Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of extract of Vernonia amygdalina

The anti-inflammatory activity of the extract of Vernonia amygdalina was investigated. Inflammatory response was induced by topical application of croton oil dissolved in suitable vehicle on the rat ear. After 6 hrs, cutting out the ear quantitated the response. The cut ear is weighed and the increase in weight relative to controls evaluated. Extract of V.amygdalina when co-applied with croton oil to the rat ear produced a reduction in the inflammatory response produced when croton oil alone was applied to the rat ear. The extract produced 67.10 + 2% reduction of the inflammatory response produced by croton oil alone, this was however lower than the 71.1 + 2% reduction of the inflammatory response produced by acetyl salicylic acid. This finding suggests that extract of V. amygdalina exhibits anti-inflammatory activity and may explain the usefulness of the leaves of this plant in the treatment of inflammatory disease conditions by traditional healers.