Effect of fermentation on the bioactivities of the aqueous extract of Viburnum coriaceum Blume – positive as well as negative inferences on experimental basis

Abstract

Products of natural fermentation have been considered as appealing targets for the study of drug discovery as they were diverse and complex in structure and biological activities. Significance of fermentation in drug preparation, its physicochemical parameters and clinical evaluation were extensively studied. Present study was focusing on fermentative modifications in the biological activities of the aqueous extract of Viburnum coriaceum Blume. Fermented and unfermented extracts were compared for their bioactivities. Free radical scavenging assays were performed for antioxidant activity. In vitro trypsin and lipoxygenase assays for anti-inflammatory activity and inflammation induced cell lines were studied for anti-neuroinflammatory activity. Pilocarpine induced rat models were studied for antiepileptic activity. Phytochemical screening of the extracts that befits the investigation was performed before starting the experiments. When the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-neuroinflammatory activities were found to be enhanced by fermentation, antiepileptic activity on animal models was found diminished. Qualitative analysis revealed the increased concentration of some classes of phyto-constituents and disappearance of some others after fermentation. Analysis of results uncovered the fact that fermentation has both positive and negative implications on the extract bioactivity. Disappearance of phytoconstituents and their derivatization may be the reason behind the negative effect.