Abstract

Inflammation which is a normal phenomenon involved in healing of injurious tissue can be complicated with reactive oxygen resulting in chronic inflammatory state and subsequent tissue damage. Since there are reports on severe side effects associated with the use of synthetic anti-inflammatory medications, there is the need to search for new medications with milder side effects. The study, therefore, investigated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of methanol extracts of Hilleria latifolia root (HLRE) and Laportea ovalifolia leaf (LOLE). The DPPH free radical scavenging, total phenolic content and phosphomolybdenum antioxidant assays were used to assess the in vitro antioxidant activity, while the carrageenan-induced foot oedema model in rats was employed to investigate the acute anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts. LOLE and HLRE were able to scavenge 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals with IC₅₀ values of 130.8±0.9 and 233.5±0.5 μg/mL, total phenol content of 56.75±0.3220 and 91.32 ±4.258 mg TAE/g extract whereas total antioxidant capacity of 337.6±6.961 and 408.0±18.70 mg α-TE/g extract, respectively. The extracts at 100 and 300 mg/kg significantly (p<0.001) reduced the induced oedema when administered prophylactically and therapeutically. In conclusion, the methanol extracts of H. latifolia and L. ovalifolia exhibited in vitro antioxidant and in vivo anti-inflammatory properties.   

Key words: Hilleria latifolia, Laportea ovalifolia, inflammation, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant.