Short communication: Topical and Oral Anti-Inflammatory Formulations Containing Extracts of Ficus racemosa Linn. Leaves

Abstract

The anti-inflammatory activity of petroleum ether and alcoholic extracts of Ficus racemosa Linn. leaves has been reported. Oral and topical formulations containing different concentrations of these extracts were developed and evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity by carragenan-induced rat paw oedema method. The effects of the preparations were observed for 6 h. Among the topical formulations prepared, 10% w/w of the petroleum ether extract exhibited the maximum (67.96%) anti-inflammatory effect at the
end of 3 h. Oral suspensions of both the petroleum ether and alcoholic extracts, at doses of 100 mg/kg body weight, exhibited less anti-inflammatory activity than the topical preparation, i.e. 57.88% and 50.62% at the end of 3 h, respectively. However, these activities were comparable to that of the marketed oral and topical preparations of diclofenac salts.

Keywords: anti-inflammatory activity, Ficus racemosa, topical formulation, oral suspensions, carragenan-induced
rat paw oedema

Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Journal Vol. 25 (2) 2007: pp. 151-155