In vitro pharmacological potential of Epiprinus mallotiformis – An endemic species of Western Ghats

Abstract

Epiprinus mallotiformis is an endemic species of Western Ghats, traditionally known to cure dysentery, digestive problems, ulcers, gonorrhoea and also as a good antimicrobial and diuretic agent. The present investigation was done to evaluate the in vitro pharmacological activities and preliminary screening for phytochemicals in leaf, stem and bark extracts. The study revealed an optimum antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities and the presence of phenolics, flavonoids and saponins in the plant extracts. The ethyl acetate fraction of leaf samples exhibited a very significant antibacterial activity against S. aureus with a minimum bactericidal concentration of 8 mg/mL which might be due to the presence of high saponin content (9 %) in the leaves. The investigation also suggests the possible use of E. mallotiformis as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent.