Abstract

EVALUATION OF THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF AQUEOUS CRUDE GEL EXTRACT OF ALOE BUETTNERI

*Omodamiro O. D., Jimoh M. A. and Ajah Obinna

ABSTRACT

Aloe vera (Aloe buettneri) is an ornamental and medicinal plant. It can be used in the management of disease conditions such as inflammation, headache, diabetes etc. In this study, Anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of the aqueous crude gel extract of Aloe buettneri was evaluated. The anti-inflammatory activity was determined using wistar albino rats which were divided into seven groups of four wistar rats each. Inflammation was induced by injecting 1% egg albumen in the left hind paw of wistar albino rats. Aqueous crude gel extract was fed orally to the experimental and control rats groups to investigate its effects on the paw joint oedema by measuring the paw circumference with vernier calliper. The positive control group was given indomethacin which served as the standard. The result showed that indomethacin has the highest inhibition value which was significant (p<0.05) after180 minutes (2±0.40). Treatment groups C, D, E also significantly (p<0.05) repressed paw swelling. The antimicrobial activity was determined using the agar diffusion method against pathogenic microbial isolates such as; Escherichia coli, Staphylococus aureus, Streptoccocus pneumonia, Klebsiella pneumonia and Samonella typhi. The values of inhibition of microbial growth by the aqueous crude gel extract showed that the extract has antimicrobial potency. The antioxidant activity was determined using the following methods; nitric oxide scavenging activity, DPPH activity and anti-lipid peroxidation method. The highest antioxidant activity was at 200mg for each method of analysis and the values showed significant antioxidant properties. The obtained results therefore suggest that the aqueous crude gel extract of Aloe buettneri can be used in the treatment of inflammation, oxidative damage and infections.

Keywords: Antioxidant, Aloe Buettneri, Anti-inflammation, Antimicrobial, Egg Albumen, Paw Joint Oedema.