Objective: The uses of medicinal herbs in prevention and treatment of numerous diseases attracting attention of scientists worldwide. It is necessary to bring vital healthcare to the people and the better substitute for various infectious diseases. Ruta graveolens is traditionally used as a medicinal plant as well as a flavoring agent in food. In the present study R. graveolens leaves extracts were evaluated for phytochemical and anti-inflammatory activity.Methods: The phytochemical, antioxidant (DPPH), ferrous reducing antioxidant property, Anti-lipid peroxidation and superoxide scavenging activity of extracts were assayed by spectrophotometerically. Anti-inflammatory activities; Human plural fluid phospholipase A2 (HPF-PLA2) inhibition by egg yolk plate method and lipoxigenase (LOX) inhibition were assayed by IN VITRO method.Results: The phenolics were significantly higher than the flavonoids, saponins and alkaloids contents in all the extracts. Among extracts of R. graveolens, ethanol and water extracts exhibits more phytochemicals. The ethanol extract had the highest antioxidant activity followed by the aqueous extract. The ethanol extract shows highest DPPH free radical scavenging, ferric reducing, superoxide scavenging and anti-lipid peroxidation activity and IC50 was 3.27±0.03, 3.58±0.05, 3.87±0.04 and 4.77±0.04 µg/µl respectively at dose-dependent manner. Further ethanol and water extracts were subjected for LOX inhibition in the concentration dependent manner and IC50 values are 4.25±0.05, 5.15±0.05 µg/µl for 5-LOX and 4.15±0.04, 4.66±0.05 µg/µl for 15-LOX respectively.Conclusion: The result shows R. graveolens has strong antioxidant property and anti-inflammatory activity. It suggests that the strong correlation between antioxidant activity and the phytochemical contents of the extracts.Keywords: HPF, Human Pleural Fluid, Anti-inflammatory, sPLA2, Secretory Phospholipase A2, HPF-PLA2, Human Pleural Fluid-PLA2. LOX Lipoxigenase, Lipid peroxidation, Anti-inflammation
