Pakistani Medicinal Plants-A Potential Source for new Lead Compounds

Crude extract and various fractions thereof of four medicinal plants of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provice were screened for antibacterial, antifungal, insecticidal, phytotoxicity, cytotoxicity and enzymes inhibition activities. Their anti-inflammatory activity was also tested using in vitro and in vivo models. All the screened plant extracts showed some degree of antibacterial activity. The chloroform fraction of Valeriana wallichii and Xanthium strumarium revealed significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella flexneri, respectively. The n-hexane fraction of Valeriana wallichii showed strong antifungal activity against Microsporum canis. Chloroform fraction of Xanthium strumarium depicted 100% insecticidal activity against Callosobruchus analis. The ethylacetate and chloroform fractions of Duchesnea indica exhibited significant phytotoxicity against Lemna minor plant. The methanol extract of Valeriana wallichii and Achyranthes aspera, exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity. These extracts can be a significant source for potential new lead compounds if further investigated

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The author has done his Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D)degree from Department of Pharmacy, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan. He has completed M.Phil in Pharmaceutical Sciences, and is pursuing Ph.D Degree in the same subject.He is also working as a Lecturer in the same Department since 2007.