Anti-inflammatory activity of aqueous leaf extract of Phyllanthus muellerianus (Kuntze) Exell. and its major constituent, geraniin.
BACKGROUND
Phyllanthus muellerianus (Kuntze) Exell. which belongs to the Family Euphorbiaceae is a shrub widely distributed in West Africa. It is used traditionally to manage wounds and wound infections, menstrual disorders, fevers, pain and inflammation. Hence to confirm its ethnobotanical uses in managing inflammation, we investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of aqueous leaf extract of P. muellerianus (PLE) and its major isolate, geraniin in experimentally-induced inflammation in rats.


METHODS
Carrageenan induced oedema and adjuvant induced arthritis models in rats were used in this study.


RESULTS
In the carrageenan-induced acute inflammation, both 300mg/kg PLE-treated and 10mg/kg geraniin-treated groups significantly reduced the mean maximal swelling attained at 4h to 46.75±4.97% (p<0.01) and 61.65±6.70% (p<0.05), respectively, from the inflamed control response of 122.60±16.39%. In the adjuvant-induced chronic inflammation, both PLE-treated (100 and 300mg/kg) groups and geraniin-treated (10 and 30mg/kg) groups significantly (p<0.001) reduced the total limb swelling over 16 days in the polyarthritic phase compared to the arthritic control. These observations were supported by the radiograph records and the histological investigations of the hind limbs which showed reduced bone damage in both PLE and geraniin-treated rats.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings may confirm the ethnobotanical use of PLE in the management of inflammatory disorders or conditions and observed anti-inflammatory property of PLE may largely be due to its major constituent, geraniin.
Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Yaw Duah
YD
Boakye
Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. Electronic address: cagyare.pharm@knust.edu.gh.
Christian
C
Agyare
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Wonder Kofi Mensah
WK
Abotsi
School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Patrick George
PG
Ayande
Department of Pathology, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana.
Paul Poku Sampene
PP
Ossei
D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002351:Carrageenan; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant; D005960:Glucosides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D047348:Hydrolyzable Tannins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D029803:Phyllanthus; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005960:Glucosides; D047348:Hydrolyzable Tannins; D010936:Plant Extracts; C024603:Geraniin; D002351:Carrageenan; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant
Anti-inflammatory; Geraniin; Inflammation; Phyllanthus muellerianus