Anti inflammatory and antipyretic activities of the methanol leaf extract of Acacia ataxacantha D.C.(Leguminosae) in mice and rats

Acacia ataxacantha (Leguminosae) has been reported to be used in traditional medicine for management of pain and inflammation. The present study was designed to evaluate the anti inflammatory and antipyretic activities of methanol leaf extract of Acacia ataxacantha in rats. The acute toxicity study was carried out using Lorke method (1983). The doses (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight of the extract) selected for the study were based on the calculated LD50. Anti- inflammatory activities were investigated using the carragenaan and albumin induced paw edema, while the antipyretic activity was evaluated using yeast induced pyrexia method. With respect to the negative control (group 1), the carragenaan induced inflammation produced a dose dependent significant (p ≤ 0.05) reduction of inflammation at 200 and 400 mg/kg (3rd h) while a significant (p ≤ 0.05) reduction in oedema was observed at doses of 100, 200 and 400mg/kg (4th h). Similarly there were significant inhibitions (p ≤ 0.05) of inflammation at the 20th, 40th, 60th and 120th minutes post extract administration in albumin induced hind-paw inflammation. The data obtained from the antipyretic study showed no significant effect. These findings suggest that the extract may contain bioactive compounds that possess anti-inflammatory activities, thus supporting the ethno-medical use of the plant in the management of painful inflammation.Keywords: Acacia ataxacantha, Inflammation, Pyrexia, Carragenaan, Albumin, Yeas

Comparative Neuropharmacological Activities Methanolic Extracts of Leaves and Roots of Cissus Cornifolia in Mice

Comparative neuropharmacological efficacy of the leaf and root 70 % methanol extract of Cissus cornifolia was studied in mice. The extractive values of the leaf and root methanol extract was found to be 31.5 g with yield of 12.6 %(w/w) and 37.8 g with the yield of 15.12 %(w/w) respectively. The acute toxicity (LD50) values in mice were found in leaf and root extracts as 2154.1 and 1131.4 mg kg-1 bd. wt. (i.p.) respectively. The sedative properties on the CNS of both the leaf and root extracts were studied employing diazepam-induced sleep, motor coordination, and exploratory behavioural test in mice. Both extracts potentiated the diazepam-induced sleeping time with markedly higher duration of sleep at 600 mg kg-1 bd. wt. (213.8 ± 27.5) exhibited by leaf extract. There was generally appreciable variation in the activities expressed by the leaf extract compared to that of the root in all the other tests conducted. Thus, at 300 mg k-1 bd. wt. the leaf extract revealed 5.3 ± 0.7 while the root had 8.0 ± 0.8 as mean number of head-dips in mice. The mean duration of beam walk was found to be 6.88 ± 0.71 and 4.72 ± 0.28 expressed by the leaf and root extract respectively at the same dose of 300 mg k-1 bd. wt. in mice. This work further confirms our earlier report on sedative effects of this plant as used traditionally against mental problems