Macro propagation
and Assessment of the Anti-inflammatory potential of Plectranthus caninus – an in
vitro approach
Mohankumar Harshini, Soundararajan Deepa and Raju Prabakaran
Res. J. Biotech.; Vol. 20(2); 49-53;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/202rjbt049053; (2025)
Abstract
Plectranthus caninus, a member of the Lamiaceae family, possesses a range of therapeutic
properties. Despite its inability to produce seeds, this species efficiently propagates
through vegetative plant components. A recent study investigated the efficacy of
vegetative propagation of P. caninus and evaluated the anti-inflammatory properties
of an ethanolic leaf extract obtained from vegetatively propagated plants. Without
any treatment, stem cuttings of P. caninus demonstrated a successful initiation
of shoots and roots, achieving a propagation rate of 75%. Over a span of 60 days,
the plants exhibited significant growth with a maximum plant height of 37cm, shoot
length of 26.2cm and root length of 12.6cm.
The anti-inflammatory potential was assessed through the albumin denaturation assay,
HRBC membrane stabilization assay and heat-induced hemolysis assay. The ethanolic
leaf extract of P. caninus displayed maximum percentage inhibition at 200 mg/mL,
with values of 78.70 ± 0.83, 77.7 ± 0.66 and 79.8 ± 0.63 respectively. Comparative
analysis with the standard (diclofenac sodium) revealed similar results. In conclusion,
the anti-inflammatory potential found in the leaves of P. caninus holds promise
for the development of a novel plant-based anti-inflammatory drug.
