Résumé
Aims: Dichrostachys glomerata is a plant found in the humid areas of Africa and widely used for the treatment of many ailments including rheumatism and snake bite. The present study has been undertaken to assess the analgesic and the anti-inflammatory properties of aqueous extract Dichrostachys glomerata fruit. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, Cameroon. Between January 2012 and October 2012. Methodology: Pain was induced in mice by the intraperitoneal administration of 1% acetic acid, hot plate, formalin and tail immersion test. Carrageenan and serotonin (1%) were used to induce inflammation in rat paws. Results: Dichrostachys glomerata significantly inhibited pain induced by acetic acid with a percentage inhibition of 19.4, 69.8, 33.7 and 24.3% respectively at the doses of 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg. An acute pretreatment of mice with extract significantly increased reaction time in the hot plate test with a percentage inhibition more than 68%. Formalin induced pain was also significantly inhibited after treatment of rat with the plant extract at the doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg for the neurogenic phase with percentage of inhibition of 56.14 and 61.46% respectively. The extract significantly reduced oedema induced by carrageenan injection with a PI of 72.57 and 79.85% at the doses of 200 and 25 mg/kg respectively. In contrast, a pi of 65.03% was obtained with the plant extract at the dose of 50 mg/kg on serotonin-induced oedema. Conclusion: The Results obtained showed that D. glomerata aqueous extract have both analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties and could be a potential source of new oral anti-inflammatory and/ or analgesic drug.
Résumé
Aims: The present study was designed to evaluate the antidiabetic activity of the methanol stem bark extract of Terminalia superb (T. superba), a traditionally used medicinal plant in Cameroon. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Animal Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, Cameroon and Laboratoire de Pharmacologie et Physiopathologie Expérimentales, Université Montpellier I, France. Between Ferbruary 2011 and September 2011. Methodology: In one set of experiments, repeated doses of T. superba extract (37.5– 300mg/kg, p.o.) were administrated once daily for 21 days to groups of diabetic rats. In another set of experiments, acute effect of the plant extract (37.5–300mg/kg) in diabetic rats was evaluated. Results: Following acute treatment, the plant extract produced a significant reduction in the blood glucose levels in diabetic rats. T. superba (75–300mg/kg) significantly decreased the blood glucose levels in glucose loaded rats. Oral administration of T. superba extract for 21 days resulted in a 31.43% and 21.42% significant reduction in blood glucose levels at the dose of 75mg/kg and 300mg/kg respectively. The plant extract significantly, reduced the plasma urea levels (20%) and induced a significant elevation in plasma insulin in treated rats. The extract did not significantly change elevated plasma cholesterol and triglycerides resulting from diabetic conditions. Conclusion: The antidiabetic effect of the methanol stem bark extract of T. superba seems to be a result of increase in glucose utilization due to stimulatory action on insulin release.