Phytochemical screening for various secondary metabolites, antioxidant and anthelmintic activity of Coscinium fenestratum fruit pulp- A new bio source for the novel drug discovery

Coscinium fenestratum (Gaertn.) Colebr. (CF, Family: Menispermaceae) is an important endangered woody plant in India. The plant contains various major secondary metabolites for treatment of various disease conditions. In this present study the dried fruit pulp was subjected to aqueous, methanol and mixed aqueous and methanol (1: 1) solvents extraction followed by phytochemical investigations, estimation of alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant potentiality and anthelmintic activity was carried out. Preliminary phytochemical screening of CF fruit extracts revealed the presence of alkaloids phenols, flavonoids, tannins, steroids and resins which are responsible for biological properties. Combined aqueous and methanol extract resulted significant anthelmintic and antioxidant properties in a dose-dependent manner. DPPH free radical scavenging assay and H2O2 assay exhibited IC50 values of 42.38 ± 0.012 μg/ml and 46.80 ± 0.011 μg/ml respectively. Thereafter the anthelmintic activity was carried out against Pheretima posthuma and Taenia solium with the extract at varied concentrations of 25, 50, 100 and 150 mg/ml and compared with standard albendazole (25 and 50 mg/ml) and saline water (0.9%) as control. All the extracts exhibited concentration dependent paralytic effect, followed by death on the test organism but significant activity showed by combined methanol and aqueous extract. The findings of this study indicate first time that the CF fruit pulp has therapeutic values with prominent antioxidant and anthelmintic property in order to find possible isolated compounds as a bio sources for future novel antioxidants in food and pharmaceutical formulations.