Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Butea monosperma Leaves

Swati Jain, Nilesh Gupta, U.K. Jain*, A.S. Raghuvanshi and Ajay Patel

Bhopal Institute of Technology and Science-Pharmacy Bhojpur Road, Bangrasia, Bhopal (M.P.), 462045

ABSTRACT:

Methanolic extract of leaf of Butea monosperma was evaluated for Anti-inflammatory activity on carrageenan induced models, in albino rats. The activity was found to be dose dependant. Overall results of this study suggest that the extract possesses significant anti-inflammatory activity.

KEYWORDS: Butea monosperma, Methanolic extract, Anti-inflammatory activity, Carrageenan.

INTRODUCTION

Inflammation is a local response of living mammalian tissues to injury. It is a body defense reaction in order to eliminate or limit the spread of injurious agent. Anti-inflammatory are the drugs or medicines used to relieve swelling, pain and other symptoms of inflammation. These used to reduce the inflammatory response to infections agents, Trauma, Surgical procedures or in musculoskeletal muscle¹. Butea monosperma, belonging to family- Papilionaceae, is widely used medicinal plant in traditional system with a wide range of biological activities.

It is a tree of moderate size found in India, Burma and Ceylon. Roots are used in night blindness and elephantiasis. Flowers are used as diuretic, astringent and in diarrhea. The bark is used as appetizer, anti-inflammatory, biliousness, as an antidote in treatment of snakebite². A review of literature did not reveal any information on the anti-inflammatory studies. Hence in the present work anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf extract of Butea monosperma was studied.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

Plant material The leaves of Butea monosperma was collected from Gairatganj District Raisen (MP) in March and authenticated in Bhopal Institute of Technology and Science-Pharmacy Bhopal. A voucher specimen has been deposited in our laboratory for further reference.

Preparation of extract Collected leaves were dried in shade and processed to a coarse powder. This powder was subjected to solvent extraction with methanol in a soxhlet apparatus. After exhaustive extraction, the methanolic extract was dried at low temperature under reduced pressure in a rotary evaporator to obtain greenish-black colored residue used for anti-inflammatory activity studies.

Anti-inflammatory activity The anti-inflammatory activity was carried out on Healthy Albino rats as per the animal ethical protocol. Animal study was performed in division of Pharmacology, Bhopal Institute of Technology and Science-Pharmacy Bhojpur Road, Bangrasia, Bhopal with due permission from Institutional animal ethical committee.

Healthy Albino rats of either sex, weighing between 100-120 gm were selected for the studies. Rats were allowed to take standard lab feed, water and ad libidum in the animal house and were maintained in clean and hygienic conditions. For carrageenan induced rats hind paw edema model, rats were divided into 4 groups containing 6 animals per group.

The control group was given a 1% sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose solution. Group II of animals received 5 mg/kg of diclofenac sodium, which was considered as standard. The experimental group III and IV were treated with 200 and 400 mg/kg of methanolic extract respectively dissolved in sodiumcarboxymethylcellulose solution. Doses were given orally with the help of an oral catheter. 0.1 ml of 1% solution of carrageenan was administered to the rats in to the planter surface of the right hind limb to induce paw edema. Paw volume was measured plethysmographically after 3 h of carrageenan injection and paw swelling in groups of treated were compared with control. Percentage inhibition of edema was calculated by using the following formula³.

% Inhibition = Vc-Vt/ Vc _* 100

Where, Vt - mean increase in paw volume in rats treated with test compounds.

Vc - mean increase in paw volume in control group of rats.

TABLE 1: Anti-inflammatory Activity of Butea monosperma leaf Extracts Against Carrageenan Induced Paw Edema in Rats

Group	Dose (mg/kg)	Mean paw volume + S.D after 3 hrs.	% Inhibition of edema
Control	10 mg/kg	0.210 + 0.0039	_
Standard	5 mg/kg	0.060 + 0.0012	71.4%
Methanolic Extract	200mg/kg.	0.156 + 0.0031*	25.71%
Methanolic Extract	400mg/kg.	0.104 + 0.0019**	50.48%

(Mean ± SEM, n = 6), P value < 0.05*

Statistical Analysis -Result were analysed by Student's t-test. The Minimum level of significance was fixed at P<0.05.

RESULT:

Anti-inflammatory activity of Butea monosperma leaf extracts against carragenan induced paw edema is shown in Table I. The methanolic extract at the dose level of 400 mg/kg body weight and diclofenac sodium at the dose of 5 mg/kg exhibit significant (P<0.05) anti-inflammatory activity whereas methanolic extract (200 mg/kg) did not show such significant activity when compared with carrageenan control.

DISCUSSION:

Apart from modern medical therapy, the use of herbal drugs in the treatment of inflammatory diseases is a common practice in many countries of Asia including India and Bangladesh. A number of medicinal plants have been reported^4-6 to be effective against inflammatory, as they are used in traditional herbal practice. In Indian system of medicine certain herbs are claimed to provide relief of pain and inflammation. Carrageenan induced inflammation is a useful model to detect oral action⁷ of anti-inflammatory agents. The development of edema⁸ in the paw of the rats after the injection of carrageenan is due to release of histamine, serotonin and prostaglandin like substance. The significant activity of the methanolic extract and the standard drug observed in the present study may be due to the inhibition of mediators of inflammation such as histamine, serotonin and prostaglandin. The present study was undertaken to find out the scientific rationale factor responsible for anti-inflammatory activity.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

The authors are thankful to Bhopal Institute of Technology and Science-Pharmacy Bhojpur Road, Bangrasia, Bhopal for providing facilities to carry out the research work.

REFRENCES:

1. Mitchell RN and Cotran RS. In.; Robinsons, Basic Pharmocology. Harcourt Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi 2000.

2. Shastry RA, Patil BS and Hukkeri VI. Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of bark extract of Butea monosperma. Indian J. Nat. Prod. 2007; 23(4): 15-16.

3. Mohammed A and Kumar S. Synthesis of some hydrazone derivatives and their anti-inflammatory activity. Indian Drugs. 2005; 42(2): 75.

4. Saba M and Aravanan P. Anti-inflammatory activity of Lawsonia inermis leaves. Indian Drugs. 2007; 44(3): 224-225.

5. Tatiya AU and Desai DG. Anti-inflammatory and nitric oxide scavenging activity of roots of Eranthemum roseum. Indian Drugs. 2007; 44(11): 815-818.

6. Ilavarasan R and Mallika M. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of Cassia fistula bark extracts. Afr. J. Trad.Cam. 2005; 2(1): 70-85.

7. Dirosa M, Giround JP and Willoughby DA. Studies of the acute inflammatory response induced in rats in differente sites by carrageenan and turpentine oil. Journal of Pathology.1971; 104: 15-29.

8. Viegar R, Schreiber W and Hugo R. Biphasic development of carrageenan in rats. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 1969: 166: 96-103.

Received on 24.07.2010

Accepted on 11.08.2010

Research J. Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics. 2(5): Sept.-Oct. 2010, 351-352