Antioxidant and Analgesic Activity of Acer laevigatum Wall, a Traditional Mizo-tribe Medicine

Abstract

Acer laevigatum is an evergreen tree growing to a height of 10–15 m or more, with a trunk up to 50 cm diameter belonging to the family Sapindaceae. In Mizoram, the decoction of the leaves is used as an external application in sprains. Extraction was carried out by drying the leaves and barks and extracted by using methanol as solvent using the Soxhlet apparatus. Preliminary phytochemical screening was carried out by methanolic extract of both leaves and barks to determine the chemical constituents present in the plant using a different phytochemical test, acute toxicity for leave and bark extract, in-vitro antioxidant activity and in-vivo analgesic activity of barks extract. Phytochemical screening was performed for both extract and it contains glycoside, saponin, phenol, tannin, flavonoid, and steroid. The antioxidant activity test of the methanolic extract of bark extract was performed successfully. In acute toxicity, the LD50 was found that for more than 2000 mg/kg body weight was safe for further uses. The total phenolic content of the bark extract contains 493 ± 0.23 mg of GAE/g and the total flavonoids content of the bark extract was 220 ± 0.034 mg of QE/g. The IC50 value of DPPH free radical scavenging activity was found to be 86.1211 µg/ml and nitric oxide was 75.9 µg/ml. Whereas, in reducing power it was found that the percentage inhibition was increased with an increase in concentration (increase in concen-tration, percentage inhibition was also increased) and reduced Fe3+ (ferricyanide complex) to Fe2+ (ferrous form). Finally, for in-vivo analgesic activity, 4000 mg/kg was more effective than 2000 mg/kg of the bark extract. These results confirm that the methanolic extract of bark of Acer laevigatum possesses antioxidant activity and non-significant or less analgesic activity.