In-vitro Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Potential Evaluations of Methanolic Extract of Cassia Sophera L., A Phytochemical Screening

Cassia sophera L. (Caesalpiniaceae) is a medicinal plant of Bangladesh and Indian sub continent, which is widely used as folk medicine for the treatment of many diseases. The aim in the present study was to screen the phytochemical profile and pharmacological activities of methanolic extract of Cassia sophera L leaves. Because each part of Cassia sophera L. has different constituents, the pharmacological effects of the plant vary according to the part of the plant evaluated. To investigate pharmacological activities DPPH scavenging assay and HRBC membrane stabilization methods were done for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential respectively. The phytochemical analysis of methanolic extract of plant leaves showed that they contained significant presence of flavonoids, phenols, saponins, terpenoids and triterpenes. Alkaloids, glycosides and tannins are also moderately present. Quantitative evaluations show significant presence of phenols than tannin content. The pharmacological studies revealed that the plant extracts may have significant antioxidant effect which is probably mediated by inhibition of DPPH free radical, which is responsible for oxidation. The IC50 values by DPPH scavenging assay observed for standard and leaves were 98.30µg/ml & 487.79µg/ml respectively. There is also moderate anti-inflammatory activity. The IC50 values for anti-inflammatory activity by standard and leaves were 22.47 µg/ml and 832.22 µg/ml respectively. These findings suggest that this plant may be a possible source for the development of a new drug.