PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTICONVULSANT ACTIVITY OF WEDELIA CHINENSIS

The aim of the present study was to carry out phytochemical screening and anticonvulsant activity of various extracts of the whole parts of Wedelia chinensis. The extracts (Petroleum ether, Ethanolic & Aqueous) were subjected to various chemical tests in order to identify the main phytoconstituents of the plant. The results of the present investigation revealed that the ethanolic extract contains glycosides and little amount of alkaloids and flavonoids, petroleum ether extract indicates the presence of steroids and aqueous extract was rich in glycosides and saponins. The anticonvulsant activity of ethanolic and aqueous extract of whole plant of Wedelia chinensis at a dose level of 250, 500, 750 mg/kg b.w, p.o. was performed in mice by using MES and PTZ methods. Phenytoin was used as a reference compound (25mg/kg b.w, i.p). Seizures were induced by delivering electroshock of 50 mA for 2 seconds by means of electro convulsiometer through a pair of ear clip electrodes whereas in PTZ model, PTZ at the dose of 80 mg/kg was injected i.p. to induce clonic-tonic convulsions in mice. It was shown that in both models, the ethanolic extract at dose level of 750 mg/kg has shown comparable activity to that of phenytoin, where as the ethanolic extract (250, 500mg/kg) and aqueous extract (250, 500, 700mg/kg) also shows potent activity but less significant than that of the standard.