Anti-inflammatory and toxicity studies of the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Ficus platyplla Del (Moraceae)

Abstract

The result of the phytochemical screening of the leaf powder revealed the presence of carbohydrate, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, steroids and alkaloids, while cardiac glycoside and anthraquinones were absent. The LD50 determined by Lorke’s method revealed that at the end of stage I studies, no death was recorded within 24 hours post administration of extract. In stage II of the study, 5000mg/kg produced death within 24 hours post administration of the extract. The anti-inflammatory result obtained revealed that the Ethanolic extract of leaf powder of Ficus platyphylla Del produced anti-inflammatory activities against rat paw oedema. The extract started having significant anti-inflammatory effect from 3 hours post administration. This was observed from the percentage inhibition and the statistical analysis. The extract at doses of 300, 600 and 1200 mg/kg significantly (P < 0.01) and dose-dependently inhibited egg albumin-induced rat paw oedema compared with the control (Aspirin) at 5 hr post-egg albumin administration. The order of inhibition was 1200 > 600 > 300mg/kg (50.1, 47.8, and 40.3%) respectively while the reference; aspirin (10 mg/kg) gave an inhibition of 39.98%. The results showed that the extract contains some pharmacologically active constituents and that there is scientific basis for the traditional use of the decoction for inflammation, diarrhea, colds etc.