Abstract

Phytochemical screening of fifteen secondary metabolites and neuropharmacological activity, including cytotoxic, analgesic, and anxiolytic or central nervous system (CNS) depressant properties of Acampe papillosa (Lindl.) Lindl, an epiphytic, medicinally important orchid species, has been evaluated for its medicinal potential for neurological activity. Secondary metabolites profiling includes alkaloids, anthroquinone, coumarin, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, fixed oils, fats and phenols, glycosides, phlobatannins, protein, quinine, saponins, steroids, tannins, and terpenoids were assessed, where 99% tests gave positive results. As part of a neuropharmacological study, cytotoxic potentiality was evaluated following brine shrimp lethality bioassay and 100% lethality was observed in 200 µg/ml concentration of leaf, stem, and root. The LC50 values of leaf, stem, and root extracts were correspondingly 45.40, 32.74, and 18.82 µg/ml. The analgesic property of the root showed the highest inhibition (59.02%) in a 400 mg/kg dose, where the standard caused an 84.63% reduction of writhing movement. The one-way ANOVA indicates that there is a significant difference between the treatments. CNS depressant activity of the leaf exhibited the highest number (35±2.89) of head dipping in the 400 mg/kg dose, where the lowest (26.67±1.33) was in the 200 mg/kg dose of the root. The findings support that this orchid species can be an important source of new drug improvement for neurological disorders.

Key words: Acampe papillosa, phytochemical screening, neuropharmacological assays.