Anti-inflammatoryactivity of the combined ethanol extracts of Newbouldia laevis and Moringa oleifera leaves

Abstract

Researches have revealed the anti-inflammatory efficiencies of Newbouldia laevis and Moringa oleifera leaf extracts when used as monotherapies, however, there is dearth of information on the anti-inflammatory activities of the extracts when combined. Egg albumin was used to induce paw inflammation. Cotton thread method was used to measure linear paw circumference and reduction in paw size after treatment was the basis for determining anti-inflammatory activity. Rats were assigned into six groups of three animals each and inflammation was induced with a dose of 25mg kg-1 of egg albumin. Groups 1 and 2 were treated with 25mg/kg body weight of N. laevis and M. oleifera extracts respectively, while groups 3, 4 and 5 were administered combined doses of N. laevis and M. oleifera extracts in ratios 1:1, 2:1 and 1:2 respectively. Group 6 was administered 25mg/kg body weight of the reference drug, aspirin to serve as positive control. Groups 1 and 2 showed percentage mean inflammation inhibition of 25.3 % and 53.3% respectively. Animals in groups 3, 4 and 5 showed 41.8%, 29.7% and 48.1% percentage mean inhibition of inflammation respectively after five hours of treatment. The highest activity was found to be in the group treated with M. oleifera extracts alone (53.3%), followed by the group treated with dose ratio 1:2 of N. laevis and M. oleifera (48.1%). However, there was no significant difference (at p<0.05) between these two groups. The results obtained in this study show that though monotherapy with Moringa oleifera gave the best anti- inflammatory activity, combination of the two extracts could still be used to elicit a cumulative anti-inflammatory activity.