Assessment of anti-inflamatory and analgesic properties of Ipomoea mauritiana (Palmuthukku)in rats

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to assess the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect of the root extract of Ipomoea mauritiana in rats. Diclofenac potassium was used as the reference drug for both anti-inflammatory and analgesic screening. Forty adult male Sprague Dawley rats of 150-200 g body weight were divided into five groups of eight animals each for the anti-inflammatory study using carrageenin induced hind paw oedema model as well as for analgesic screening by tail flick method . The experiment was conducted for a period of seven days. Five per cent gum acacia was fed to Group I and II in which the Group II received the diclofenac potassium at the dose rate of 3 mg/kg on the 7th day before carrageenin administration. The ethanolic extract of Ipomoea roots were administered to group III, IV, V at the dose rate of 300 mg/kg, 600 mg/kg and 1200 mg/kg respectively for seven days. Five groups of six female swiss albino mice each were used for anti inflammatory study using croton oil induced skin inflammation. Group with out any treatment was kept as healthy control (Group1). Group 2 treated with croton oil alone was kept as inflammatory control. Alcoholic extract of Ipomoea mauritiana was applied topically to the shaved area of dorsal skin 30 minutes before each application of croton oil. After 24 hour, the extract and croton oil treatment was repeated on the same area. Five per cent diclofenac potassium cream was used as the reference drug. One hour after the second treatment of croton oil, animals were sacrificed and the skin punches were removed and weighed in an analytical balance to find out the percentage inhibition of skin inflammation induced by croton oil. Then the skin samples were used for the estimation of lipid peroxides, superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione as well as for histopathological studies.

In the anti-inflammatory screening, Ipomoea roots showed significant inhibition of carrageenin induced oedema in all the three hours of inflammation. In anti-inflammatory screening using croton oil, the reduction in skin thickness was not significant when compared to the healthy control for all the groups treated with Ipomoea root. Administration of croton oil produced significant increase in lipid peroxides and significant decrease in superoxide dismutase as well as a reduction in reduced glutathione levels. Ipomoea root treated groups produced slight changes, but the change in values were not significant when compared to normal, which suggested that the Ipomoea root extract was not efficient in alleviating the free radical induced damage on mouse skin.

In case of analgesic screening, group III, treated with Ipomoea root extract at a dose rate of 300 mg/kg, showed significant increase in reaction time only at 90 minutes of observation.

Serum enzymes like ALT and AST and haematological parameters like total and differential leukocyte count, RBC count, haemoglobin and PCV were recorded in both anti-inflammatory and analgesic screening on the 7th day of the experiment. All the paameters were within the normal level in both the studies.

From the present study it can be concluded that the ethanolic extract of Ipomoea roots have significant anti-inflammatory effect in rats and hence it can be recommended for the treatment of various inflammatory conditions.