Abstract
The research was conducted to investigate the phytochemical constituents, acute toxicity, the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of the aqueous extract of Tamarindus indica L. (AQETI) leaves. Phytochemical constituents present in AQETI were found to be flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, tannins and terpenoids which might be responsible for the established anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities in the plant extract. The leaf extract of the plant was found to be moderately toxic with an intraperitoneal acute toxicity (i.p. LD50) of 566 mg/kg. AQETI produced significant (p < 0.05) and dose-dependent anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities. AQETI (400 mg/kg) exhibited a maximum percentage inhibition (56.97%) in acetic acid-induced writhing response and at 30 min increased the pain threshold by 100 % in the tail immersion test. In the hot plate method, AQETI (400 mg/kg) showed a similar percentage inhibition (84.62%) at 30 and 60 min. The results demonstrate that the aqueous extract of Tamarindus indica L. leaves contains some pharmacologically active substances, was moderately toxic and possessed significant anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive acivities.
Highlights
Plants are very important in many parts of the world since creation of mankind and have been used by man as source of food, medicine, shelter, clothing, cosmetics, flavours and spices (Gamaniel, 2000; Cordell, 2006; Tor-Anyiin et al, 2006)
The results demonstrate that the aqueous extract of Tamarindus indica L. leaves contains some pharmacologically active substances, was moderately toxic and possessed significant anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive acivities
In view of the reported uses of this plant and its economic value, the present study investigated the safety and the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of the aqueous leaf extract of Tamaridus indica L. in rats (Wistar strain albino rats)
Summary
Plants are very important in many parts of the world since creation of mankind and have been used by man as source of food, medicine, shelter, clothing, cosmetics, flavours and spices (Gamaniel, 2000; Cordell, 2006; Tor-Anyiin et al, 2006). The use of medicinal plants in West Africa is probably as old as the duration of human settlement in the region (Abdulrahman et al, 2010). Tamarind or Tamarindus indica L. of the Fabaceae, is an important food in the tropics. It is a multipurpose tree of which almost every part finds at least some use (Kumar & Bhattacharya, 2008), either nutritional or medicinal. Tamarind is indigenous to tropical Africa but it has been introduced and naturalized worldwide in over 50 countries. Africa on the whole does not produce tamarind on a commercial scale, though it is widely used by the local people. Minor producing countries in Africa are Senegal, Gambia, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia (El-Siddig et al, 2006). The plant is well known in traditional medicine (Morton, 1987; El-Siddig et al, 2006; Sidhuraju, 2007) and has been utilized as remedy for a number of ailments (Rimbau et al, 1999; Kristensen and Balslev, 2003; El-Siddig et al, 2006) for its antioxidant (Perez et al, 1995; Ramos et al, 2003; Tsuda et al, 2004; Sudjaroen et al, 2005; Al-Fatimi et al, 2007; Siddhuraju et al, 2007), antihelminthic (Das et al, 2011), Cytotoxic (Al-Fatimi et al, 2007), laxative (Bhat et al, 1990), analgesic (Dighe et al, 2009; Khalid et al, 2010), antiasthmatic (Tayade et al, 2009), hepatoprotective (Pimple et al, 2007), hypolipidaemic and Weight-Reducing (Jindal et al, 2011), antimicrobial (Meléndez and Capriles, 2006; Al-Fatimi et al, 2007; Warda et al, 2007) anti-diabetic, antihelminthic
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