Abstract

The bioactive constituents as well as the anti-inflammatory and anti-depressant activities of the methanol `extract of Trichosanthes cucumerina whole plant were evaluated to ascertain and validate its medicinal use. The bioactive constituents were qualitatively analyzed using standard methods while the formalin-induced paw edema model was used for the anti-inflammatory activity. The force swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) were used for the anti-depressant activity. The yield of the crude extract was 5.76%. The qualitative analysis of the phyto-constituents revealed the presence of saponins, phenolic compounds, tannins, terpenoids, eugenols, flavonoids and alkaloids. Steroids were however not detected. The administration of graded doses (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) of the extract to Albino Wistar rats in the FST showed anti-depressant activity by a significant (p < 0.01) reduction in the duration of immobility in the treated groups, at a dose of 50 mg/kg (96.40%), when compared with the control. The TST elicited a depression inhibition of 64.20% at a dose of 50 mg/kg, which closely compares with the inhibition produced by the standard, amitriptyline administered at 10 mg/kg. In the anti-inflammatory test, the paw thickness of the experimental animals reduced from the initial 3.03 mm to 2.83 mm (after 4 hours) at an optimum dose of 50 mg/kg which compared favourably with the reduction produced by the standard acetyl-salicylate. Therefore T. cucumerina is a pharmacologically and ethnomedically important plant.