No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of aqueous leaf extract of S. nigrum was investigated in rats. Thermally-induced pain and pressure-induced pain were used to assess the analgesic activity of the extract while egg albumin-induced oedema was used for anti-inflammatory activity. The aqueous leaf extract of S. nigrum at doses of 30 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg, ip exhibited a significant (P<0.05) dose-dependent analgesic activity on thermally-induced pain in rats. In the pressure-induced pain model, the extract increased pain threshold at dose levels of 40 mg/kg (P<0.05) and 60 mg/kg (P<0.01). The extract at 60 mg/kg produced analgesic activity similar to aspirin 10 mg/kg; however, the analgesic effect of the extract was not as prolonged as that obtained by the standard. The aqueous extract of S. nigrum at doses of 40 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg showed 23.5% (P<0.05) and 32.1% (P<0.01) inhibition of paw oedema respectively at the end of two hours. The present study indicates that the aqueous leaf extract of S. nigrum has anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities that could be mediated via modulators of pain and inflammation or through central activity.

Context: Carissa edulis Vahl (Apocynaceae) is used in Nigerian folk medicine to manage a plethora of diseases including epilepsy, cancer, and inflammation; its efficacy is widely acclaimed among communities of northern Nigeria. Objective: This study establishes anticonvulsant activities of aqueous fraction of ethanol root bark extract of Carissa edulis (RAF) and sub-fractions (S1 and S2) in animal models. Materials and methods:We evaluated the acute toxicity of the RAF, S1 and S2, and the anticonvulsant activity using pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), picrotoxin, strychnine, N-methyl-Daspartate (NMDA), isoniazid (INH), and aminophylline-induced seizures in mice. Their effects on maximal electroshock (MES) and kindling-induced seizures were studied in chicks and in rats, respectively, and in the electrophysiological study. The doses used for RAF were 150, 300, and 600 mg/kg while S1 and S2 were 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg. Both RAF and sub-fractions were administered once during the experiment. Results: The intraperitoneal LD 50 of the RAF was estimated to be 2222.61 mg/kg and that of the S1 and S2 were above 5000 mg/kg. RAF protected the mice by 50% while sub-fractions by 16.67% against PTZ-induced seizures. RAF offered 33.33 and 16.67% protection against strychnine and NMDA models, respectively. However, RAF offered 66.67-33.33% protections against aminophylline-induced seizures at doses of 150 and 600 mg/kg, but RAF, S1, and S2 had no effect on MES-induced seizures. Discussion and conclusion: Our results validate the use of the plant traditionally in the management of epilepsy, thus supporting the appraisal of biologically active components of this plant as antiepileptic agents.