Phytochemical Analysis and In-vitro Anti-inflammatory Activity of Proboscidea louisianica Leaf Extract Using HRBC Membrane Stabilization Assay

This research work involves investigation of the phytochemical composition and anti-inflammatory properties of Proboscidea louisianica leaf extract. Fresh leaves were collected, authenticated, shade-dried, and subjected to Soxhlet extraction using n-hexane as the solvent. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of steroids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, glycosides, proteins, and amino acids, while carbohydrates were absent. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using the human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane stabilization method, with diclofenac sodium as the standard reference drug. The n-hexane extract demonstrated dose-dependent membrane stabilization effects at concentrations of 100, 200, 300, and 400 µg/mL, showing 67.85%, 76.71%, 83.28%, and 91.57% protection, respectively. These results were comparable to the standard drug diclofenac sodium, which exhibited 86.79%, 89.78%, 93.79%, and 96.76% protection at similar concentrations. The significant membrane stabilization effect of the extract suggests its potential as an anti-inflammatory agent, possibly due to the presence of beta-sitosterols and other bioactive compounds