Biological screenings of two araceous plants growing in Bangladesh

Abstract

Two Bangladeshi medicinal plants from Araceae family, Alocasia indica and Steudnera virosa, have been investigated for their in vitro thrombolytic, membrane stabilizing antimicrobial activities and generalized toxicity. The total phenolic content was also determined and expressed in gallic acid equivalent. The membrane stabilizing activity was assessed by heat and hypotonic solution induced methods. The carbon tetrachloride soluble fraction (CTCSF) of A. indica and aqueous soluble fraction (AQSF) of S. virosa demonstrated strong membrane stabilizing activity. Different extractives of A. indica and S. virosa showed moderate thrombolytic activity. Among the two plants, the methanoic crude extract and its chloroform soluble partitionate of S. virosa revealed moderate inhibition of microbial growth. In brine shrimp lethality bioassay, the pet-ether and carbon tetrachloride soluble fractions of A. indica and the crude extract and its pet-ether soluble fraction of S. virosa were found to be as lethal as Vincristine sulphate after 24 hours observation on shrimp nauplii.