STUDIES ON ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECT OF MESUA FERREA LINN. IN ACUTE AND CHRONIC INFLAMMATION OF EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS

Mesua ferrea Linn. (M. ferrea) is an endemic medicinal plant used for the treatment of inflammation, rheumatism, bronchitis, fever, headache, asthma and skin diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory activities of 80% ethanol extract from stem bark of Mesua ferrea Linn. using animal models. Female Wistar albino rats weighing (150-200g) were used for the study. Anti-inflammatory activity test was done on rats at two different doses (100 and 200mg/kg) by using carrageenan induced paw edema, cotton pellet induced granuloma and formalin induced paw edema. The results showed that the 80% ethanol extract of stem bark (SBE) 200mg/kg and indomethacin (10mg/kg) exhibited significant reduction of edema in carrageenan induced rat paw edema 39.3 (p < 0.05) and 38.8% (p < 0.01) respectively at the end of 4 h. In cotton pellet granuloma test, SBE (200mg/kg) and indomethacin significantly reduced the wet (42.5 and 40.6% (p < 0.01)) and dry (46.7 and 42.8% (p < 0.01)) weight of the cotton pellet respectively, while in formalin induced paw edema significant reduction in persistent edema from 4^th day to 10^th day of the Investigation was observed. SBE 200mg/kg exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effect i.e., 40.3% (p < 0.05) when compared to indomethacin 33.3% (p < 0.05). The results obtained in this study indicated that the 80% ethanol extract of Mesua ferrea Linn. possess potent anti-inflammatory activity in both acute and chronic models.