title: Medicinal potential of Passiflora foetida L. plant extracts: biological and pharmacological activities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate analgesic, antidiarrhoeal and cytotoxic activities of the ethanol extract of Passiflora foetida L. (Passifloraceae) by three experimental methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analgesic activity of the ethanol extract of Passiflora foetida L. (EEPF) acetic acid-induced writhing inhibition in mice. The method of castor oil-induced diarrhoea in mice was utilized to evaluate antidiarrhoeal activity. The cytotoxic activity of EEPF was explored with a brine shrimp lethality bioassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The extract showed 68.75% and 30.00% inhibition of writhe at the doses of 500 and 250 mg/kg body weight, respectively. The extract increased the mean latent period prior to diarrhoeal onset to about 1.55 h and 1.17 h, and decreased the mean number of stools to 4.4 and 5.6 at the doses of 500 and 250 mg/kg body weight. The extract also demonstrated cytotoxic activity in the brine shrimp lethality assay, and the median lethal concentration for brine shrimp nauplii was 80 μg/mL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that the plant extract has analgesic and antidiarrhoeal activities, supporting its uses in traditional medicine. The results also demonstrate that the plant extract possesses cytotoxic activities.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh; E-mail: asadjaman@outlook.com.
authors.forename: Md
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asadujjaman
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Ahmed Ullah
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Mishuk
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Md Aslam
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna-9208, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Utpal Kumar
authors.initials: UK
authors.lastname: Karmakar
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000930:Antidiarrheals / Q000494:pharmacology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D029598:Passiflora / Q000737:chemistry*; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000930:Antidiarrheals; D010936:Plant Extracts