ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIULCER ACTIVITIES OF ETHANOL LEAF EXTRACT AND FRACTIONS OF SOLANUM ANOMALUM

Solanum anomalum leaf is used in Ibibio traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments including diabetes mellitus, malaria and ulcer. The ethanol leaf extract and fractions of Solanum anomalum were investigated for in vitro antioxidant activity using various models; 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, Ferric Reducing Power assay (FRAP) and Nitric oxide (NO) scavenging assay and antiulcer activity using indomethacin, ethanol and histamine-induced ulcer models in rats. The leaf extract and fractions exhibited significant antioxidant activity with the hexane and dichloromethane fractions demonstrating higher antioxidant potentials. The leaf extract (70-210 mg/kg) was found to significantly (p<0.05 -0.001) inhibit ulcers induced by indomethacin, ethanol and histamine in a dose-dependent fashion. These results suggest that the leaf extract of Solanum anomalum possess  antioxidant and antiulcerogenic potentials which are due to the activities of the phytochemical constituents

Anti-inflammatory and Antipyretic Activities of Panicum Maximum

Anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities of leaf extract of Panicum maximum were evaluated to ascertain the folkloric claim of its use in fevers and inflammatory conditions. The crude leaf extract (48 – 144 mg/kg) of Panicum maximum was investigated for anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities using various experimental models. The extract caused a significant (p<0.05 – 0.001) dose-dependent reduction in inflammation and fever induced by different agents used. The anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects of this plant may in part be mediated through the secondary metabolites present in the plant