Investigation of some biological activities of the extracts of diospyros fischeri roots

Abstract

Diasporas has been used for quite a long time in Tanzanian Society for treatment of convulsions. The dried plant material was extracted sequentially by using solvents of different Polarities starting with dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, ethanol, and water Another fresh sample was extracted using water alone. Extracts of Dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and ethanol at the doses of 100,400 and 1600mg/kg body weight caused a dose-dependent delay of the latency to the occurrence of pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures but did not completely prevent the occurrence of the seizure. The root extracts of D. fischeri exhibited low toxicity against brine shrimps, suggesting low toxicity of the extracts.