DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2017.v05i07.008

Pages: 512-518

Folk medicines enjoy a respectable position today, especially in the developing countries. Medicinal plants have been source of wide variety of biologically active compounds used extensively as crude material or as pure compounds for treating various disease conditions. This present study was designed to evaluate the diuretic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of ethanol extract of Combretum platypterum. Twenty eight animals were used in the diuretic and anti-inflammatory study, and they were randomly divided into VII groups of four animals per group. Inflammation was induced using egg albumin together with a normal saline, and aspirin administered to each experimental animals paw before measurements were taken every 30 min interval. Group I (negative control) received standard laboratory feed and portable water ad libitum. Group II (positive control) received feed, water and fruseamide. Group III to VII received the extract ranging from 500mg/ml to 100mg/ml. The antioxidants activity was also evaluated using DPPH, Antilipid Peroxidation, and Nitric Oxide method. The results of the antioxidant activity of C. platypterum extract showed significant (p<0.05) antioxidant potential. In the diuretic study, the concentration at 500mg/kg and 400mg/kg of the ethanol extract had the highest significant dose dependent increase in urinary excretion and urinary sodium loss but no effect on urinary potassium loss. The anti-inflammatory results showed that the extract significantly (p<0 .05) reduced inflammation. These findings suggest that the Combretum platypterum is highly potent diuretic, antioxidant and anti inflammatory agents.