Abstract

Preparations of Crossopteryx febrifuga have been used in traditional medicine for treatment of pain and malaria for many years and their efficacies are widely acclaimed among the Hausa communities of northern Nigeria. The methanolic extract of C. febrifuga was evaluated for analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and anti-plasmodial activities of in rodents. The extract significantly diminished acetic acid-induced writhes in mice and increased the pain threshold in rats dose-dependently.  It also demonstrated significant anti-plasmodial, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activities in mice and rats in a dose-related manner. The results suggest that C. febrifugacontains biologically-active substances with potential values in the treatment of malaria, fever, pain and inflammation. These provide scientific evidence tosupport the isolation and development of biologically active components as anti-malarials, analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agents.

Key words: Crossopteryx febrifuga, pain, inflammation, pyrexia, anti-malarial effects.