The Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Crateva adansonii Dichloromethane Fraction
Chapter One
Research Aim and Objectives.
The research aims at the use of Crateva adansonii methanol extract to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of different fractions of the extract, by administration of this fraction on induced acute inflammation. Using fresh egg albumin, on adult albino rats. An objective is to compare the therapeutic potential, either to observe the physiological impact of Crateva adansonii methanol extract fractions on white albino rats or to determine the anti-inflammatory effect.
CHAPTER TWO
Definition of Inflammation
Inflammation is the body’s attempt at self-protection, the aim being to remove harmful stimuli, including damaged cells, irritants, or pathogens and begin the healing process.
When something harmful or irritating affects a part of our body, there is a biological response to try toremove it, the signs and symptoms of inflammation, specifically acute inflammation which is a type of inflammation, show that the body is trying to heal itself. Inflammation does not mean infection, even when an infection causes inflammation. Infection is caused by a bacterium, virus or fungus, while inflammation is the body’s response to it.
INFLAMMATION AS PART OF OUR INNATE IMMUNITY.
Our innate immunity is what is naturally present in our bodies when we are born, and not the adaptive immunity we get after an infection or vaccination. Innate immunity is generally non-specific, while adaptive immunity is specific to one pathogen, for example Whooping cough vaccine being specific to one pathogen.
WHAT IS ANTI-INFLAMMATION?
Anti-inflammation refers to the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation. Anti-inflammatory drugs make up about half of analgesics, remedying pain by reducing inflammation as opposed to opioids, which affect the central nervous system.
TYPES OF INFLAMMATION (acute and chronic)
Clinically, there are two main types of inflammation, acute and chronic.
Active (acute) inflammation occurs on the time scale of hours to days and is characterized by the cardinal signs of inflammation; namely, redness (rubor), swelling (tumor), heat (calor) and pain (dolor). Acute inflammation represents an initial concentrated effort to eliminate an injurious agent.
Acute inflammation is characterized histologically by the presence of neutrophils that have emigrated from blood vessels into the injured tissue. Variations in the histologic picture include the presence of eosinophil, which may be seen in parasitic infections, and basophils (termed mast cells when in tissue) seen in allergic conditions. Features of active inflammation with components that are not usually appreciated histologically include vasodilatation, increased micro vascular permeability, and neural stimulation.
Chronic inflammation occurs on the time scale of weeks to months and is characterized by the simultaneous presence of active inflammation, tissue destruction, and attempts at repair. Clinically, the process may be characterized by the loss of proper function of the tissue, but is often an asymptomatic, subclinical response. Histologically, the process has been classically characterized by the presence of large numbers of “mononuclear cells” which is a nonspecific term referring to lymphocytes and macrophages (derived from peripheral blood monocytes) that are two cell types of entirely different function and lineage.
CHAPTER THREE
Materials, equipment, apparatus
The following materials were utilized in the course of this work: retort stand, conical flask, funnel, spatula, water bath, burette, glass wool, syringe, silica gel paper, pipette, niddles, gloves, cages, weigh balance, test tubes, filter paper, water bottle, column chromatography tube,
Chemicals/reagent and practical technique
Methanol
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formulaCH3OH (often abbreviated MeOH). Methanol acquired the name “wood alcohol” because it was once produced chiefly as a byproduct of the destructive distillation of wood. Modern methanol is perhaps produced in a catalytic industrial process directly from carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULT
Experimental result
The result for effect of the dichloromethane extract of Crateva adansonii on albumin (induced inflammation) rat pedal paw. The results are represented graphically to show the anti-inflammatory effect of the standard experimental drug ibuprofen against dichloromethane extract of the Crateva adansonii stem back.
The effect of dichloromethane extract of Crateva adansonii on inflammation of rat paw. The dichloromethane extract had a non-dose dependent significance in suppression of thedevelopment of inflammation of the rat paw. Hence however the extract at 700mg/kg evident in result table group three exhibited a fluctuating increase and decrease in percentage inhibition of paw edema (up to 250%) at the first phase of the inflammatory reactions.
CHAPTER FIVE
Discussion
Pain is a symptom of many disease requiring treatment with analgesics, it is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. Pain can also be elicited by inflammation. Progress has been made in elucidating the role of various endogenous substances such as prostaglandins and peptides in the inflammatory process. Some plant active constituents also possess anti-inflammatory activity. In the present investigation Crateva adansoniiplant barkwas extracted with methanol, and fractionated with dichloromethane. Using these extracts the anti-inflammatory activities have been performed by phytochemical screening and paw edema induced inflammation. The phytochemicalinvestigation of the plant extracts shows the presence of moderateglucoside compounds. The TLC analysis under the solvent system chloroform, methanol, and diethyl ether (4:8:16ml) shows 3 distinct bands. These observations will stimulate further research in the field of phytochemistry and also in the clinical application of phytochemical constituents of Crateva adansonii. The extract also significantly decreases inflammation thus action as a good drug just as NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) like aspirin and ibuprofen. The result indicates that Crateva adansonii has anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, present result show that Crateva adansonii may have anti-inflammatory effects. Dichloromethane fraction of the plant (Crateva adansonii) extract was more potent than all extract and has anti-inflammatory effect.
This finding supports the use stem bark of Crateva adansonii in not only traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammation.
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