Anti-inflammatory property of Euphorbia hirta L. (Euphorbiaceae) extract as a function of anti-COVID-19 potential

InformationEuphorbia hirta L. (Euphorbiaceae), commonly called 'asthma plant', is a medicinal plant used extensively in traditional medicine for treating bronchial and respiratory diseases (asthma, bronchitis, and hay fever), gastrointestinal and inflammatory disorders.Recent evidence revealed the plant as a major component of an herbal formulation used by the traditional health practitioners in Southeastern Nigeria for the treatment of COVID-19 infection.Inflammation of the airways, and the resulting difficulty in breathing, are known to be associated with COVID-19.The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory activities of E. hirta extracts as a function of its potential anti-COVID-19 activity.The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using the carrageenan and egg albumin-induced rat paw oedema models respectively.The E. hirta extracts (400 mg/Kg) significantly inhibited both phases of inflammation in the carrageenan and eggalbumin models, with the ethyl acetate fraction exhibiting 53.66 % and 56.09 %, respectively in the 4th hour relative to the standard drug, which gave 46.34 %.The antiinflammatory activity of E. hirta, evidence of its efficacy against asthma and COVID-19, and the involvement of similar inflammatory mediators in both asthma and COVID-19 portray the plant as a potential source of anti-COVID-19 compounds.