Pharmacological Profiles of Different Solvent Fractions of Annona Squamosa Leaves

Abstract

Annona squamosa, a species from the Annonaceae family, is well-known in the multiple indigenous communities in Bangladesh because of its foods and medicinal value. The study aimed to explore the pharmacological potentials and phytochemical analysis (total phenolic content) of A. squamosa leaves. The crude methanolic extract (CMESF), and its consecutive fractions, namely petroleum ether-soluble fraction (PSF), dichloromethane-soluble fraction (DSF), and ethyl acetate-soluble fraction (ESF) were generated for the investigation. Among them, the ESF fraction showed the highest phenolic content (24.24 mg GAE/g), followed by PSF (16.87 mg GAE/g), DSF (15.29 mg GAE/g), and CMESF (0.96 mg GAE/g). For the evaluation of thrombolytic activity, ESF demonstrated the highest clot lysis (44.46 %), followed by PSF (26.45 %), CMESF (25.55 %), and DSF (24.66 %). Moderate membrane stabilizing potency has been revealed by the extractives. Among them, the DSF fraction exhibited the highest heat-induced hemolysis (74.78 %), while at hypotonic solution-induced hemolysis, it showed 27.02 % inhibition. In cytotoxicity assay by brine shrimp lethality bioassay, the PSF exhibited the highest lethality (LC₉₀ = 0.751 μg/ml), followed by DSF (1.720 μg/ml), and ESF (2.179 μg/ml). The outcomes indicated that the A. squamosa leaves have pharmacological potential which needs further in vivo validation and genomic studies along with isolation and characterization of its corresponding bioactive molecules.

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 29(2): 290-297, 2026 (July)