Anti-Inflammatory activity of Sesbania Grandiflora (Fabaceae)

A Saravana Kumar^* and NM Ramaswamy

Pharmaceutical Sciences Discipline, Biotechnology Centre, Anna University Coimbatore-641047.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: saravncp@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

The crude methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Sesbania grandiflora was investigated for its possible anti-inflammatory activity using acetic acid induced writhing model in mice. The extract significantly (p<0.001) reduced the number of acetic acid induced abdominal constriction (writhing) in mice at 250 and 500mg/kg of body weight, which was comparable to the standard drug, Diclofenac sodium.

KEY WORDS: Sesbania grandiflora, Acetic acid, Anti-inflammatory.

INTRODUCTION:

Sesbania grandiflora L. (Fabaceae) is popularly known as “Basna” is an ornamental plant and is found in plains of western Himalayas to Sri Lanka¹. Sesbania grandiflora is a folk remedy for bruises, catarrh, dysentry, eyes, fevers, headaches, small pox, sores, sore throat and stomatitis². It is a small erect quick growing short-lived, soft-wooded tree to 10m tall, sparsely branched, bole straight and cylindrical, the wood white and soft. Bark light grey, corky, deeply furrowed. Leaves pinnate, 15-30cm long, with 16-30 pairs of linear oblong leaflets. Racemes 2.5cm long. Flowers 2-4, white to pink, pendulous the corolla 7-9cm long, pods 50-60cm long. Bark, leaves, gums and flowers are considered medicinal. The astringent bark was used in treating small pox and other eruptive fevers. The juice from the flowers is used to treat headache, head congestion of stuffy nose. Rheumatic swellings are poulticed or rubbed with aqueous decoctions of the powdered roots of the red flowered variant. Ayurvedics, believing the fruits to be alexeteric, laxative and intellectually stimulating, prescribe them for anaemia, bronchitis, fever, pain, thirst, ozoena and Quartan fever. Yuani consider the tonic levels useful in biliousness, fever and nyctalopia. Indians apply the roots in rheumatism, the juice of the leaves and flowers for headache and nasal catarrh³. In Amboina, flower juice is squeezed in to the eye to correct dim vision. The bark is used in infusions for small pox. Cambodians consider the flowers emollient and laxative, the bark for diarrhea, dysentry and paludism.

Malayans apply crushed leaves to sprains and confusions. They gargle with the leaf juice to cleanse the mouth and throat. In small doses, the bark is used for dysentry and sprue, in large doses, laxative, in still larger doses, emetic.

Pounded bark is applied to scabies. Philippines use the pounded bark for hemottysis. The powdered bark is also recommended for ulcers of the mouth and alimentary canal. In java, the bark is used for thrush and infantile disorders of the stomach. Leaves are chewed to disinfect the mouth and throat⁴.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The collected plants were dried for one week after cutting in to small pieces and were ground in to a coarse powder with the help of a grinder (Capacitor start motor, Wuhu Motor Factory, China). About 400 gm of powdered material was soaked in 1300ml of aqueous 90% methanol at room temperature for a period of 7days with occasional shaking and stirring. The whole mixture was then filtered off through a piece of clean, white cloth followed by a filtration through Whatmann filter paper, and the filtrate thus obtained was concentrated by using a rotary evaporator (Bibby RE200, Sterilin Ltd., UK) to obtain a viscous mass. The viscous mass was then kept at room temperature under a ceiling fan to obtain a dried extract (yield: 14%). The crude extract thus obtained was used for the pharmacological screening.

Swiss-albino mice of either sex, weighing 20-25 gms were used as experimental animals, and Diclofenac sodium (Novartis Pharmaceuticals Ltd, India) was used as standard drug for this study.

Table 1. Effect of methanolic extract of S. grandiflora on acetic acid induced writhing in mice.

Animal group	Number of writhes (%writhing)	Inhibition (%)
Control (n=10) 1%Tween 80 solution in water , p.o	9.1± 0.33 (100)	-
Positive Control (n=10) Diclofenac sodium 25mg/kg, p.o	2.4 ± 0.53* (25.53)	74.47
Test group – I (n=10) Methanolic extract 250mg/kg, p.o	4.3 ± 1.06* (45.56)	57.21
Test group – II (n=10) Methanolic extract 500mg/kg, p.o	2.2 ± 0.67* (22.27)	78.43

Values are expressed as mean ± S.E.M. *, P <0.001 vs. control. %, percentage. p.o., per oral. n = Number of mice.

The anti-inflammatory activity of S. grandiflora was studied using acetic acid induced writhing model in mice^5,6. The animals were divided in to control, positive control and test groups with ten mice in each group. The animals of test groups received test substance at the doses of 250 and 500mg/kg body weight, positive control group was administered Diclofenac sodium at 25mg/kg body weight and vehicle control group was treated with 1%Tween 80 in water at the dose of 10ml/kg body weight orally 30 min before intraperitoneal administration of 0.7 % acetic acid. After an interval of five minutes, the mice were observed for specific contraction of body referred as writhing for 15 min.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

The extract produced about 57% and 78% writhing inhibition at 250 and 500 mg/kg of body weight respectively, which were comparable to the standard drug Diclofenac sodium where the inhibition was 74% at the dose of 25mg/kg of the results of acetic acid induced writhing test, it can be concluded that the methanolic extract of S. grandiflora possesses anti-inflammatory activity.

REFERENCES:

1) Chopra RN, Nayer SL, Chopra IC. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plant. CSIR, New Delhi 1956:1224-1235.

2) Robert B, Henry T. Medicinal Plants. J and A Churchill, New Burlington Street, London 1880.

3) Singh R, Sidhu PS, Vadhera S, Sital JS and Bhatia S. Extra-cellular invertase of Rhizobium japonicum and its role in free sugar metabolism in the developing root nodules of Sesbania grandiflora. Physiol Plantarum. 1980; 48(4): 504-508.

4) Kirtikar KR, Basu BD. Indian Medicinal Plants. Lalit Mohan Basu, 4, Leaders Road Allahabad 1975: 1061-1065.

5) Ahmed F, Selim MST, Das AK and Choudhuri MSK. Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of Lippia modiflora Linn. Pharmazie .2004; 59:329-333.

6) Whittle BA. The use of changes in capillary permeability in mice to distinguish between narcotic and non-narcotic analgesics. Braz.J.Pharmacol. Chemother. 1964;22:246.

Received on 20.10.2008 Modified on 15.12.2008

Research J. Pharm. and Tech. 2(1): Jan.-Mar. 2009; Page 214-215