Anti-inflammatory and analgesic potentials of Eleucine indica

Abstract

Abstract The plant Eleucine indica has a long ethnobotanical history because of its use in the treatment painful and inflammatory conditions. This study was aimed at investigating the antiinflammatory and analgesic activities of ethanolic extract of the whole plant in mice. The antiinflammatory activity was studied using carrageenin, egg albumin and xylene as phlogistic agents. The analgesic investigation was carried out against acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin-induced pain and hot-plate test. The extract (200 -600 mg/kg) showed significant (p< 0.05 -0.001) dose-dependent reductions in the mouse paw oedema caused by carrageenin, egg albumin and ear oedema induced by xylene. Mice pretreated with the extract (200 -600 mg/kg) showed a significant (p<0.05 -0.001) dose -dependent reduction in hind paw-licking caused by formalin, dose-dependent and significant (p< 0.001) reduction in acetic acid-induced abdominal constrictions and stretching of the hind limbs and a dose-dependent and significant (p<0.001) increase in the latency response in the hot plate test. These results taken together, show that E. indica extract has anti-inflammatory and analgesic potentials that can be exploited in the management of pain and inflammatory conditions