Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Effect of Detarium Microcarpum (Guill. and Perrs.) Stem Bark Methanol Extract in Rats and Mice

Detarium microcarpum is a commonly used medicinal plant in northern Nigeria for the management of pain and inflammatory conditions. In this study the methanol stem bark extract of D. microcarpum was evaluated for acute toxicity, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. Acute toxicity was performed using Lorke method. The analgesic activity was evaluated using acetic acid induced- writhing and hot plate tests in mice and the anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema model. The intraperitonial median lethal dose (LD50) of the stem bark extract was 471.2 mg/kg body weight in mice and orally greater than or equal to (≥) 5000 mg/kg body weight in rats. The extract dose-dependently inhibited acetic acid-induced writhing in mice and prolonged the latency of thermally-induced pain. In the carrageenan-induced inflammation the methanol extract of D. microcarpum reduced the mean diameter of the rat paw when compared with the normal saline treated group. The study indicates that D. microcarpum has significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. This corresponds to the ethnomedicinal claim for the usage in pain and inflammation relief.