Muhammad Naseer

The genotoxic and antioxidant activities of methanolic and chloroform extracts of Schweinfurthia papilionacea (L.) Boiss was assessed using a comet assay on human lymphocyte genomic DNA and a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging assay. The genotoxic activity of S. papilionacea showed that the methanolic extract exhibited dose-dependent genoprotection, i.e. 60.5 at 75 mg 100mL-1 and 103.6 at 100 mg 100mL-1, while the chloroform extract exhibited dose-dependent genoprotection, 92.2 at 75 mg/100mL and 109.7 at 100 mg 100mL-1. The antioxidant activity revealed that the methanolic extract of S. papilionacea showed the highest antioxidant activity (63.36 %) at 150 mg mL-1, while the chloroform extract of S. papilionacea exhibited the highest (% ) antioxidant activity (58.42 % ) at 150 µg mL-1, but less than the standard drug ascorbic acid (AA) (78.35 % ). The present results showed that S. papilionacea possess genoprotective and antioxidant properties and can be used to treat several diseases. However, further studies are also needed to understand the radical-scavenging and metal-chelating activities of plants in a concentration-dependent manner.

Medicinal plants are dynamic reservoirs of bioactive molecules, offering immense potential for novel therapeutic discoveries. This study explores the phytochemical and antimicrobial potential of Curio radicans through detailed qualitative, quantitative, and HPLC analysis. Phytochemical screening revealed the ethanolic extract to be particularly rich in alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, tannins, lipids, and phenols, whereas the ethyl acetate extract showed higher concentrations of phenolics and flavonoids. Quantitative estimations confirmed that the ethanolic extract possessed significantly higher levels of alkaloids (7.76 mg/g), flavonoids (7.60 mg/g), and tannins (10.32 mg/g) compared to the ethyl acetate extract (3.51, 1.33, and 2.56 mg/g, respectively). HPLC profiling further supported these findings, identifying abundant phenolic acids and flavonoids with well-documented pharmacological relevance. The ethanolic extract contained catechin, fumaric acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid, and salicylic acid, while the ethyl acetate extract was enriched with vanillin, protocatechuic acid, ellagic acid, caffeic acid, and p-coumaric acid. Antimicrobial assays demonstrated remarkable dose-dependent inhibition against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with Escherichia coli being highly susceptible (17.40 ± 1.15 mm). Fungal strains, particularly Aspergillus niger, also showed significant sensitivity (15.27 ± 0.39 mm). Collectively, these results validate the ethnomedicinal importance of C. radicans and underscore its potential as a natural source of bioactive compounds for pharmaceutical development.

The phytochemical composition and biological activities of whole plant extracts of Trigonella hamosa and Alocasia odora were investigated through gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) profiling and in vivo bioactivity assays. GC–MS analysis revealed a diverse range of bioactive compounds in both ethanolic and methanolic extracts. The ethanolic extract of T. hamosa contained 29 phytoconstituents, with 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (18.62%), benzoic acid (12.47%), and several fatty acids being predominant. Its methanolic extract identified 24 compounds, including 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (15.33%), methyl β‐ d ‐galactopyranoside (11.25%), and benzoic acid (9.47%). A. odora ethanolic extract showed 16 compounds, with benzyl nitrile (14.92%), benzoic acid (12.13%), and 1,2,3‐benzenetriol (10.74%) as major components, whereas the methanolic extract revealed 19 compounds, including benzoic acid (13.81%), 1,2,3‐benzenetriol (11.32%), and sulfur‐containing compounds. Both plants’ extracts exhibited significant analgesic, anti‐inflammatory, and antispasmodic effects. In acetic acid‐induced writhing tests, methanolic extracts of T. hamosa and A. odora reduced writhing by 71.6% and 68.4%, respectively, compared to control. In carrageenan‐induced paw edema, a dose‐dependent inhibition was observed, with methanolic extracts showing 63.2% ( T. hamosa ) and 59.7% ( A. odora ) edema reduction at the highest dose. Similarly, in charcoal meal tests, methanolic extracts reduced intestinal transit by 65.1% and 60.8%, respectively. Overall, the methanolic extracts of both plants demonstrated superior bioactivity across all tested models, highlighting their potential as natural therapeutic agents for managing pain, inflammation, and gastrointestinal disturbances.

Natural substances play a crucial role in modern medicine by targeting cellular pathways associated with diseases. Medicinal plants, rich in bioactive compounds, offer promising therapeutic potential. This study examines the phytochemicals and biological activity of Curio radicans extracts. Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry analysis identifies 29 compounds in the ethanolic extract and 7 in the ethyl acetate extract. The ethanolic extract contains 3,4‐Bis (Methoxycarbonyl)furan (15.76%) and 4‐Imidazolidinone (14.17%), while the ethyl acetate extract is dominated by Diisooctyl phthalate (49.25%). Genoprotective activity, using the comet assay on human lymphocytes, demonstrates significant dose‐dependent reductions in H ₂ O ₂ ‐induced DNA damage. The ethyl acetate extract reduces total comet score (TCS) from 265.3 ± 20.4 to 33.0 ± 4.3 at 100 mg/100 mL ( p < 0.0001), outperforming the ethanolic extract, which reduced TCS from 226.7 ± 41.6 to 44.0 ± 7.2 ( p < 0.001). Antioxidant activity, assessed via the DPPH method, reveals moderate activity for the ethyl acetate extract (72.61 ± 1.65%, IC ₅₀ : 137.58 μg/ml) and lower activity for the ethanolic extract (67.52 ± 0.44%, IC ₅₀ : 156.52 μg/ml). These findings underscore the therapeutic potential of C. radicans , particularly the ethyl acetate extract, which demonstrates genoprotective effects. Researchers should focus on isolating active compounds and exploring their potential in drug development.

Bioactive compounds of medicinal plants, including polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, and alkaloids, are essential sources for developing analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antidiarrheal drugs. In the current study, secondary metabolites were assessed through phytochemical screening and GC-MS analysis whereas analgesic activity was carried out through hot plate (HP) and acetic acid-induced method (AAI), anti-inflammatory through paw edema model (PEM), and antispasmodic activity via charcoal meal test (CMT) using ethyl acetate and ethanolic extract of Ziziphus mauritiana var. spontanea and Oenothera biennis. The phytochemical screening revealed that the ethyl acetate and ethanolic extracts of Z. mauritiana and O. biennis were rich in alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, steroids, triterpenoids, and saponins. GC-MS analysis of Z. mauritiana and O. biennis of ethyl acetate and ethanolic extract showed the existence of many bioactive substances at various retention durations (min). These included pharmacologically active compounds such as heptadecane, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, hexadecanoic acid, and tetradecanoic acid. The results of the HP method revealed that ethanolic and ethyl acetate extracts of Z. mauritiana and O. biennis at 300 mg/kg increased basal reaction time significantly ( ) after 90 min. The results of the AAI method revealed that the ethanolic and ethyl acetate extract of Z. mauritiana and O. biennis showed significant ( ) peripheral analgesic activity at the dose of 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight. The dosage of 100, 200, and 300 mg/kg body weight of the ethyl acetate and ethanolic extracts of Z. mauritiana and O. biennis showed significant ( ) anti-inflammatory activity. According to PEM, the ethanolic extract of O. biennis showed the highest reduction in paw volume (73.3%) at 300 mg/kg. The results of CMT revealed that ethanolic and ethyl acetate extract of Z. mauritiana and O. biennis significantly ( ) inhibited charcoal movement at 300 mg/kg. The maximum percent inhibition (67.2%) was shown by ethyl acetate of O. biennis at 300 mg/kg. From the present study, it can be concluded that ethanolic and ethyl acetate extracts of Z. mauritiana and O. biennis have the potential to manage inflammation, pain, and diarrhea-related problems mainly at a higher dose, i.e., 300 mg/kg. The presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, steroids, triterpenoids, and saponins might be among the responsible bioactive constituents. These plants showed significant medicinal and therapeutic efficacy which are novel. However, further studies are required to investigate the mechanism responsible for the activity.

Background: Chaerophyllum villosum (Ganjari) and Achillea millefolium L. (Yarrow) are highly medicinal plants widely used in both folk and official medicine. Materials and Methods: The analgesic activities of C. villosum and A. millefolium were evaluated by hot plate method and acetic acid-induced writhing test, the anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated by carrageenan-induced paw oedema method and antidiarrheal activity was carried out by charcoal meal test. Results: The quantitative phytochemical analysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of both plants showed several phytoconstituents including alkaloids, phenols, tannins, flavonoids, saponin, terpenoids with highest concentration of Tri tetracontane (7.52%) and methyl stearate (8.5%) in methanolic and chloroformic extract of C. Villosum respectively. Octadecanal (6.21%) and n-hexadecanoic acid (10.6%) were showing maximum concentration in methanolic and chloroformic extract of A. millefolium respectively. The chloroformic extract of A. millefolium showed higher (25.33 ± 4.72) peripheral analgesic activities at 300 mg/kg. The chloroformic extract of Chaerophyllum villosum exhibited higher (11.56 ± 0.15) central analgesic activities at 300 mg/kg. In antidiarrheal activity the methanolic extract of Chaerophyllum villosum highly (17.06 ± 1.5) inhibited charcoal movement at 300 mg/kg. In anti-inflammatory activities the chloroformic extract of Chaerophyllum villosum at 300 mg/kg showed high inhibition in the paw volume (1.09 ± 0.04) after 5 hours of induction of carrageenan. Conclusion: The results suggested that Chaerophyllum villosum and Acheilia millefolium exhibited significant peripheral and central analgesic activity, anti-inflammatory and antidiarrheal activity which elucidated its use in the treatment of pain, inflammation and gastrointestinal disorders.

Background: Methanolic and chloroformic extract of Achillea millefolium and Chaerophyllum villosum were evaluated for HPLC analysis, genotoxic and antioxidant potential. Materials and methods: Genotoxic activity was carried out on human blood lymphocytes via comet assay and antioxidant activity was studied through DPPH method. Results: The genotoxic potential of A. millefolium and C. villosum’s methanolic and chloroformic extract was analysed using comet assay technique. Comet shaped human lymphocytes cells were observed when treated with different concentrations (50 mg/mL, 75 mg/mL, 100 mg/mL) of methanolic and chloroformic extract of both plants. Reading was taken on the basis of damaged DNA head and tail length. Greater the length of tail as compared to head, greater will be the damage and vice versa. Total comet score was obtained from A. millefolium subjected to different concentrations. After a time interval of 24 h both the extract showed dose dependant genoprotection with maximum genoprotectivity at 98.7 ± 12.7 and 116 ± 5.3 at 50 mg/100 mL for methanolic and chloroformic extract respectively. Similarly Total Comet score was obtained from C. villosum subjected to different concentrations of methanolic and chloroformic extract. After 24 h exhibited dose dependent genoprotection with maximum protectivity at 85.7 ± 22.0 and 101.7 ± 8.6 at 50 mg/100 mL for methanolic and chloroformic extract were determined. The antioxidant activity revealed that methanolic extract of A. millefolium showed highest antioxidant activity (84.21%) at 300 mg/ml after 90 min while the chloroformic extract of C. villosum exhibited highest (68.46%) antioxidant activity (59.69%) at 300 µg/ml after 90 min but less than the standard drug ascorbic acid (88.72%). Quantitative phytochemical screening revealed high percentage of alkaloids (27.4%), Phenols (34.5%), Flavonoids (32.4%) as compared to Tannins (12%) in methanolic extract of A.millefolium. While high percentage of alkaloids (31.4), Phenols (19.3%), Flavonoids (35.5%) as compared to Tannins (16.6%) in chloroformic extract of C. villosum. Conclusion: The present results showed that A. millefolium and C. villosum possess a number of important compounds and revealed genoprotective property which may be used to treat several genetic disorders such as alzeimer’s disease in future (Grodzicki W, Dziendzikowska K, Antioxidants 9(3):229, 2020).