Page 90 - IMO-2-3

Innovative Medicines & Omics Bioactivities of Commelina diffusa

40 genera and 640 species. C. diffusa is typically an annual 2. Materials and methods
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herb with a wide range of medicinal applications. 3
2.1. Chemicals
The increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance
poses a significant global health threat, rendering many All solvents used in this study, including methanol
conventional antibiotics ineffective against resistant (Merck, Germany), petroleum ether (Merck, Germany),
bacterial strains. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics in chloroform (Merck, Germany), and Tween-80 (Merck,
Germany), were of analytical grade. Morphine (Morphine
medicine and agriculture have accelerated the emergence G) was purchased from Gonoghahsto Pharmaceuticals
of multidrug-resistant pathogens, leading to higher (Bangladesh), while diclofenac sodium and glibenclamide
treatment failures, prolonged illnesses, and increased
mortality rates. The slow pace of new antibiotic were gifts from a renowned pharmaceutical industry.
4,5
development further exacerbates this crisis, necessitating 2.2. Preparation of plant extract and partitioning
the exploration of alternative therapeutic agents.
Natural products, particularly medicinal plants, offer a The whole plant of C. diffusa was thoroughly cleaned,
promising source of novel antimicrobial compounds due chopped into tiny pieces, and allowed to air dry for a
to their diverse bioactive constituents, such as alkaloids, few days. Following a 24-h oven drying, the fragments
flavonoids, and terpenoids; these compounds often act were ground into a coarse powder using a high-capacity
through multiple mechanisms, reducing the likelihood grinding machine. Approximately 800 g of the powdered
of resistance. In addition, plant-derived antimicrobials material was cold-extracted using methanol, yielding
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often exhibit synergistic effects, enhancing therapeutic 65 g of crude extract. Solvent-solvent partitioning was
efficacy while reducing side effects compared to synthetic subsequently carried out utilizing the Kupchan method
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drugs. 7,8 as modified by Van Wagenen. Five grams of the crude
methanolic extract were dissolved in 10% aqueous
Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional methanol and successively extracted using petroleum
experience that can originate from various parts of the ether and chloroform.
body and different causes. Usually, opioids and non-
opioid drugs are used for pain relief. In most instances, 2.3. Antimicrobial activity
these analgesic drugs can only relieve half of the pain in The antimicrobial activity was assessed by evaluating
only 30% of patients. Furthermore, many of these drugs the ability of the test agents to stop the microbial growth
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may cause serious side effects. Medicinal plants may serve surrounding the discs, resulting in distinct zones of
as a natural source of potent analgesic drugs with fewer inhibition. Kanamycin (30 µg/disc; Bioprom, Greece)
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side effects. Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disorder was used as the reference antibiotic. After incubation, the
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characterized by aberrant blood glucose levels. The diameter of the zones of inhibition was measured in mm
complexity of its pathophysiology necessitates numerous using a scale and compared to the zones generated by the
approaches for effective management. Traditional reference discs.
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antidiabetic medications work well, but they also have
inevitable adverse effects. Medicinal plants might serve as 2.4. Experimental animal
an alternative source of antidiabetic substances. 12 Swiss albino mice of either sex, aged 4–5 weeks, were
Several species of the Commelinaceae family have acquired from Jahangirnagar University. They were fed
demonstrated significant bioactive potential, including with water and rodent food formulated by ICDDR, B,
antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic and maintained in standard environmental conditions.
properties. Despite the extensive traditional use of C. The study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional
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diffusa, scientific validation of its pharmacological effects Ethical Review Board (Reference number: DoP/RC/
remains limited. Previous studies have reported the EC/2022/01/01).
presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and phenolic
compounds in C. diffusa, all of which are associated with 2.5. Central analgesic activity
diverse biological activities. This study aims to evaluate Using morphine as a positive control, the tail flicking
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the antimicrobial, analgesic, and hypoglycemic activities method was used to assess the central analgesic activity. 18,19
of C. diffusa to provide scientific evidence supporting its In this method, thermal stimulus is applied to the mouse
ethnomedicinal uses. The findings could contribute to the tail, and the response time until tail withdrawal is recorded
20
development of alternative treatments for infections, pain as a measure of analgesic effect. Forty mice were
management, and diabetes, addressing the need for safer randomly assigned into eight groups (n = 5 per group). The
and more accessible therapeutic options. groups received the following treatments: control (normal

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2025) 84 doi: 10.36922/IMO025270030