Author(s):

Jayakumar K, Meenu Krishnan VG, Murugan K

Abstract: Currently, traditional plant-based medicines for primary health care are a challenge in the field of pharmacognosy. However, the majority of herbals have not yet undergone comprehensive chemical, pharmacological and toxicological studies to investigate their bioactive compounds. Bug weed (Solanum mauritianum Scop.) is an evergreen woody species of Solanaceae, native of South America. Ripe fruits are used by the local people as vegetable during famine periods and also the fruits and leaves are used to cure various ailments. In this scenario, the present investigation was undertaken to isolate the lead alkaloid molecule from S. mauritianum and to evaluate its antioxidant potentialities. In the first phase, the crude alkaloid was isolated, purified by column chromatography yielded a bluish coloured fraction- caulophyllumine-A and was further confirmed by NMR. Further, the antioxidant activity was assayed using the DPPH radical scavenging and other assays. The IC₅₀ values ranged from 66.5 to 121 μg/ml. Protective effects of caulophyllumine-A, against H₂O₂ induced oxidative damage in plasmid pBR322 DNA was remarkable at the tested doses (μg/ml). Finally the antihemolytic potential of caulophyllumine-A was analyzed against human blood erythrocytes, whereby the % lysis of RBCs was found to be in the minimal range of 4.5 to 12.4% comparable with the control ascorbate.

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