Extraction and Fractionation of Prokinetic Phytochemicals from Chrozophora tinctoria and Their Bioactivities

Arshad Iqbal; Ayaz Ali Sher; Naveed Muhammad; Syed Lal Badshah; Abdul-Hamid Emwas; Mariusz Jaremko

doi:10.3390/molecules27134321

Extraction and Fractionation of Prokinetic Phytochemicals from Chrozophora tinctoria and Their Bioactivities

Molecules. 2022 Jul 5;27(13):4321. doi: 10.3390/molecules27134321.

Authors

Arshad Iqbal¹, Ayaz Ali Sher¹, Naveed Muhammad², Syed Lal Badshah³, Abdul-Hamid Emwas⁴, Mariusz Jaremko⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Botany, Islamia College University, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan.
² Department of Pharmacy, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200, Pakistan.
³ Department of Chemistry, Islamia College University, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan.
⁴ Core Laboratories, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Smart-Health Initiative (SHI) and Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Chrozophora tinctoria is an annual plant of the family Euphorbiaceae, traditionally used as a laxative, a cathartic and an emetic. A methanolic extract of Chrozophora tinctoria (MEC) whole plant and an n-butanol fraction of Chrozophora tinctoria (NBFC) were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to detect the phytochemicals. MEC and NBFC were tested for in vitro anti acetylcholinesterase (AChE) potential. The effect of both samples on intestinal propulsive movement and spasmolytic activity in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) was also studied. About twelve compounds in MEC and three compounds in NBFC were tentatively identified through GC-MS. Some of them are compounds with known therapeutic activity, such as toluene; imipramine; undecane; 14-methyl-pentadecanoic acid methyl ester; and hexadecanoic acid. Both NBFC and MEC samples were checked for acute toxicity and were found to be highly toxic in a dose-dependent manner, causing diarrhea and emesis at 1 g/kg concentration in pigeons, with the highest lethargy and mortality above 3 g/kg. Both the samples of Chrozophora tinctoria revealed significant (p ≤ 0.01) laxative activity against metronidazole (7 mg/kg) and loperamide hydrochloride (4 mg/kg)-induced constipation. NBFC (81.18 ± 2.5%) and MEC (68.28 ± 2.4%) significantly increased charcoal meal intestinal transit compared to distal water (41.15 ± 4.3%). NBFC exhibited a significant relaxant effect (EC₅₀ = 3.40 ± 0.20 mg/mL) in spontaneous rabbit jejunum as compared to MEC (EC₅₀ = 4.34 ± 0.68 mg/kg). Similarly, the impact of NBFC on KCl-induced contraction was more significant than that of MEC (EC₅₀ values of 7.22 ± 0.06 mg/mL and 7.47 ± 0.57 mg/mL, respectively). The present study scientifically validates the folk use of Chrozophora tinctoria in the management of gastrointestinal diseases such as constipation. Further work is needed to isolate the phytochemicals that act as diarrheal agents in Chrozophora tinctoria.

Keywords: Chrozophora tinctoria; acetylcholinesterase inhibitor; acute toxicity; laxative; spasmolytic.

MeSH terms

Animals
Constipation / chemically induced
Constipation / drug therapy
Diarrhea / chemically induced
Diarrhea / drug therapy
Euphorbiaceae* / chemistry
Laxatives* / pharmacology
Phytochemicals / pharmacology
Phytochemicals / therapeutic use
Plant Extracts / chemistry
Rabbits

Substances

Laxatives
Phytochemicals
Plant Extracts

Grants and funding

We are thankful to King Abdullah University of Science and Technology for their financial support.