European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Extracts from natural products, especially plants, have served as a valuable source of diverse molecules in many drug discovery efforts and led to the discovery of several important drugs. Lepidagathis pungens Nees., (L.pungens) is a herb of tropical Asia belonging to the family Acanthaceae. The present study deals with the in vitro anticancer activity of ethanolic extract of L.pungens against L6, Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma (EAC), human breast cancer cells ( MCF 7), human cervical cells (He La) and human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (Hep G2). MTT assay was used to assess the in vitro anticancer activity. The extract at various doses were treated against all the cell lines. The parameters analyzed were percentage of cytotoxicity, percentage of cell viability and IC50 values. In results the ethanolic extract of L.pungens showed more potent activity against MCF 7 and EAC cell lines but moderate activity against He La and Hep G2 cell lines. The anticancer nature of the ethanolic extract is due to the presence of phytoconstituents like flavanoids, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, terpenoids, etc. However, further indepth studies are required before final conclusion on the mechanisms involved could be drawn to explain the observed activity. In conclusion, the ethanolic extract of L.pungens possess anticancer activity against various types of cancer cells, correlated to their total phenolic content.

Inflammation is a natural immune process caused by physiological disturbance in the body. The characteristic signs of inflammation are redness, heat, swelling, pain and loss of function. This whole process is a protection mechanism produced by the body following any injury.
But sometimes this also ends up harming the body. For such times drugs are needed to suppress this condition, they are called anti inflammatory drugs. NSAIDs are the widely used drugs of choice. Examples are aspirin, diclofenac, mefenamic acid etc. But the prolonged use of these drugs is also known to produce side effects. Many plants are said to contain phytoconstituents that possess anti inflammatory activity. Since plants are natural, easily available and produce little to no side effects, they are believed to be a safer source of cures or drugs.
The aim of this review is to determine the state of knowledge on medicinal plants and their antiinflammatory activity. This review discusses how plants may be used in medicine for their anti inflammatory activity.