Journal of Natural Remedies

Olufunmilayo O. Adeyemi , Abidemi J. Akindele , Ndubuisi Nwaubani

Abstract

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.

Keywords

Drymaria cordata, Anti-inflammatory Activity, Oedema

Full Text

   

Adejuwon A. Adeneye , Esther O. Agbaje , Olufunmilayo O. Adeyemi

Abstract

This study evaluates the haematopoietic and immunostimulatory activity of the seed aqueous extract of Hunteria umbellata (K. Schum) Hallier f. (HU) in normal and cyclophosphamide-induced pancytopaenic Wistar albino rats for 28 days. Results showed that oral pre-treatment with 50-200 mg/kg/day HU cause significant (p<0.05, p<0.01) dose related increases in haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), total leucocyte count (TLC) and lymphocyte differential (%lymp) in normal rats. Also, HU significantly (p<0.05, p<0.01, p<0.001) attenuated the cytotoxic effect of cyclophosphamide on the measured haematological parameters in the cyclophosphamide-treated rats, with 200 mg/ kg/day HU offering the greatest protection. Thus, results obtained in this study suggest that HU possesses haematopoietic and immunostimulatory activity mediated possibly by promoting haematopoiesis through enhanced DNA synthesis/repair.

Keywords

Hunteria umbellata (K. Schum) Hallier f., Haematopoietic and Immunostimulatory Activity, Cyclophosphamide, Wistar Rats

Full Text