ABSTRACT:
The root of Heliotropium indicum is reported to have good medicinal values in traditional system of medicines. Commonly called as Indian Turnsole, is a herb with slightly woody at base. The present study deals with phytochemical investigations of Heliotropium indicum root including determination of loss on drying (3.8%), Ash values (total ash (63%), acid insoluble ash (3.5%), water soluble ash (3.2), sulphated ash (6%)) and extractive values (water soluble extractive (21%), alcohol soluble extractive (2%), benzene soluble extractive (1.5%). Petroleum Ether soluble Extractive (2.1%)). Heliotropium indicum is widely used as a traditional medicine for the treatment and control of a variety of human inflammatory ailments. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory activity of Petroleum ether and methanolic extracts of Heliotropium indicum was evaluated in albino rats induced acute paw edema model. The extracts (Pet ether and methanolic extracts) exhibited considerable anti-inflammatory activity. The extracts at the dose of 20mg/kg body weight produced a significant inhibition of inflammation compared with Ibuprofen (100 g/kg) as standard reference and normal saline as control. The antibacterial activities of the methanol extract, pet, ether, chloroform and aquous fractions of Heliotropium indicum were evaluated using the disc diffusion technique against three gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus pyogenes) and three gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella pneumoniae) using and streptomycin as reference standards. The extract and fractions have demonstrated significant antibacterial activity. The methanol extract was most potent against all the test organisms with zone of inhibition ranges from 14.0-19.0mm.