@article{Ukwubile_Nettey_Malgwi_Menkiti_2022, title={Ruellia simplex C. Wright (Acanthaceae): Antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic activities of a novel fatty acid isolated from its leaf extract}, volume={3}, url={https://ijpbp.com/index.php/ijpbp/article/view/57}, DOI={10.29228/ijpbp.13}, abstractNote={<p><em>Ruellia simplex</em> is a medicinal plant whose leaf is used to treat pains, inflammation, and diabetes in Nigeria. The current study was undertaken to determine the antinociceptive (analgesics), anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic activities of a novel fatty acid isolated from the leaf extract of <em>R. simplex</em>. Isolation of a novel fatty acid from the most active fraction was carried out on silica gel column chromatography while, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic activities of the isolated compound were evaluated by acetic acid, carrageenan, and alloxan-induced animal models respectively. The chemical structure of the new compound was elucidated by FT-IR, NMR, GC-MS, and LC-MS. The isolated fatty acid showed inhibition of pains by decreasing abdominal writhing in mice in dose dependent fashion as well as reduced paw volume in the carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats at IC<sub>50</sub> = 12.5 ± 1.08 μg/ml and 10.21 ± 1.02 μg/ml, respectively, whereas the antidiabetic activity showed a dose dependent reduction in blood sugar levels with IC<sub>50</sub> = 6.02 ± 0.01 μg/ml. The compound showed the following features: R-COOH functional group at 3327 wavelength cm<sup>-1</sup> by FTIR; EI-MS [M]<sup>+*</sup> at <em>m/z</em> 467, peak area 62.231% and RT 14.086 min by GC-MS; singly charged fragments at <em>m/z</em> 116.1 and <em>m/z</em> 465.1, RT 1.31 min by LC-MS and eight proton signals consisting of singlets and multiplets (<sup>1</sup>H), thirty carbon atoms (<sup>13</sup>C) NMR data. From the study, the novel fatty acid from <em>R. simplex</em> extract was potentially active for the treatment of pains, inflammation, and diabetes.</p>}, number={1}, journal={International Journal of Plant Based Pharmaceuticals}, author={Ukwubile, Cletus Anes and Nettey, Henry and Malgwi, Troy Salvia and Menkiti, Nnamdi David}, year={2022}, month={Oct.}, pages={32–40} }