Phytohemical Screening and Gut Motility Activity of Pongamia Pinnata Bark in Experimental Animal Models

The present study was carried out with the bark of Pongamia pinnata Linn, belonging to the family Fabaceae. It is one of the fast growing, glabrous, deciduous tree and has recently gained importance as a commercial source of furanoflavones like kaempferol, karanjin. Methanolic extract of Pongamia pinnata was subjected to phytochemical screening. Gut motility activity was produced by oral administration of castor oil. Various models used are gut motility in isolated rat intestine, propulsive gut motility in mice and laxative activity in rats. In pharmacological screening, the effect of methanolic extract of bark of Pongamia pinnata Linn was evaluated in Wistar Albino Rats of either sex (150-200g) for Gut motility activity at a dose of 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg (p.o). The extract reduced the laxative activity as well as distance travelled by the charcoal meal. The presence of anthraquinone glycosides in the plant extract is responsible for the gut motility effect. Thus from the study and literature, it can be concluded that Pongamia pinnata1 Linn have potent gut motility activity.