Mohammad Abdullah Taher,1,2 Hasin Hasnat,3 Safaet Alam,1,4 Suriya Akter Shompa,3 Mirola Afroze,2 Mala Khan,2 Chuxiao Shao,5 Shuanghu Wang,5 Peiwu Geng,5 Abdullah Al Mamun5 

1Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000 Bangladesh; 2Bangladesh Reference Institute for Chemical Measurements (BRiCM), Dhaka, 1205 Bangladesh; 3Department of Pharmacy, State University of Bangladesh, Dhaka, 1207 Bangladesh; 4Chemical Research Division, BCSIR Dhaka Laboratories, Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Dhaka, 1205, Bangladesh; 5Central Laboratory of The Lishui Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Lishui University, Lishui People’s Hospital, Lishui, Zhejiang, 323000, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Abdullah Al Mamun, Central Laboratory of The Lishui Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Lishui University, Lishui People’s Hospital, Lishui, Zhejiang, 323000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-19715780050, Email pharmaalmamun@yahoo.com

Background: Throughout history, plants have played a crucial role in advancing medicinal treatments by providing a diverse range of compounds for the development of innovative therapies. Canna indica L. a tropical herb of the Cannaceae family, also known as Indian shot, has a rich history of traditional use in treating ailments like inflammation, malaria, dysentery, fever, dropsy, and diarrhea.
Objective: This comprehensive research invesigates the extract preparation of C. indica leaves using multidisciplinary analytical approaches for this extract in order to shed light on its therapeutic potentials.
Methods: The research, an international collaboration involving researchers from Bangladesh and China, utilized GC-MS/MS analysis to identify bioactive compounds across different C. indica extracts. Biological assays were conducted to assess antimicrobial activity using the disc diffusion method (in vitro), cytotoxicity through the brine shrimp lethality assay (in vitro), analgesic effects via the acetic acid-induced writhing test (in vivo), and antidiarrheal activity with the castor oil-induced diarrhea model (in vivo). Molecular docking studies were performed to determine binding affinities with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), Dihydrofolate Reductase (DHFR), Delta Opioid Receptor (DOR), Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α), and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) receptors.
Results: The GC-MS/MS analysis identified 35, 43, 27, and 20 compounds in dichloromethane, aqueous, petroleum ether, and ethyl acetate extracts, respectively. The aqueous (AQSF) and dichloromethane (DCMSF) extracts showed notable antimicrobial activity, particularly against gram-negative bacteria. Cytotoxicity tests indicated that ethyl acetate (EASF) and dichloromethane (DCMSF) fractions were potent. Analgesic activity was highest in DCMSF, and antidiarrheal effects were dose-dependent, with DCMSF showing the greatest efficacy. Molecular docking revealed strong affinities of Ergostane-3,5,6,12,25-pentol, 25-acetate, (3.beta.,5.alpha.,6.beta.,12.beta).- for EGFR and Norgestrel for COX-2.
Conclusion: This research provides valuable insights into the bioactivity evaluation of C. indica, bridging the gap between its chemical composition and diverse biological effects. The findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge in natural product-based drug discovery and underscore the significance of C. indica as a potential source of novel therapeutic agents to treat inflammation and other disease states.

Keywords: Canna indica, GC-MS/MS, cytotoxicity, antimicrobial, antidiarrheal, analgesic, molecular docking