Anti-inflammatory effects of aqueous extract of dry clove flower buds

Abstract

Clove aqueous extract was studied for its anti-inflammatory properties using different laboratory models. In the carrageenan group, both 300 mg kg-1 and 700 mg kg-1 of aqueous clove extract administered orally produced 44.1% oedema inhibition (p<0.05), while 100 mg kg-1 acetylsalicylic acid given through the same route recorded 28.0%. A similar trend of activity was  observed in both the histamine and serotonin models, with values of oedema inhibition scored as 59.1% and 63.1% for clove (700 mg kg-1) and 48.2% and 44.5% for acetylsalicylic acid respectively. The effect of the herbal preparation was found to be significant in both cases, when compared to the control group. In testing for the sub-acute inflammatory property of clove extract, the lower dose of 300 mg kg-1 exerted a greater efficacy of activity than both the higher dose and the standard drug at the dose level of 100 mg kg-1 employed. The results from this study revealed the anti-inflammatory property of clove aqueous extract, which substantiates its local use in treating toothache. Clove’s antiinflammatory property could be attributed to the various phytochemical constituents present in it.

Keywords: Clove, oedema, inflammation, carrageenan, drug, aqueous extract