Abstract

SOME BIOLOGICAL AND CNS PROPERTIES OF THE ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF COSTUS AFER STEM KER GAWL (COSTACEAE).

Ezejiofor A. N.* and Igweze Z.

ABSTRACT

Costus afer is among the 150 species of the genus Costus. Traditionally, Costus afer is used as a cough repellent, anti-malarial, correction of eye defects, hypoglycaemic agent, treatment of measles and hunchback etc. The objective of this study was to investigate the biological, antimicrobial and CNS properties of the ethanol extract of Costus afer stem. Preliminary phytochemical screening was carried out using standard methods with little modification. The evaluation of the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity was carried out using the radiant heat tail flick and the egg albumin induced paw edema test in albino mice (18-30g) and albino rats (160-290g) respectively. The CNS tests carried out were the spontaneous locomotor activity and the phenobarbitone induced hypnosis test on albino mice. In each case the animals were grouped into four groups of five weight-matched animals. Hematological parameters was estimated using albino mice grouped into three groups of five weight-matched animals and were treated with the extract for a period of 6 days at the end of which bleeding time and heamatological analysis was carried out. An antimicrobial assay with the agar diffusion technique on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeuriginosa and Candida albicans was also carried out. The phytochemical screening of the ethanol stem extract of Costus afer showed that it contains tannins, phenols, flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids and cardiac glycosides. The result of the pharmacological activities showed that administration of the ethanol extract of Costus afer stem would cause statistically significant (p

Keywords: biological, CNS activity, Costacea, ethanol.