Antinociceptive; anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities of Pentaclethra macrophylla aqueous extracts in mice

ABSTRACT

The aqueous leaf; stem - bark; seed and fruit pericarp extracts of Pentaclethra macrophylla were examined for their cytotoxicity; while only the leaves and seeds were tested for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities using in-vivo and in-vitro experimental models. Cytotoxicity haemagglutination assay revealed the following order of toxicity among the plant parts fruit pericarp stem - bark seed leaf with 71.4; 25.6; 5.3; and 0.5 haemagglutination titre values respectively. The extracts at 30 and 60 mg/kg exhibited analgesic activity and anti-inflammatory property using the flick and hot plate tests; acetic acid induced writhing test; and leucocyte counts; pulmonary oedema and oedema paw of mice in a dose-dependent manner. These findings therefore explain and justify ethnomedical uses of Pentaclethra macrophylla in the treatment of itching (inflammatory response) and pain in animals and in man