Abstract:
The present work was aimed to appraise the biological activities and toxic potential of medicinal
plant extracts of Ricinus communis, Datura innoxia and Croton tiglium. Different parts of
selected plants were extracted separately through different extraction techniques using methanol
which were further fractionated using polarity base solvents. The methanolic extracts as well as
fractions were assayed for antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic (hemolytic, brine shrimp) and
mutagenic (Ames) studies. The identified compounds from different plant parts were analyzed
through advanced techniques such as GC-MS, LC-MS and NMR. The proximate composition of
whole plant was also studied and variations in parameter were recorded among selected plants.
The qualitative and quantitative phytochemicals screening, were also performed that these
medicinal plants were rich source of different phytoconstituent. The biological assays showed
that selected medicinal plants exhibited considerable antioxidant potential and selected plants
extracts were also showing promising antimicrobial potential. It was also depicted from current
study that the plant extracts also have potential of DNA protective conducted on the pBR322
DNA induced by UV and H2O2. The plant extracts found to be cytotoxic as evident from
hemolytic, brine shrimp lethality and mutagenic activity by Ames test at variable levels. From in
vivo study it was proved that Datura innoxia and Croton tiglium showed significant toxicity and
developed micronucleus and also proved cellular damage against vital organs like liver and
kidney. Amino acids of selected plant seeds were also profiled in which isoleucine and
tryptophan remains undetectable among essential amino acids. Chemical compounds of selected
plants oils were identified by GC-MS which showed significant antimicrobial activity against the
selected microbial species. In LC-MS of methanolic extracts analysis wide ranges of phenolic
compounds were documented. Moreover, compounds were also purified from methanolic
extracts through column chromatography and characterized by advanced spectroscopic
techniques like 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, IR and ESI-MS, following compounds like apigenin,
ursolic acid, rutin, chlorogenic acid and ferulic acid were first time reported from these plants.
The current research study explored the selected medicinal plants in a very comprehensive
fashion and presented their different biological aspects. In future these results may be used as
foundation for large scale extraction and isolation of different bioactive compounds and their
applications. Furthermore, detailed trials are recommended including animal model and cell
lines.