INTRODUCTION:

The plant Abutilun indicum belongs to Family malvaceae. It is Erect velety temntose under shrubs, stems round, frequently tinged with purple. Leaves ovate to orbicular-cordate, flowers solitary on jointed penduncles, orange-yellow or yellow, capsules hispid, hardly larger than the calyx, erect, seeds 3-5, reniform tubercled or minutely stellate-hairy, black or dark brown. Whole plant used as a febrifuge, anthelminitic and an anti-inflammatory properties and it also reported urinary tract problems , bark astringent and diuretic ¹. Seeds of this plant used in piles as laxative, expectorant leaves demulcent locally applied to boils and ulcers, root demulcent and Diuretic in fever, urethritis, leaves and flowers are used as an emollent².

In folklore medicines, most of the medicinal plants are taken in the form of beverages prepared by soaking either the leaves or the whole plants in boiling water. Plants medicines were commonly used for traditional treatment of some renal diseases and a lot of plants are reported to show significant activities and might be a precious tool used in pathology treatment.

The plant Abutilun indicum sweet known in Hindi as atibala, found thought tropics and subtropic reasons of india, the chemical constituents present in the plants are fructose, galactose, leucine, histidine, gossypetin-8,and 7-glucosides, petals contain cyaniding-3-rutinoside, gossy petin-8-glucoside, p-hydroxy benzoic acid, caffeic acid³.

PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES

Diuretic Activity:

The diuretic activity of 70% hydro alcoholic extract of Abutilon indicum flowers was studied. The extract showed a dose dependent significant diuretic effect at higher doses (250 and 500 mg/kg) only, compared to control group, with extract, whereas the extract at 100 mg/kg dose failed to exhibit diuretic property. Diuretic effect of test extract was found to be less potent than the reference standard drug, frusemide (20mg/kg)⁴.

Hepatoprotective:

The aqueous extract of Abutilon indicum was tested for hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride and paracetamol induced hepatotoxicities in rats. The plant exhibited significant hepatoprotective activity by reducing carbon-tetrachloride and paracetamol induced change in biological parameters that was evident by enzymatic examination. The plant extract may interfere with free radical formation, which may conclude in hepatoprotective action. A. indicum showed significant hepatoprotective activity against carbon tetrachloride and paracetamol, comparable with the standard silymarin^5,6.

Hypoglycemic Activity:

Alcohol and water extract of Abutilon indicum leaves (400mg/kg, p.o.) shows significant hypoglycemic effect in normal rats 4 hours after administration (23.10 % and 26.95% respectively). Aqueous extract was also found very potent to reduce blood glucose level⁷.

Immunomodulatory activity:

The whole fine powder of the plant at a dose of 500mg/kg body weight, when compared to the control group showed statistically highly significant rise in modulatory behavior in all models^8,9.

Analgesic activity:

Pet ether extract and benzene extract were found to posses very good analgesic activity⁶. Fixed oil of the plant when given in doses of 400 and 600mg/kg exhibits good analgesic potential. Eugenol (4-allyl 2methoxy phenol) isolated from Abutilon indicum found to posses significant analgesic activity^10,11.

Antimicrobial activity:

Abutilon indicum extracts (fruits, root and leaf) does not show any significant inhibition against microorganisms Bacillus cereus var mycoids, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtillis, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermis, Escherrchia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, pseudomonas aeruginosa, Steptococcus faecalis, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, Saccharomyces cerevisiae⁹. The absence of activity against above strains shows that plant is lacking antimicrobial activity. The screening of the seeds of Abutilon indicum (L.) shows Mycelial inhibition (%) against Absidia ramos and Aspergillus niger by 6.97 and 37.25 respectively¹².

Antimalarial activity:

Beta-sitosterol isolated from the petroleum ether extract of leaf of Abutilon indicum showed mosquito larvicidal Activity¹³.

Anti-diarrhoeal activity:

The study revealed that, the methanolic extract and the aqueous extract possessed significant anti-diarrheal activity in Castor oil induced diarrhea and prostaglandin E2- induced diarrhea, compared to the control group¹⁴.

Wound healing activity:

The ethanolic extract of Abutilon indicum at a dose of 400mg/kg shows exhibited significant wound healing activity. The contraction of excision wound promotes from 4th day of treatment till 16th day. The epithelliza-tion of wound with ethanolic extract shown as much earlier as compared with control and standard (Silver Sulphadiazine) group¹⁵.

Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitory Activity:

The roots extract of Abutilon indicum was found to inhibit ACE in water, ethanol (96%), acetone by 18%, 1%, and 9% respectively¹⁶.

Larvicidal activity:

Larvicidal activity of crude hexane, ethyl acetate, petroleum ether, acetone and methanol extracts of Abutilon indicum were assayed for their toxicity against the early fourth-instar larvae of Culex quin quefasciatus. All extracts showed moderate larvicidal effects, however the highest larval mortality was found in petroleum ether extract of Abutilon indicum. Bioassay-guided fractiona-tion of Abutilon indicum led to the separation and identification of a beta-sitosterol as a potential new mosquito larvicidal compound with LC50 value of 11.49, 3.58 and 26.67 ppm against Aedes aegypti , Anopheles stephensi Liston and C. quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera:Culicidae), respectively. The Results showed that the petroleum ether extract of Abutilon indicum may be considered as a potent source and beta-sitosterol as a new natural mosquito larvicidal agent¹⁷.

Anti diabetic Activity:

A study was carried out to evaluated ant-diabetic effects of the aqueous extract derived from the Abutilon indicum Sweet plant and to explore its effects on intestinal glucose absorption and insulin secretion. Administration of the extract (0.5 and 1 g/kg body weight) in an oral glucose tolerance test led to a significant reduction in plasma glucose levels in 30 minutes after the administration in moderately diabetic rats, as compared with untreated rats (P < 0.05), and this was at a faster rate than the use of an anti-diabetic drug, glibenclamide. The inhibition of glucose absorption through the small intestine was investigated using an everted intestinal sac. The results showed that the extract at concentrations of 0.156 to 5 mg/mL caused a reduction of glucose absorption in a dose response manner. The maximum response was noted at a dose of 2.5 mg/mL¹⁸.

Antiulcer Activity:

The antiulcer activity was performed using models such as aspirin and pylorus ligation, ethanol induced and acetic acid induced ulcer model. The effect of the extract on volume of gastric content, pH, total and free acidity using the aspirin and pylorus ligation model were also evaluated. From the result, it was observed that the treatment with Abutilon indicum leaf extract significantly reduced the ulcer index (P<0.001) in alcoholic and aqueous extracts compared to that of control group in aspirin and pylorus ligation, alcoholic and acetic acid induced ulcer model at a dose of (400 mg/kg, p. o). Famotidine at a dose of (20 mg/kg) was used as standard drug. The model of gastric acid secretion showed a reduction in volume of gastric content, increased in pH, free and totalacidity¹⁹.

Lipid Lowering Activity:

Lipid lowering effect of the successive extracts of the leaf of Abutilon indicum (L.) was evaluated in triton and diet induced hyperlipidemic models of wistar albino rats. The ethanolic and water extract at 400 mg/kg dose levels inhibited the elevation in serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels on Triton WR 1339 administration rats. The extracts at the same dose level significantly attenuated the elevated serum total cholesterol and triglycerides with an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats²⁰.

Anti-convulsant Activity:

Anticonvulsant activity of Abutilon indicum leaf extracts was investigated using Pentylene tetrazole (PTZ) and Maximum Electro Shock (MES) induced convulsions in wistar rats. In PTZ induced convulsions, 100 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of ethanolic extract was found to increase the onset of clonic convulsions and decreased onset of tonic seizures and thus exhibited a significant anti-convulsant effect. In MES induces seizures, 100 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of ethanolic as well as aqueous extracts showed significant protective effect by increasing the onset of clonic convulsion time and decreasing extensor time as compared to control group. This anticonvulsant effect was attributed to linoleic acid and/or flavonoid constituents present in the extracts²¹.

Anti-estrogenic Activity:

The anti-estrogenic effect of methanolic extracts of Abutilon indicum on uterotropic and uterine peroxidase activities in ovariectomized rats was studied. This extract was found to cause significant suppression of enzyme activity as well as uterotropic response induced by estradiol, whereas in the group, not treated with estradiol, a marginal stimulation in peroxidase activity was observed. These changes in peroxidase activity suggested that Abutilon indicum must be a highly potent estrogen antagonist with an extremely low degree of estrogenicity²².

In-vitro Anti Arthritic Activity:

Water soluble extract of Abutilon indicum (Linn.) was studied by testing three in-vitro parameters: protein denaturation, membrane stabilisation and protease inhibition. Abutilon indicum at doses (100 and 250mg/ml) provided significant protection against denaturation of proteins and hypotonic saline induced RBC membrane damage. It also exhibited significant antiprotease activity. This finding justifies its usefulness in management and treatment of inflammation associated diseases like arthritis²³.

Anti-Arthritic Activity:

The various extracts of Abutilon indicum were investigated for its anti-arthritic activity in In-vitro studies in male albino rats. The evaluation of anti-arthritic activity was carried out using Freund’s adjuvant induced arthritis model. Methotrexate (0.75 mg/kg bw) was used as standard drug. The methanolic extract of Abutilon indicum exhibited significant anti-arthritic activity. Treatment with Abutilon indicum 400 mg/kg showed significant reduction in paw volume on both 7^th and 14th day. Reference standard Methotrexate also showed similar result in this regard. Abutilon indicum 100 and 200 mg/kg were found to be insignificant in reducing paw volume²⁴.

Antimycotic Activity:

Antimycotic activity of the components of Abutilon indicum (Malvaceae) is reported by Rajalakshmi Padma Vaira vasundaram and coworkers. The screening for the antimycotic activity was performed by testing minimum inhibitory concentration and disc diffusion method. The results of present work reported that methanolic extract of leaves of Abutilon indicum shows remarkable antifungal activity against Trichophyton Rubrum²⁵.

Anti-inflammatory and Anti-asthmatic activity:

Anti-inflammatory and Anti-asthmatic activity was reported by Archana N. Paranjape and co-workers by carrying out various experimental studies. Abutilon indicum showed significant anti-inflammatory activity when estimated using carageenan induced rat paw edema model. The results of this study indicated that possible mechanism of action of Abutilon indicum in the treatment of bronchial asthma is its mast cell stabilizing and anti-inflammatory Activity²⁶.

Antifungal Activity of A. indicum:

A new steroidal compound 20, 23-dimethylcholesta-6, 22- dien-3β-ol has been isolated from the stem tissues of A. indicum. The structure of the compound was elucidated by spectral and chemical studies. The compound was found to be 100% effective at 5000 ppm in controlling the mycelial growth of Aspergillus terreus var. aureus and Aspergillus parasiticus var. globosus using the poison food technique. For other fungi like A. versicolor, A. flavus, and A. fischeri, it was fungistatic ²⁷.

Phytopreventive antihyperlipidemic activity of Abutilon indicum:

50% hydro ethanolic extract prepared by hot maceration of Abutilon indicum was significant in lowering cholesterol and triglycerides levels in plasma. As regard to the effect HDL-chelsterol level, in this result showed no significant effect on the level of this lipoprotein fraction in 50% hydro alcoholic extract. Plasma LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol level were significantly reduced in extract treated groups of A. indicum . This plant extract was unable to cause reduction in atherogenic index, No significant was observed in HDL ratio in the group treated with 50% hydro ethanolic extract.

In vivo antioxidant studies were also performed using liver and heart homogenates from each group. The plant also caused significant reduction in TBARS level in both liver and heart homogenates²⁸.

CONCLUSION :

From the present review, it can be concluded that very exhaustive work has been done on the plant but there is still need for research work on the pharmacological aspects, adverse effects and absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion studies on human beings, there is a need to explore its maximum potential in the field of medicinal and pharmaceutical sciences for novel and fruitful applications.

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Received on 01.09.2016 Modified on 13.09.2016

Res. J. Pharmacology & Pharmacodynamics.2016; 8(4): 171-174.

DOI: 10.5958/2321-5836.2016.00031.8