A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF PETROLEUM ETHER & ALCOHOLIC BARK EXTRACT OF Anthocephalus cada mba (Roxb.) MIQ. IN ACUTE AND CHRONIC IN - VIVO INFLAMMATORY RAT MODEL S

In order to appraise the traditional use of Anthocephalus cadamba , the petroleum and alcoholic extracts of stem bark of Anthocephalus cadamba , were investigated for their acute and chr onic anti - inflamm atory activity. The anti - inflammatory activity of petroleum ether and alcoholic extract were evaluated using the Carrageenan induced paw oedema (acute inflammation) and Cotton pellet induced granuloma (chronic inflammation) in rats. In the carrageenan indu ced rat paw edema model, both the extracts were found to exhibit significant reduction in paw size. The groups treated with alcoholic extract at the dose 667 mg/kg showed maximum effect at 4 th hour and the group treated with petroleum ether extract at the dose of 286 mg/kg has shown the maximum effect in th hour of carrageenan administration. In cotton pellet granuloma the group treated with petroleum ether extract at the dose of 286 mg/kg suppressed the transudative, exudative and proliferative phases of chronic inflammation. The anti - inflammatory effect produced by both petroleum ether and alcoholic extract at the dose of 667 mg/kg, 286 mg/kg, and 200 mg/kg was compared with the reference drug diclofenac sodium. Over the study per iod there was no mortalit y or toxic signs & symptoms recorded in the group of mice given 2000 mg/kg p.o of petroleum ether, alcoholic extract . The results demonstrate that though both the extracts are equally effective in acute inflammatory condition but petroleum ether extract of stem bark of Anthocephalus cadamba has showed more