Preliminary studies on the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of methanol leaf extract of Ficus asperifolia miq

Abstract

Ficus asperifolia is used traditionally in most African countries for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, pain, tumours and infertility. This study was carried out to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of methanol leaf extract of Ficus asperifolia in rodents. The extract was subjected to phytochemical and acute toxicity tests. Anti-inflammatory (using carrageenan-induced paw oedema test) and analgesic studies (using acetic acid-induced writhing, hot plate and formalin tests) were conducted on the extract at doses of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg. The intraperitoneal median lethal dose of Ficus asperifolia was estimated to be 3800 mg/kg in mice. The extract at all the tested doses significantly (p<0.05) decreased the mean paw oedema induced by carrageenan when compared to control. It also offered 20.98% inhibition of writhing behaviour above piroxicam (positive control) at 1000 mg/kg. In the hot plate test, Ficus asperifolia extract significantly (p<0.05) increased the mean reaction time at all the tested doses. Similarly, the extract significantly (p<0.05) reduced the paw licking time in both phases of the formalin test with a peak activity (>50% inhibition of pain) at 1000 mg/kg. In conclusion, the results obtained revealed that methanol leaf extract of Ficus asperifolia possesses anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.