PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY STUDIES ON THE LEAF OF LUDWIGIA ABYSSINICA RICH. (ONAGRACEAE)

PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY STUDIES ON THE LEAF OF LUDWIGIA ABYSSINICA RICH. (ONAGRACEAE)

ABSTRACT

Ludwigia abyssinica Rich (Onagraceae) is a plant native to South America but now widely distributed in Africa. It has been exploited for its medicinal and economic importance. It is traditionally used for the treatment of a number of ailments such as cough, skin diseases, sores, diarrhoea, rheumatism, constipation, liver diseases and intestinal worm infestations. Aqueous decoction of the leaves is taken orally for its analgesic effect in the treatment of generalized pain in some parts of Africa, and economically, the cooked leaves provide a black liquid that is used for dyeing straw and fibres. L. abyssinica is considered s an ornamental plant because of its showy flowers which are yellow in colour. Evaluation of the fresh, anatomical sections, powdered and extract of the leaves of L. abyssinica were carried out to determine its micromorphological, chemomicroscopic, some physicochemical parameters. The extracts were obtained successively from hexane, ethylacetate and methanol using Soxhlet apparatus, to determine the phytochemical profiles, acute toxicity, and antiinflammatory properties. Microscopical evaluation revealed the presence of anomocytic type of stomata in both adaxial (upper) and abaxial (lower) epidermis with subsidiary cells. The physical constants values were: moisture content (7.00%), total ash value (7.80%), water soluble ash (4.67%), acid insoluble ash (2.33%), ethanol extractive value (17.00%) and water extractive value (19.7%). Phytochemical analysis of the leaf extract (hexane, ethylacetate, and methanol) revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, saponins (steroids / triterpenes) and carbohydrate. Thin layer chromatographic analysis visualized with specific reagents confirmed the presence of steroids/triterpenes, flavonoids and other phenolic compounds. The median lethal dose (LD50) via oral route of the extracts was found to be greater than 5000 mg/kg when administered orally in rats. The extracts of L. abyssinica leaf demonstrated significant decrease (p<0.05) against carrageenan viii induced paw oedema in rats, reaching its peak at the 3rd hour and the highest inhibitory value of (28.7, 29.1, 26.7) was shown at the 5th hour for hexane, ethylacetate and methanol extracts at a dose of 1500mg/kg which was higher than the standard, piroxicam (10 mg/kg) having (25.9%). Hexane extract (500-1500 mg/kg) was observed to have the highest activity compared to the other extracts. The results provided basic pharmacognostic standards for the plant and scientific basis for traditional uses of leaves in the treatment of inflammation

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