Abstract

Inflammatory diseases remain major public health problem associated with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. This study aims at evaluating the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of methanol extract of Lawsonia inermis leaves and Curcuma longa rhizomes in carrageenan-induced inflammation in Albino rats. Phytochemical composition of the plants extracts was estimated using standard analytical methods. Anti-inflammatory activity of the plants extracts was evaluated using carrageenan-induced rats paw edema model. Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay was used for the antioxidant activity screening of the plants extracts. Vitamin A, C and E contents of the plants extracts were estimated using spectrophotometric method. The activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) were determined using standard ELISA kits. The results showed that L. inermis and C. longa extract contains significant (p < 0.05) amount of tannins (140.49 mg/100g, 119.43 mg/100g), flavonoids (131.11 mg/100g, 105.89 mg/100g), phenols (18.75 mg/100g, 28.49 mg/100g), and alkaloids (122.35 mg/100g, 62.25 mg/100g), respectively. The L. inermis extract demonstrated high significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the paw oedema thickness than the extract of C. longa extract. The C. longa and L. inermis extracts demonstrated high significant (p < 0.05) ferric reducing antioxidant power up to 87.66 % and 84.43 %, respectively. The vitamin E and vitamin C content of the L. inermis extract is significantly (p < 0.05) high than that of the C. longa extract and vice versa for vitamin A. Treatment of the rats with L. inermis extract and C. longa extract significantly (p < 0.05) decreased MDA level and increased the activity of CAT, SOD and GSH in the rats. The methanol extract of L. inermis leaves and C. longa rhizomes demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities in carrageenan-induced inflammation in rats.

Key words: Anti-inflammation, Antioxidant, Lawsonia inermis Leaves, Curcuma longa Rhizomes, Extract