ANALGESIC AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF LEAF EXTRACTS OF ERYTHRINA VARIEGATE

Erythrina variegate (asclepidaceae) is a plant with a variety of ethnic medicinal uses. Hence an effort has been made to screen the aqueous extract of leaves of erythrina variegate for its analagesic and anti-inflammatory activities. Leaves of erythrina variegate were extracted with water successively. Preliminary phytoichemical investigation was carried out to identify various phytochemical constituents present in the extract. phytochemical investigation: the aqueous extract of leaves of Erythrina variegate showed the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, steroids, sapaonins and triterpenes. The toxicity studies; the LD50 were found to be aqueous extract: 3162mg/kg, analgesi activity of aqueous extract of leaves of Erythrina variegate has reduced the intendity of acetic acid induced writhing and thermally induced pain stimuli using eddy’s hot plate method in mice, indicating both peripheral and central analgesic activity. Anti-inflammatory activity of aqueous extract has shown significant activity in carrageenan induced paw oedema model in rats. The effect was observed in middle and final phase of inhibition suggesting that extract can block the mediators like kinins and prostaglandins