seeds were extracted with normal saline and the supernatant was tested on human, cow and goat blood for agglutination. The methanolic leaf extract was studied for its effect on immune response, acute toxicity, anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities in mice and rats. The effect of the methanolic extract was also tested on smooth muscles of guinea pig ileum and rabbit jejunum. The antimicrobial activity of the methanolic extract against some bacteria was also tested. Methanolic extract of C. tora leaf in low doses (100 – 200 mg/kg i.p.) showed a significant (P < 0.05) increase in mice total leucocyte count. At the same dose levels, lymphocytes were significantly (P < 0.05) increased while neutrophils were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced. At high dose of 400 mg/kg i.p., no significant difference was seen in the mice total and differential leucocyte counts. The methanolic extract (25 – 200 mg/kg i.p.) caused a significant increase (P<0.05) in the induration induced by 5% (v/v) suspension of sheep red blood cell in mice foot pads. The highest effect was seen with the highest dose used (200 mg/kg). C. tora leaf extract (50 – 200 mg/kg i.p.) did not cause any significant difference on the antibody litre of 10 mg/ml egg albumin (1 ml x 3 s/c) – sensitised rats. However, egg albumin (0.025 ml) was precipitated by an equal volume of C. tora extract in the absence of antisera. Seed extract of C. tora (0.5 ml) non – specifically agglutinated all the human ABO blood (0.5 ml) at different temperatures (4, 25 and 37°C). However, in goat and cow, it agglutinated some blood and did not agglutinate others (0.5 ml each). No obvious pharmacological effect such as dizziness, excitement, nervousness or even death was seen in mice treated with C. tora leaf extract (10 – 2000 mg/kg i.p. and p.o.). No changes in weight were observed in mice treated for 8 days with 25 – 200 mg/kg of the extract, i.p. and p.o.. The extract (100 – 200 mg/kg i.p.) showed a significant (P < 0.05) anti-inflammatory activity on egg albumin – induced oedema in rats, as did aspirin (150 mg/kg i.p.). C. tora extract (200 – 400 mg/kg i.p.) significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the number of writhes due to glacial acetic acid – induced pain (chemical pain) in mice and was comparable to aspirin (150 mg/kg i.p.). The extract (50, 100 mg/kg i.p.) also significantly (P < 0.05) increased the ability of mice to bear force-induced pain (mechanical pain) confirming its analgesic activity which was dose-dependent. C. tora leaf extract (0.04 – 25.6 mg/ml) exhibited contraction of smooth muscles of guinea pig ileum in a concentration-dependent manner. Atropine (0.04 μg/ml) reversibly blocked the contractile effect of the extract (0.8 mg/ml). Also, in a concentration – dependent manner, pyrimidine (0.8 – 3.2 u,g/ml) remarkably reduced the contractile amplitude due to C. taro extract (1.6 JLig/ml). The methanol extract (0.04 – 2.56 mg/ml) caused a transient relaxation followed by an obvious concentration – dependent contraction of the smooth muscle of rabbit jejunum. Atropine (0.04 μg/ml) also reversibly blocked the contractile effect of 0.32 mg/inl of the methanol extract on rabbit jejunum. Similarly, pyrimidine (1.6 – 16.4 μg/ml) in a concentration-dependent manner blocked the contraction due to the extract (1.28 mg/ml). The methanol extract of C. taro leaves (10 – 250 mg/ml did not show antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhoid, Bacillus Cerberus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas oleaginous. These results generally suggest that C. taro extract has a potential of being a good immunologic, purgative, anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent and may explain why it is widely acceptable in ethnological practice.

IMMUNOGENIC AND SOME PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF CRUDE EXTRACTS OF CASSIA TORA LINN (FAMILY – CAESALPINIACEAE

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