Abstract

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF CURCUMA NEILGHERRENSIS WT. RHIZOME EXTRACTS

D. Chaithra, N. Yasodamma* and C. Alekhya

ABSTRACT

Inflammation is one of the most common manifestations affecting the people all over the globe due to various reasons. The good old traditional medicinal practice in India is apply of Curcuma longa rhizome boiled powder paste on the inflammations. The same way wild C. neilgherrensis rhizome powder paste also used to apply against inflammations, wounds, boils, skin infections, to cure stomach pains and gastric ulcers by the local herbalists and the tribes of Talakona and Tirumala region. The phytochemical screening, antimicrobial, anthelmintic and pharmacognostic studies of the crude drug extracts of C.neilgherrensis proved its therapeutic efficiency against various disorders and on human microbial pathogens. Hence studies on antiinflammatory activity is very much interested testing on experimental rats along with toxicity studies. Rhizome aqueous and methanol extracts were proved no toxic upto 5000 mg/kg b.wt, and also proved equally effective anti-inflammatory drug with Rhizome methanol extracts at 250 mg/kg b.wt to that of the Diclofenac. It is observed and compared the activity to that of C.longa, C.xanthorrhiza, C.malabarica in the antifungal activity on the pathogens causing inflammation, skin diseases and arthritis. Anti-inflammatory activity of C. neilgherrensis also equally effective to that of the Carrageenan induced inflammation treated by the C.amada, C.aeruginosa, C.aromatica, C.zedoaria, C.domestica extracts. Hence the crude drug extracts of rhizomes are recommended as anti-inflammatory drug as used by the herbalists.

Keywords: Carrageenan, toxicity, diclofenac, C.amada, C.aromatica, C.domestica, antibacterial, anthelmintic, pharmacognostic.