Screening of Icacina trichantha extracts for pharmacological activity.

Some preliminary studies were conducted on the biological activities of Icacina trichantha in mice. In vitro tests performed with the 70% ethanol, petroleum ether and aqueous extracts of tubers, roots, stems and leaves did not show contraction of isolated guinea pig ileum up to a bath concentration of 40.5 mg/ml. Graded oral doses (100, 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg) of the aqueous extract of tubers produced wet faeces in mice with the number of wet faeces increasing with increasing dose up to 400 mg/kg. A time-course study of the purgative effect showed the maximum purgative response to be 7-8 h after oral dosing. The aqueous extract of tubers significantly potentiated pentobarbital-induced loss of righting reflex at a dose of 80 mg/kg i.p. but this dose did not protect mice from strychnine or leptazole convulsions and death.