Experimental Evaluation of Analgesic and Anti-inflammatory Activity of 80% Methanolic Leaf Extract of <i>Moringa stenopetala</i> Bak. F. in Mice

Abstract

Moringa stenopetala Bak F. is commonly used in folk medicine as a remedy to treat various ailments like hypertension, headache, stomach disorders, asthma, diabetes and malaria. However, the use of the herb for treatment of pain and inflammation has not been scientifically investigated. Thus, in this experiment 80% methanol crude extract of the leaves of M. stenopetala was evaluated for its analgesic and antiinflammatory activities using established animal models. Swiss albino mice of either sex were randomly divided into five groups (n = 6). The negative control group was orally given 0.5 ml of distilled water. The positive control received standard drug based on the respective model (morphine 10 mg//kg, acetyl salicylic acid 81 mg/kg, indomethacin 25 mg/kg). The rest of the groups were treated with 80% methanol extract of M. stenopetala leaves at doses of 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg. Animals were then subjected to a battery of tests including hot plate, tail flick, acetic acid induced writhing, and carrageenan induced paw oedema tests. The results indicate that M. stenopetala extract showed a dose-dependent significant reduction of pain in analgesia models (p<0.001) with 600 mg/kg dose producing the highest reduction. The extract significantly reduced carrageenan-induced inflammation in a dose independent manner, in which the highest reduction of inflammation was observed at 400 mg/kg. The data collectively indicate that the 80% methanol extract of M. stenopetala leaves have potential analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities against stimuli in tested animals and can be recommended for further studies.

Keywords: Moringa stenopetala, Leaves, Crude Extract, Analgesic Activity, Anti-inflammatory Activity