ANTI-ALLERGIC, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANALGESIC ACTIONS OF STEM BARK EXTRACT OF LANNEA WELWITSCHII (ANARCADIACEAE) IN MICE

摘要

Objective: Various parts of Lanneawelwitschii find use in traditional medicine in the treatment of pain and oedema. This study evaluated the anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of a 70 % (v/v) aqueous ethanol extract of the stem bark of Lanneawelwitschii, LWE in mice. Methods: IgE-mediated anaphylaxis in a local allergic reaction was studied in the pinnal inflammation model while endotoxic shock was induced by the injection of lipopolysaccharide, LPS and survival rates of mice monitored. The indirect anti-histamine effect of LWE was evaluated on clonidine-induced catalepsy. The effect of LWE assessed on the maximal and total oedema responses in the carrageenan–induced paw oedema was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory action of the extract while the tail immersion test was employed to study the analgesic effects of LWE. Results: LWE dose-dependently inhibited the antigen-induced pinnal inflammation and also offered protection to mice in the LPS-induced endotoxic shock. LWE showed significant inhibition of the clonidine-induced catalepsy in mice and suppressed the mean maximal swelling as well as the total paw swellings induced over 6 h in the carrageen an paw oedema. LWE caused a significant and dose-dependent increase in the mean reaction time of treated mice in the analgesic test. Conclusion: The aqueous ethanol extract of Lanneawelwitschii has anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory actions mediated through the inhibition of histamine release from mast cells. Additionally, L. welwitschii exhibits analgesic actions in mice. Our results contribute towards validation of the traditional use of Lanneawelwitschii in the treatment of pain and oedema