Anti-inflammatory Activity of Drymaria cordata Extract

The anti-inflammatory activity of the aqueous extract of Drymaria cordata was evaluated using the carrageenan, egg albumin, xylene induced oedema models and pleurisy test. The extract (100 - 800mg/kg) administered 1 h before induction of swelling in rat paw, by carrageenan and egg albumin injection, produced a significant (P < 0.05) dose dependent inhibitory effect. This effect was greatest at the dose of 400mg/kg giving 73.66% and 63.69% levels of inhibition for the carrageenan and egg albumin models, respectively. In the xylene test, Drymaria cordata also elicited a dose dependent inhibition of ear oedema development, which reached a peak (61.39%) at the dose of 800mg/kg. The effect of indomethacin (10mg/kg; p.o) was lower in this respect (55.45%). The extract (400 and 800mg/kg) reduced the volume of pleural exudates and number of migrated leukocytes in the carrageenan induced pleurisy test. Greater inhibitory effect was observed at the dose of 400mg/kg (53.74% and 44.00% decrease in exudates volume and leukocytes count, respectively). The effect of indomethacin was higher in respect of volume of exudates (65.99%) but same in the case of leukocytes count (44.00%). The results obtained in this study suggest that the aqueous extract of Drymaria cordata possesses anti-inflammatory activity mediated possibly by the inhibition of one or a combination of mediators like histamine, serotonin, kinins and prostaglandins.