MATERIALS AND METHODS
Plant material collection and extraction
The leaves of Acanthus ilicifolius were collected from the Sundarbans (Mangrove Forest) and were identified by the experts of Bangladesh National Herbarium, Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh (Herbarium number- 31382). A voucher specimen is deposited in Pharmacy Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh. About 400 g of dried powdered material was taken in a clean, flat-bottomed glass container and soaked in 1000 ml of 80% MeOH for 7 days accompanying occasional shaking and stirring. The whole mixture then underwent a coarse filtration by a piece of clean, white cotton material. Then it was filtered through filter paper. The filtrate thus obtained was evaporated by using a rotary evaporator to get a viscous mass. The viscous mass was then dried to get the extract (yield: 7.5% w/w). The extract thus obtained was used for phytochemical and pharmacological screening