ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF ETHANOL LEAF EXTRACT OF Hymenodictyon floribundum (Hochst. & Steud) B. L. Rob IN RATS IS NOT DUE TO THE INHIBITION OF PROINFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS PRODUCTION

Hymenodictyon floribundum is a common shrub in Africa that has been used traditionally in the treatment of pain and inflammatory diseases. In this study, the anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanol leaf extract of Hymenodictyon floribundum (EEHF) in rats was studied following phytochemical screening and LD50 determination. The inflammatory activity of EEHF (375, 750 and 1500 mg/kg p.o) was evaluated using carrageenan-induced inflammation model in rats. The preliminary phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, saponins, steroids glycosides, anthraquinones and phenols. The oral median lethal dose (LD50) of the extract in rats was found to be greater than 5,000 mg/kg body weight. The result of this research revealed the ability of the extract to significantly (p<0.05) reduce paw oedema at the highest used doses, thus supporting the ethnomedicinal claims of the plant for the management of inflammatory conditions.