Title:Pharmacognostical, Physicochemical Evaluation, and In Vitro Anti-obesity Investigation of Citrullus colocynthis Linn. Fruits from Western Haryana
Volume: 3
Issue: 1
Author(s): Vinesh Dahiya*, Neeru Vasudeva, Sunil Sharma and Ashok Kumar
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar, Haryana, India
Keywords:
Colocynth, pharmacognostical, physicochemical, mycotoxins analysis, microbial contamination, anti-obesity.
Abstract:
Background: Cucurbitaceae family plants have been widely used as traditional medicines
for the prevention and treatment of many ailments. Citrullus colocynthis Linnaeus also known as Colocynth,
is a bitter plant commonly found growing in sandy deserts around the world, and it grows
naturally in the Western Haryana region. Fruits of this plant have been utilized traditionally for various
medicinal purposes, like as an appetite suppressant, hypoglycemic, diuretic, laxative, anthelmintic,
and for treating renal stones.
Objective: The objective of this study is to carry out the in vitro anti-obesity investigation, pharmacognostical
studies, heavy metal and pesticide residue analysis, microbial contamination, and mycotoxins
evaluation of the Citrullus colocynthis fruits for establishing their quality, safety, efficacy, and
purity standards.
Methods: Fresh fruits were collected and taxonomically authenticated. The pharmacognostical characteristics
of the intact and powdered fruits were identified and qualitative and quantitative phytochemical
evaluation was performed. Physicochemical evaluation, heavy metal and pesticide residue
detection, microbial contamination, and mycotoxins analysis were performed as per WHO guidelines
2011. In vitro inhibition activities for pancreatic lipase and α-amylase enzymes were carried out as per
standard procedures and IC50 values were recorded.
Results: The pharmacognostical standards viz. macroscopy, microscopy and physicochemical parameters
were laid, and the drug was declared free from microbial contamination and mycotoxins. Heavy
metal analysis and pesticide residue detection revealed that their presence was below toxic levels. The
Powder microscopy, microbial contamination, mycotoxin evaluation, and pesticide residue of the Colocynth
fruits are novel findings. The IC50 values (μg/ml) for pancreatic lipase inhibition for aqueous
and ethanolic extracts were found to be 21.27±1.25 and 34.35±1.86, and for α-glucosidase, the values
were 271.12±2.64 and 283.21±3.06, and for α-glucosidase, the values were 295.67±2.92 and
306.15±3.44 respectively. Thus, the fruit extracts showed significant in vitro anti-obesity potential.
Conclusion: Pharmacognostical and physicochemical studies prove to be useful in reducing commercial
adulteration of the crude drug by assuring their purity and identity and this could further help in
improving the quality of formulations incorporating it. The results of various standardization parameters
could be used for designing the monograph of the crude drug. The fruits were found to be fit for
therapeutic consumption and their extracts have shown good pancreatic lipase inhibition. The in vitro
anti-obesity investigation findings of the fruit extracts can further be explored in-vivo for evaluating
their therapeutic efficacy.
