Evaluation of Carrageenan-induced Anti-inflammatory Activity of Ethanolic Leaf Extract of Psychotria bisulcata Wight &Arn. in Wistar Rats

Psychotria bisulcata Wight & Arn. (Rubiaceae) is a shrub widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, infertility and impotence. The present research work is focused on in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity in ethanolic leaf extract of P. bisulcata. The ethanol extract was subjected to in vitro anti-inflammatory assays such as hypotonic solution-induced hemolysis, heat-induced hemolysis. The in vitro anti-inflammatory assays revealed that the ethanolic leaf extract of P. bisulcata showed a high level of inhibition in hypotonic solution-induced hemolysis in 250 µg/mL as 55.80±1.91and in heat-induced hemolysis as 62.23±4.23. The in vivo anti-inflammatory activity was assessed using the carrageenan-induced paw edema model, with diclofenac as the standard. When compared to the standard diclofenac, the ethanolic leaf extract of P. bisulcata showed considerable anti-inflammatory efficacy in a dose dependent manner, resulting in the reduction of paw edema volume. The rats treated with ethanolic leaf extract of 500 mg/kg showed better activity. The research discovers that P. bisulcata has substantial anti-inflammatory action, indicating that it has medicinal potential in the treatment of inflammatory ailments.