ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the methanolic leaf extract of Cissus ctra/ioicles in vivo and in vilro. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using the carrageenan and formalin-induced paw edema models while the antioxidant activity was evaluated using the nitric oxide scavenging ability and , 1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPI-1) photometric assay with ascorbic acid as the reference standard. For the anti- inflammatory study, doses of 150, 300 and 600 mg/kg body weight of the extract were used orally, while 200 mg/kg of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) was used as a reference drug. in the carrageenan-induced paw edema model, Cissiis' iralioicles extract at different doses caused different levels of percentage edema inhibition at different hours, increasing percentage inhibition of edema from 0% in the negative control group to 30% at I hr, 36% at 3 hrs and 40% at 6 hrs, respectively at the dose of 600 mg/kg. In the formalin-induced paw edema model, the extract just like the reference drug significantly (p < 0.05) and dose dependently increased the percentage edema inhibition and decreased the paw edema volumes. C. nra/bides showed a concentration dependent increase in antioxidant activity in the nitric oxide scavenging ability, increasing it from 24.94% at 25 gg/ml to 57.41% at 800 p.g/ml as well as in the DPPH photometric assay (from 1 .88% at 25 ig/ml to 52.5 5% at 400 ig/ml). Both methods produced antioxidant activity above 50%.