Evaluation of in vivo Anti-inflammatory Action of Leaf Extracts of Plumeria pudica

Abstract

                   The leaves of Plumeria pudica grow whirling around the stem and have a sessile base. The leaves are light green in color and the shape of the blade is spoon like, the apex is sharp. The extraction abilities of different solvents for recovering extractable components from leaves followed the order: methanol>water>chloroform>benzene. The results suggest the presence of alkaloids, saponin glycosides, phenolics, terpenoids, sterols, proteins and flavonoids in the leaf of the plant. All the extracts were subjected to in vitro determination of their anti-inflammatory potential using inhibition of albumin denaturation as well as anti-proteinase methods. All the concentration levels of the extracts showed the inhibition of albumin denaturation. The 500 µg/mL methanolic extract had shown the greatest inhibition capacity (64.36%) whereas the lowest inhibition capacity was exhibited by 100 µg/mL of the benzene extract (1.29%).  The highest anti-proteinase activity was exhibited by methanolic extract solution at 500 µg/mL concentration, inhibiting 51.37% while the 100 µg/mL methanolic solution was able to inhibit only 13.01% protease activity. The methanolic extract was found to be the most potential in exhibiting anti-inflammatory action in the in vitro assays and hence it was used for in vivo anti-inflammatory screening at two dose levels. The methanolic leaf extract of Plumeria pudica (MLEPP) was able to reduce the inflammation in a dose dependent manner. The maximum inhibition of edema by MLEPP at 100 mg/kg dose was 28.78% at the end of the 4^th hour while that with 200 mg/kg dose was 50.4%.