Anti-inflammatory Activities of the Chloroform Extract of the Fruit of Tetracarpidium conophorum (Mull. Arg.) (Nigerian Walnuts)

Objective: To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of the chloroform extract of the fruit of Tetracarpidium conophorum (CEFTC).

Methods: CEFTC was evaluated for anti-inflammatory activity using standard formalin-induced rat paw edema. The activities of the extract at different doses were compared to diclofenac, a standard anti-inflammatory drug.

Results: In all the experiments, the chloroform extract of T. conophorum at 400 mg/Kg showed anti-inflammatory effects which were significant (p=.05) and comparable to those of diclofenac, whereas CEFTC at 200 mg/Kg was pro-inflammatory. This suggests that the extract could be harmful at low doses.

Conclusion: The results showed that CEFTC at 400 mg/Kg possesses significant anti -inflammatory activity comparable to that of diclofenac, one of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). This supports its use as a potent anti-inflammatory drug in herbal medicine.