Abstract

The prime objective of the present study was to evaluate the probable in vivo antiinflammatory potential of various extracts of the leaves of Acacia auriculiformis Benth. using carrageenan and formalin-induced inflammation in the rats. Thereafter gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the bioactive extract was performed to identify the compounds responsible for the antiinflammatory activity. The in vitro antioxidant potential was determined through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging assay, hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay and reducing power assay. Overall butanol and methanol leaf extracts showed significant antioxidant free radical scavenging activity. The methanol and petroleum ether leaf extracts at a dose of 400 mg/kg showed the highest percent inhibition of 84.88 and 82.12, respectively in the carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model, whereas, in formalin-induced rat paw edema model the chloroform and methanol leaf extracts showed the highest percent inhibition of 65.68 and 63.34 at a dose of 400 mg/kg, respectively. In both the antiinflammatory models, indomethacin (standard, 40 mg/kg) was used for comparison with test extracts. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of bioactive butanol and methanol extracts showed the presence of compounds like sterols (stigmasterol, β-sitosterol and γ-sitosterol) and phenolic compounds (phenol, 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl),2,4-ditert-butylphenol), which could be responsible for the pharmacological activities observed. These in vitro and in vivo studies indicated that the antiinflammatory and antioxidant potential of the methanol leaf extract of Acacia auriculiformis Benth. could due to the presence of high phenolic and sterol content.