Chaetocarpus castanocarpus Bark Extract Alleviates Pain, Pyrexia, Diarrhea, Hyperglycemia, and Oxidative Stress: Evidence From Integrated In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

ABSTRACT

There is a history of using the medicinal plant Chaetocarpus genus, native to Southeast Asia, to treat a wide range of illnesses. The absence of detailed pharmacological validation for this plant is unexpected, considering its importance in ethnopharmacology. This study was supposed to conduct a laboratory evaluation of the pharmacological properties of the methanol extract of Chaetocarpus castanocarpus bark (MECCB). The MECCB was prepared by cold maceration and then subjected to phytochemical measurement (total phenolic, flavonoid, and tannin content) and antioxidant testing ([2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging]). Oral glucose tolerance tests were utilized to evaluate hypoglycemic potential, yeast‐induced pyrexia to measure antipyretic effects, castor oil‐induced diarrhea to measure antidiarrheal activity, and acetic acid‐induced writhing and formalin tests to evaluate analgesic effects in vivo. The study used standard treatments, 200 and 400 mg/kg MECCB in contrast to the control group in Swiss albino mice. At 400 mg/kg, MECCB exhibited a writhing inhibition of 73.86%, demonstrating dose‐dependent antinociceptive effectiveness. MECCB‐treated groups showed a significant reduction in fever compared to the vehicle control group. A decrease of 37.06% in intestinal motility and a reduction of 58.53% in diarrheal feces were among the antidiarrheal effects. The fast drop in glucose levels (Δ = 6.5 mmol/L) caused by hypoglycemia was comparable to the effects of glibenclamide. The IC50 of MECCB in the DPPH assay is 418.73 μg/mL, demonstrating its antioxidant activity. This activity is associated with the high amounts of flavonoids (280.143 ± 45.122 mg QE/g) and phenolics (364.917 ± 27.0159 mg GAE/g) present. MECCB's potential as a natural medication is supported by its positive effects on pain relief, fever reduction, diarrhea treatment, and glucose regulation. Additional research is needed to identify active compounds and elucidate their mechanisms.