ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANALGESIC ACTIVITY OF ROOT BARK OF OROXYLUM INDICUM, VENT.

ABSTRACT The main objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of the different extracts of Oroxylum indicum against experimental acute and chronic inflammatory model and the nociceptive response/ analgesic activity using the active n-butanol fraction of the plant. Effectiveness of different extracts of root bark of Oroxylum indicum was evaluated (100 and 300 mg/kg; p.o.) against carrageenan-induced rat paw edema, and cotton pellet-induced chronic inflammation. Further, n-butanol fraction of the plant was also evaluated (100 mg/kg; p.o.) in tail flick model using rats as well as acetic acid-induced writhing response using mice. Pretreatment with n-butanol fraction showed significant (p<0.05) anti-inflammatory activity at 3 h when compared with the control group. Further, it also significantly (p<0.05) reduced the increase in the weight of cotton pellet when compared with the control group and results were comparable with that of diclofenac (standard) treated group of animals. Pretreatment with n-butanol fraction significantly (p<0.05) prolonged the reaction time in rats in tail flick model as well as reduction in the number of mouse abdominal constrictions following acetic acid administration when compared with the control group. It can be thus concluded that the n-butanol fraction of root bark of Oroxylum indicum showed significant anti-inflammatory activity and analgesic activity in experimental animals.