PRELIMINARY IN VIVO EVALUATION OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITIES OF AQUEOUS AND ETHANOLIC WHOLE PLANT EXTRACTS OF PHYLLANTUS FRATERNUS ON CARRAGEENAN-INDUCED PAW OEDEMA IN SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS

Abstract

Medicinal plants represent potential sources for the discovery of new anti-inflammatory agents. Aqueous and ethanolic whole plant extracts of Phyllanthus fraternus were evaluated in vivo for their anti-inflammatory activities on carrageenan-induced paw oedema in Sprague-Dawley rats. The extracts were also screened for phytochemicals. Some of the phytochemicals found in the extracts have previously been implicated as anti-inflammatory agents. The LD50 of both extracts was investigated and found to be greater than 5000mg/kg. The extracts at doses 100mg/kg and 200mg/kg showed modest anti-inflammatory activity in a dose dependent manner. The aqueous extract demonstrated better inhibition of paw oedema compared with the ethanolic extract at 200mg/kg after 4hrs. The activity of the standard drug, indomethacin at 25.0 mg/kg was significantly higher (p< 0.05) than those of the extracts. The results suggest that whole plant extract of P. fraternus possess anti-inflammatory activity and will be useful in the search for novel anti-inflammatory agents.