Abstract

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF CALOTROPIS GIGANTEA

Abstract

Calotropis gigantea, commonly known as milkweed or swallow-wort, is a common wasteland weed (Singh et al. 1996). Calotropis belongs to Asclepiadaceae or Milkweed or Ak family which includes 280 genera and 2,000 species of world-wide distribution but most abundant in the sub-tropics and tropics, and rare in cold countries. Calotropis gigantea Linn. (Asclepiadaceae) a widely growing plant has been reported to possess number of medicinal properties. The aim of the present study was to screen leaves of Calotropis gigantea to study & compare Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Anti-inflammatory & wound healing Activity of Calotropis gigantea Linn. Calotropis gigantea, with ethanolic extract. It has been reported as a traditional folk medicine for a variety of aliments. The stages of wound healing are inflammatory phase, proliferation phase, fibroblastic phase and maturation phase. Extract treated animals exhibit 83.42 % shows the Anti-inflammatory area when compared to controls which was 76.22 %. The extract treated wounds are found to epithelize faster as compared to controls. The plant C. gigantea is also used in some parts of India for wound healing in combination with other plants. However there are no scientific reports on wound healing activity of the plant C.gigantea. The oral administration of 400mg/kg of C.gigantea and 300 mg/kg of C.gigantea were showed significant anti-inflammatory activity more than that of 100mg/kg of Ibuprofen. This study also proved the greater anti-inflammatory action due to the effect of C. gigantea with Acetyl Choline than Acetyl Choline alone.

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