Abstract

AN EVALUATION OF ALOE VERA FOR ITS ACUTE ANTIINFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY IN RAT PERITONITIS MODEL

*Dr Bhuvana K.B, Dr Hema N.G

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the antiinflammatory activity of aloe vera in albino rats and to compare the anti-inflammatory activity of aloe vera with a standard Antiinflammatory drug indomethacin in formalin induced peritonitis model. Methods: Anti inflammatory model used in the present study was formalin induced peritonitis model . The animals were randomly divided into 3 groups of 6 each. One group would serve as control and would receive 2% gum acacia suspension orally (without drug). Other two groups would receive drug indomethacin and Aloe vera extract orally. Each rat was fed with respective drug, Anti-inflammatory activity was expressed as Percent inhibition (PI). Statistical analysis was performed using One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Scheffe’s post hoc test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The PI with indomethacin and Aloe vera in formalin induced peritonitis were 63.809% and 47.619%. Indomethacin and Aloe vera showed significant anti-inflammatory activity. After four hours of induction of inflammation, with the peritoneal fluid analysis of control groups showed increased leukocyte and neutrophil count where as group which was treated with Indomethacin and Aloe vera showed reduced number of total leukocytes and neutrophils. Conclusion: The result in this study suggests that aqueous extract of Aloe vera has antiinflammatory activity comparable to standard drug indomethacin. Aloe vera, thus can be a promising anti-inflammatory agent.

Keywords: Anti-inflammatory; Aloe vera; Indomethacin ; Formalin ; Peritonitis.