Evaluation of Anti-inflammatory Activity of Clerodendrum wallichii (Merr.) Leaves

Clerodendrum wallichii Merr. (Family: Verbenaceae) commonly known as Sampulis is native to Southern Asia from the Himalayas to Southern China, the Nicobar Islands and Northeast into Pakistan. In India, it is mainly found in Sikkim, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Assam, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand regions. It is widely used for various ailments in the traditional systems of medicines; most importantly, it is used against diarrhea, skin infection, inflammation and fever. The plant has never been subjected to in vivo anti-inflammatory activity. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate anti-inflammatory effect of C. wallichii leaves in rats. Hydro-alcohol extract was prepared and fractionated using n-hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate. Carrageenan induced paw edema and cotton pellet granuloma model were employed for acute and chronic inflammation respectively. Hydro-alcohol extract showed significant (p <0.05) anti-inflammatory activity. Furthermore, amongst various fractions of hydro-alcohol extract, only n-hexane fraction exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity (p < 0.05) at a dose of 50 & 100 mg/kg., p.o. The findings of present investigation indicate that C. wallichii has a strong anti-inflammatory activity and could constitute a potential source for the development of new drug for the treatment of inflammatory disorders.