Phyto-physicochemical, acute and subacute toxicity studies of Garcinia lanceifolia Roxb.- A rare ethnomedicinal plant of Assam, India

Abstract

Garcinia lanceifolia; a small, glabrous, evergreen tree found in Northeast India belonging to the Clusiaceae family; has long, acuminate, lanceolate and fleshy leaves; tetramerous and polygamous inflorescence with both male and hermaphrodite flowers. A recent study has claimed that the bark contains antinociceptive, antihyperglycemic, and membrane stabilising activities. However, no reports on the pharmacognostic details and toxicity of the bark are reported. The bark was collected, dried and subjected to conventional organoleptic, microscopic evaluation, physicochemical evaluation and TLC methods. The powdered crude drug was examined for its physicochemical, fluorescence and microscopic characteristics. The extracts obtained after hot Soxhlet extraction were screened for their phytochemical constituents and the TLC fingerprints were also established. The toxicological profile of the hydroalcoholic extracts of G. lanceifolia, through acute and subacute toxicity tests, were performed. Male and female rats (Wistar) received 5000 mg/kg of hydromethanolic extract of G. lanceifolia (HAEGL) for the acute toxicity test and 500, 1000, 1500 or 2500 mg/kg of HAEGL for subacute toxicity test. This is the first study for the bark of G. lanceifolia which will serve as a standard for quality control and assurance thereby promoting further insights and conclusive studies on this plant.