title: Acute toxicity, brine shrimp cytotoxicity, anthelmintic and relaxant potentials of fruits of Rubus fruticosus Agg.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rubus fruticosus is used in tribal medicine as anthelmintic and an antispasmodic. In the current work, we investigated the anthelmintic and antispasmodic activities of crude methanol extract of fruits of R. fruticosus on scientific grounds. Acute toxicity and brine shrimp cytotoxicity activity of the extract were also performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Acute toxicity study of crude methanol extract of R. fruticosus was performed on mice. In vitro Brine shrimp cytotoxicity assay was performed on shrimps of Artemia salina. In vitro Anthelmintic activity was tested against Raillietina spiralis and Ascaridia galli. Relaxant activities were tested on spontaneous rabbits' jejunal preparations. Calcium chloride curves were constructed to elucidate possible mode of action of the extract.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LD 50 of the extract for acute toxicity studies was 887.75 ± 9.22 mg/ml. While CC 50 of the extract for Brine shrimps cytotoxicity assay was 13.28 ± 2.47 μg/ml. Test samples of crude methanolic extract of R. fruticosus (Rf.Cr) at concentration 20 mg/ml showed excellent anthelmintic activity against Raillietina spiralis. Anthelmintic activity was 1.37 times of albendazole against the Raillietina spiralis at concentration 40 mg/ml. At higher concentration (40 mg/ml), Rf.Cr has 89. 83% parasiticidal activity. The mean EC50 relaxation activity for spontaneous and KCl-induced contractions was 7.96 ± 0.1 and 6.45 ± 0.29 mg/ml, respectively. EC 50 (Log[Ca++]M) for control calcium chloride curves was -1.75 ± 0.01 vs. EC 50 -1.78 ± 0.06 in the presence of 3.0 mg/ml of Rf.Cr. Similarly, EC 50(Log[Ca++]M) in the absence and presence of verapamil (0.1 μM) were -2.46 ± 0.01 and -1.72 ± 0.02, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The anthelmintic and relaxant activities explained traditional uses of R. fruticosus on scientific grounds. Relaxant activity follows the inhibition of voltage gated channels. Although the plant extract has cytotoxic effects, yet it is evident from acute toxicity study that it is safe in concentration 100 mg/kg. Further work is required to isolate pharmacologically active compounds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. niazpharmacist@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Niaz
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Umer
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Aleem
authors.forename: Syed Wadood
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Ali Shah
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Junaid
authors.forename: Ghayour
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Waqar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Mehreen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001156:Artemia / Q000187:drug effects; D001197:Ascaridia / Q000187:drug effects; D001681:Biological Assay; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits; D027824:Rosaceae / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D003603:Cytotoxins; D010276:Parasympatholytics; D010936:Plant Extracts