Selective properties of various extracts from bark leaves and seeds of the snake wood tree strychnos nux vomica

Abstract

Strychnos nux vomica, family Loganiaceae is a medicinal plant used in native newlinemedicine with all its useful alkaloids. It was freshly collected from Ammapettai newlinevillage in Kancheepuram district. Scientific documentations were less available on its newlinemedicinal uses though used for curing diseases in traditional medicine. The aim of newlinepresent study was to investigate the plant and its parts antioxidant, antimicrobial and newlineanticancer property. The presence of phytochemicals such as alkaloids, oils and fats, newlinephenols, tannins, flavonoids were found and most abundantly in the leaves. newlineMethanolic extract of the plant leaves showed antibacterial activity against selected newlinemicrobial strains however the plant did not show any antifungal property. Antioxidant newlineproperty by the common DPPH assay, ABTS assay, hydroxyl radical scavenging newlineassay and Superoxide radical scavenging assay showed positive antioxidant property. newlineAnticancer activity through the chick chorio allantoic membrane (CAM) assay was newlinepositive with the extract showing antiangiogenic property with the concentration of newline5µg/ml. Compounds isolated through column chromatography underwent Infrared newlinespectroscopy, Mass spectroscopy and NMR for structure elucidation and were newlineidentified to be that of Brucine and an enol form of brucine. Strychnos nux vomica newlinehas a greater scope for the drug discovery against malicious bacteria and cancer. newlineFurther studies will throw more light on the efficacy of the plant to become a future newlinedrug. newline