Screening of Analgesic and Immunomodulator activity of Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. Leaves (Jackfruit) in Mice

Abstract

Adaptability is probably the most distinct characteristics of life which may be defined as sum of all nonspecific response of the body to any demands made upon it; fundamentally it was a physiological response; primary object of which was to maintain life and to re-establish the normal state. Analgesic and Immunomodulator activity of leaves of Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. was evaluated by using Eddy’s hot plate method and Swimming endurance test at the dose levels of 250 and 500mg/kg in Swiss albino mice respectively. The methanolic and aqueous extracts of leaves of A. heterophyllus were administered to the experimental animals among which the methanolic extract of A. heterophyllus leaves have shown to be exhibit significant analgesic and immunomodulator effect by paw licking and increasing the swimming or survival time (P<0.001) respectively in mice.

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ISSN 2278- 4136
ZDB-Number: 2668735-5
IC Journal No: 8192
Volume 1 Issue 6
Online Available at www.phytojournal.com
Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry
Vol. 1 No. 6 2013 www.phytojournal.com Page | 33
Screening of Analgesic and Immunomodulator activity of
Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. Leaves (Jackfruit) in Mice
Om Prakash *1, Jyoti 2, Amit Kumar 1, Pawan Kumar 1
1. Department of Pharmacy, Sagar Institute of Technology & Management, Barabanki, U.P. - 225001, India
[E-mail: opverma2007@gmail.com, Tel: +91-9412573776]
2. Advance Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research Kanpur, U.P. -209217, India
Adaptability is probably the most distinct characteristics of life which may be defined as sum of all
nonspecific response of the body to any demands made upon it; fundamentally it was a physiological
response; primary object of which was to maintain life and to re-establish the normal state. Analgesic and
Immunomodulator activity of leaves of Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. was evaluated by using Eddy’s
hot plate method and Swimming endurance test at the dose levels of 250 and 500mg/kg in Swiss albino
mice respectively. The methanolic and aqueous extracts of leaves of A. heterophyllus were administered
to the experimental animals among which the methanolic extract of A. heterophyllus leaves have shown
to be exhibit significant analgesic and immunomodulator effect by paw licking and increasing the
swimming or survival time (P<0.001) respectively in mice.
Keyword: Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam., Eddy's hot plate, Swimming endurance test, Analgesic, Immunomodulator
1. Introduction:
Immunomodulatory agents are used to either
suppress or stimulate the immune responsiveness
of an organism against the invading antigens.
Several plant products have been reported for
immunomodulatory activity and many
formulations of these plant products are available
to enhance the immune system. Plants are the
essential and integral part in complementary and
alternative medicine. Plants have the ability of the
formation of secondary metabolites like proteins,
flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids and phenolic
substances which are in turn used to restore
health and heal many diseases [1, 2].
Ayurveda and other Indian literature mention the
use of plants in treatment of various human
ailments. There are many plants, which are
having immunostimulatory where as other have
immunosuppressant activity [3]. The Artocarpus
heterophyllus Lam. is a species of tree of the
mulberry family Moraceae, known by other
names jackfruit. It is a large, evergreen tree, 10-
15m in height, indigenous to the evergreen forests
at altitude of 450-1,200m and cultivated
throughout the hotter parts of India. Artocarpus
heterophyllus Lam. is an important source of
compounds like morin, dihydromorin,
cynomacurin, artocarpin, isoartocarpin,
cyloartocarpin, cycloheterophyllin (C30H30O7),
artocarpesin, oxydihydroartocarpesin,
artocarpetin, norartocarpetin, cycloartinone,
betulinic acid, artocarpanone and heterophylol [4,
5] which are useful in fever, boils, wounds, skin
diseases, convulsions, diuretic, constipation,
ophthalmic disorders and snake bite etc. The
leaves are useful in fever, ulcers, boils wounds,

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Vol. 1 No. 6 2013 www.phytojournal.com Page | 34
skin diseases, antidiarrhoeal, analgesic and as
immunomodulator. The ripe fruits are sweet,
cooling, laxative, aphrodisiac, and tonic. The
seeds are sweet, diuretic, aphrodisiac and
constipating [6]. The plant is reported to possess
antibacterial [7], anti-inflammatory [8], antidiabetic
[9], antioxidant [10], antifungal [11] and
immunomodulatory properties [12].
Artocapus heterophyllus Lam. is used as a
traditional medicine as analgesic and
immunomodulator. Immunomodulator activity
has been scientifically proved in fruits whereas
analgesic activity is not scientifically proved. The
aim of the present study is to investigate its
analgesic and immunomodulator activity on
leaves of A. heterophyllus in a scientific manner
which has not been carried out so far.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1 Collection of Plant Materials
The leaves of Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam
were collected from local area of Lucknow and
authenticated from Taxonomic division of
National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow
and a voucher specimen was deposited for future
references (ref. no.: NBRI/CIF/Re./08/2008/32).
2.2 Preparation of Extracts
The leaves were washed with tap water and then
with distilled water and dried in shade. Leaves
were comminuted to powder and extracted with
methanol and water. The extracts were
concentrated under reduced pressure using
rotavapour.
2.3 Animals
Adult male Swiss albino mice weighing 20 ± 5g,
six animals per group were used for the study.
The animals were housed under standard
laboratory conditions in polypropylene cages.
Ambient temperature of 25±4°C, 55±2% relative
humidity and 12h dark and light cycle was
maintained. They were supplied with food and
water ad libitum. All groups of animals were
treated with normal saline water, standard and
test drugs for 21 days. Acute toxicity of all the
extracts was determined by LD50 values by
staircase method which was more than
3000mg/kg b.w. for the methanol and the
aqueous extracts of leaves [13]. All
pharmacological activities were carried out as per
CPCSEA norms, after obtaining the approval
(Ethical committee No.
BBDNITM/IAEC/Clear/03/2009) from the
Institutional Animal Ethical Committee of Babu
Banarasi Das National Institute of Technology &
Management, Lucknow, India.
2.4 Analgesic Activity
a. Eddy’s Hot Plate Method
The animals were divided into six groups of 6
animals each. Group I served as control. Group
VI served as standard and were injected
Diclofenac sodium (9.5mg/kg) intraperitonially.
Group II and III were treated orally with
methanolic extract of 250 and 500mg/kg body
weight respectively. Group IV and V were treated
orally with aqueous extract at a dose level of 250
and 500mg/kg body weight respectively. The
animals were individually placed on the hot plate
maintained at 55°C, one hour after their
respective treatments. The response time was
noted as the time at which animals reacted to the
pain stimulus either by paw licking or jump
response, whichever appeared first. The cut off
time for the reaction was 15 seconds [14, 15].
2.5 Immunomodulatory Activity
a. Swimming Endurance Test
Swimming endurance test was carried out on a
21st days according to method described by
standard monograph. Precaution was taken that
mice should not be at rest at any particular place
and should swim continuously. End point of the
test is considered to be the point of exhaustion,
when the animal remains floating passively in
water in an upright position, making only small
movements to maintain the head just above the
water level [16, 17].
3. Results and Discussion
The data reveals that the methanolic extract of A.
heterophyllus leaves at a dose of 500mg/kg
showed significant activity (P<0.001*, P<0.05**)
after 60 minutes. The results showed significant
analgesic activity against thermal stimuli. The

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analgesic studies revealed that the methanolic
extract of A. heterophyllus leaves exhibited
potent analgesic (central analgesic activity) and
also revealed that the extracts shows dose
dependent analgesic effect. On the basis of
swimming endurance test, the effect of
methanolic and aqueous extract of A.
heterophyllus Lam. leaves was compared
respectively. It was concluded that the methanolic
extract of leaves were having higher values with
respect to aqueous extract in increasing
swimming or survival time, hence methanolic
extract were found to exert more
immunomodulator effect than aqueous extract.
Thus, the results obtained in the present study
suggested that Artocapus heterophyllus exhibited
analgesic and immunomodulator activity and thus
supports the folk usage, it is highly desirable to
explore its mechanism of action further for
pharmacological justification to the use of the
plant extract by traditional medicine practitioners
as analgesic and immunomodulator action.
Table 1: Effect of Extracts on Pain Induced By Hot Plate
S.
No.
Groups
Eddy's hot plate, paw licking time in seconds after (Mean±SEM)
0 Min.
30 Min.
60 Min.
90 Min.
120 min
I.
Control (DMSO) 1 ml per oral
6.0±0.56
6.20±0.34
5.72±0.28
5.24±0.87
5.12±0.34*
II.
Methanolic extract (250mg/kg per oral)
6.2±0.36
12.55±0.34*
16.34
±
0.67*
15.44±0.18*
11.55±0.65*
III.
Methanolic extract (500mg/kg per oral)
6.0±0.58
19.67±0.86*
21.78±1.59*
20.53±0.78*
13.98±0.37*
IV.
Aqueous extract
(250mg/kgper oral)
6.4±0.76
10.67±0.98*
11.56±0.34*
8.98±0.67*
6.59±0.45**
V.
Aqueous extract (500mg/kg per oral)
6.5±0.46
15.89±0.45*
15.34±0.27*
11.54±0.39*
8.72±0.70*
VI.
Diclofenac Sod. (9.
5 mg/kg intra
peritoneally)
5.5±0.89
23.45±0.98*
24.52±0.65*
21.26±0.64*
18.40±0.45*
Values are expressed as mean±SEM, (n=6) (compared to control group) by using One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
followed by Newman-Keuls test P<0.001*, P<0.05**.
Table 2: Effect of Jackfruit Extracts (Methanolic and Aqueous) On Swimming Endurance
Treatment groups (oral)
Dose (on the basis of
body weight) by oral route
Mean Swimming time
(in min.)
Control (Normal Saline)
2 ml
280.60±1.39
Standard (AP
-
3000)
30 mg/kg
355.50±1.4**
Methanolic extract
250 mg/kg
318.70±0.88***
Methanolic extract
500mg/kg
329.0±0.97***
Aqueous extract
250 mg/kg
307.0±0.51***
Aqueous extract
500mg/kg
318.0±1.16***
Values are expressed as mean±SEM (n=6) One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) followed by Newman-Keuls test P*
<0.05, P**<0.01, P***<0.001.

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4. Conclusion
The above studies indicate that the methanolic
extract of the leaves of Artocapus heterophyllus
possess analgesic and immunomodulator activity
up to significant level which is justified by Eddy's
hot plate and Swimming endurance test. Further
studies are desirable to isolate the active
constituents responsible for this activity.
5. Acknowledgements
Authors are thankful to the Director, Department
of Pharmacy, Babu Banarasi Das National
Institute of Technology & Management, Dr.
Akhilesh Das Nagar, Faizabad Road, Lucknow
for allowing us to conduct animal studies.
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