Abstract

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECT OF BYRSOCARPUS COCCINEUS SCHUM. AND THONN. (CONNARACEAE) ROOT

*Kossivi Dosseh, Tchazou Kpatcha, Yao Adjrah, Kokou Idoh, Amegnona Agbonon,Messanvi Gbéassor

Abstract

Byrsocarpus coccineus newly known as Rourea coccineus is used in Traditional African Medicine for the treatment of sore, stomatitis, swellings, tumour and wounds. The objective of this study is to explore the anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic effects of ethanolic extract B. coccineus root bark (EEBc). B. coccineus root bark was extracted in ethanol 95°. The anti-inflammatory activity of EEBc was studied using carrageenan, formaldehyde and histamine induced rat paw edema test at different doses (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg body weight). Analgesic activity was assessed by heat induced pains (tail immersion model) and antipyretic activity was assessed using brewer’s yeast-induced pyrexia model. DPPH free radical scavenging is used for determining antioxidant activities. Oral administration of EEBc at 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg significantly reduced carrageenan, formaldehyde induced paw edema and 800 mg/kg significantly (p < 0.05) reduced histamine induced paw edema. In brewer’s yeastinduced pyrexia and tail immersion method also EEBc showed significant antipyretic and analgesic activities. In DPPH free radical scavenging test, IC50 value for EEBc (9,33 ± 0,05 μg/mL) was comparable to that of quercetin (8,57 ± 0,15 μg/mL). The total phenolic content was 424,70 ± 0,29 μg EAG/ mg extract. These findings suggest that B coccineus root bark ethanolic extract possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive and antipyretic potentials, which support its use in traditional medicine and that the plant would be useful for the sportsmen.

Keywords: Byrsocarpus coccineus, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, DPPH radical.