ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF THE LEAVES OF ACACIA CAESIA (L.) WILLD. AGAINST CARRAGEENAN INDUCED PAW EDEMA IN WISTAR RATS

Abstract

The present study investigates the anti-inflammatory activity in ethanolic extract of Acacia caesia (L.) Willd. by in vitro
denaturation and proteinase inhibitory action and also in vivo Carrageenan-induced paw edema assay supported with
enzymatic antioxidant status in Wistar rats. Acacia caesia is an armed woody straggling shrub having creamish-white heads
in terminal panicles. The local name of the species is ‘Babool’ belongs to the family Mimosaceae, which is
ethnomedicinally used in the treatment of skin, sexual problems, wound, stomach and tooth problems. The traditional
uses of this study plant show that the plant is a good candidate for antioxidant related activity such as anti-inflammatory.
Further the in vitro antioxidant studies such as β-carotene/linoleic acid peroxidation inhibition property and ferric
reducing power assay showed that the ethanol extract displayed the highest inhibition effect (82.42±0.66 % and
0.3456±0.0078 respectively). The 400 µg/ml of extract has the maximum in vitro anti-inflammatory activity and the
same extract effectively suppressed the Carageenan induced rat paw edema thickness which showed 95.30 percentage of
inhibition. The increased level of lipid peroxidation in Carrageenan treated animals was significantly 8#x38;lt reduced
by the administration of the plant extract in higher amount. Carrageenan induced depletion of SOD, CAT and GPx levels
were also significantly 8#x38;lt restored by the administration with ethanolic extract in a dose dependant manner. From
the results of present study it can be stated that the extract of Acacia caesia are effective in inhibiting protein denaturation,
exhibited significant in vivo anti-inflammatory activity and it also contain strong antioxidant power which supports the
traditional medicinal utilization of the plant.