Effects of Aqueous Extract of Phyllanthus muellerianus Leaves on Castor Oil-induced Diarrhoeal Rats

Effects of Aqueous Extract of Phyllanthus muellerianus Leaves on Castor Oil-induced Diarrhoeal Rats

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death and globally the numbers of cases of cancer are increasing gradually. There are several medicines available in the market to treat the various types of cancer but no drug is found to be fully effective and safe. The major problem in the cancer chemotherapy is the toxicity of the established drugs. However plants and plant derived products have proved effective and safe in the treatment and management of cancers. These days most of the research work on cancer drugs is targeted on plants and plants derived natural products. Many natural products and their analogues have been identified as potent anti-cancer agents and day by day the anti-cancer property of various plants is being identified. Here an attempt is being made through this review to highlights the natural products and their analogues established as anti-cancer agents and the new plant species identified with anti-cancer properties either in vivo or in vitro.Aqueous extract of Phyllanthus muellerianus (Phyllanthaceae) leaves was screened for its constituents. Antidarrhoeal property of the extract at the doses of 12.50, 25 and 50 mg/kg body weight was also evaluated using models, such as castor oil-induced diarrhoeal, intestinal transit and enteropooling. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of cardenolides (0.33%), cardiac glycosides (0.51%), flavonoids (0.16%), saponins (1.21%), tannins (0.68%) and triterpenes (0.08%), while alkaloids, anthaquinones, phlobatannins and steroids were not detected.