Assessment of the therapeutic potential of Grewia asiatica L.: A correlative analysis through in-vitro and in-vivo approaches

Objective

This study was designed to appraise the phytochemical composition and pharmacological potential of different fractions from Grewia asiatica (Family: Tiliaceae) leaves by in-vitro and in-vivo assessments.

Methods

Various fractions of Grewia asiatica L. leaves were subjected to qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analyses to identify and quantify phenolics, flavonoids, and proanthocyanidins. Antioxidant activities were assessed using DPPH radical scavenging, iron reducing potential, and total antioxidant activity assays. Anti-nociceptive potency was evaluated through acetic acid-induced writhing, Eddy's hot plate, formalin-induced paw licking, and tail immersion methods at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight in Swiss albino mice. The polyphenolic profile was determined by HPLC-DAD analysis. The anti-inflammatory potential was investigated using carrageenan-induced paw edema and formalin-induced paw edema models. A heatmap correlation analysis was conducted to identify relationships between phytochemical content and pharmacological activities.

Results

The ethyl acetate fraction (EAFGA) demonstrated the highest content of phenolics (375.15 mg GAE/g dried extract), flavonoids (235.13 mg QE/g dried extract), and proanthocyanidins (367.36 mg CAT Eq/g dried extract). In the DPPH assay, chloroform and ethyl acetate fraction showed IC₅₀ values of 19.66 and 19.72 μg/mL, respectively, as compared to the standard BHT. Among the extractives, ethyl acetate fraction demonstrated the highest iron reducing capacity and total antioxidant activity. Analgesic assays revealed significant reductions (P < 0.001) in writhes and licking time, with EAFGA demonstrating 50.39 % inhibition in the formalin test, while the anti-inflammatory assay showed a significant (P < 0.001) inhibition of paw edema in the carrageenan model. Heatmap analysis showed strong correlations between phenolic and flavonoid contents with analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities, highlighting their key roles in the observed effects.

Conclusion

The study suggests that phenolic, flavonoid, and proanthocyanidin compounds contribute to the antioxidant, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities, validating the traditional use of G. asiatica in treating various ailments like removing pain and inflammation. Ethyl acetate extractive showed potential for drug development, shedding light on the need for further research to isolate bioactive compounds and clarify their mechanisms.