Isolation of Quercetin and Anticonvulsant Properties of Ethanol Extract Derived from Stem of Tragia involucrata Linn. (Euphorbiaceae)

Indian and Sri Lankan traditional medicines make the use of Tragia involucrata Linn., a plant belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family. This study aimed to isolate the bioactive flavonoid quercetin from the ethanolic extracts of stem of T. involucrata and evaluate its anticonvulsant effects. The ethanolic extracts from the plant underwent a thorough phytochemical analysis using column chromatography and TLC techniques. The isolated chemical was examined using mass spectrometry, UV, FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, etc. The LD50 of the ethanolic extract was obtained using the acute toxicity assessments. Albino rats were subjected to convulsions induced by MES and lithium pilocarpine to evaluate the anticonvulsant effectiveness. The ethanolic extract of the stem diminishes the maximum electroshock (MES)-induced phases of flexion, hindlimb extension, clonus and stupor during convulsions. Lithium-pilocarpine convulsions were evaluated against a diazepam group and a control group and has shown anticonvulsant activity.