Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic Effects of Aqueous Extract of Aloe Vera (<i>Aloe barbadensis</i>) in Rats

Abstract

The anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of aqueous extract of Aloe barbadensis was investigated in rats. Formalin- induced hind paw oedema was used to assess the anti- inflammatory activity of the extract while acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing was used for analgesic activity. The results of the anti-inflammatory study revealed that 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg of the extract reduced the formalin-induced oedema significantly (P<0.05) at the beginning of 3 hours when compared to the control group. In the analgesic study, 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg of extract significantly (P<0.5) reduced the number of writhes induced by a 0.6% Acetic acid solution with an approximately 66.49%, 57.59% and 68.06% inhibition respectively. The present study showed that the aqueous extract of Aloe barbadensis has anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities that could be mediated via modulators of pain and inflammation or through central activity.

Keywords: Aloe barbadensis; anti-inflammatory; analgesic activity