Pharmacological and gross behavioral studies on Memecylon terminale Dalz, a medicinal plant from Western Ghats in southern India

Abstract

The Memecylon terminale Dalz is one of the important medicinal plants that are being used extensively by the Indian traditional healers to cure many diseases although there are no reports on the identity of the active ingredients.  This plant belongs to the family of Melastomataceae, exclusively found in the Western Ghat region of Karnataka in India. In this study, we prepared the extracts of this plant by continuous Soxhlet’s extraction using petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol. The concentrated extracts were assayed for their phytochemical constituents, and determined their antibacterial, analgesic, antioxidant and RBC protective activity. The phytochemical analysis of M. terminale Dalz extracts revealed the presence of significant levels of alkaloids and flavonoids and moderate amounts of steroids, tannins and phenols. Among the extracts, the methanolic extract of the plant, containing a good percentage of phenolics, showed a dose dependent antibacterial activity against different Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains and in addition, it was found to have a good antioxidant property and analgesic activity. M. terminale Dalz is an endemic medicinal plant found only in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, which has the ability to inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms and possessing very good antioxidant and analgesic property.  Further detailed studies are needed to identify the active principles and their relationship to biological activities.