Abstract

Agave sisalana is gaining popularity in controlling gastro-intestinal parasites in chickens and treatment of local inflammatory conditions. However, little is known about its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. These properties were determined using the carrageenan, formaldehyde and histamine-induced oedema, as well as formalin, tail flick and acetic acid-induced pain tests. A. sisalana extract was administered per os at 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight of rats. Indomethacin was used as positive control. The 400 mg/kg dose caused 93.4% inflammation inhibition of the carrageenan-induced odema, while 100 mg/kg had 84.9% for the formaldehyde-induced paw oedema. Inflammation inhibition was low (8.1%) for histamine-induced oedema at 400 mg/kg. For tail flick test analgesic activity was low, 55.8 and 0% at 100 and 400 mg/kg, respectively. As for the acetic acid test, analgesic activity was high; 77.2, 81.0, 84.8 and 84.8% for 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg doses, respectively, and for the formalin test it was 66.7 and 100% at 200 mg/kg in phases 1 and 2, respectively. Findings of this study demonstrated that A. sisalana possesses some anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Further investigation is necessary to determine the nutritional composition of A. sisalana that may augment its pharmacological properties.

Key words: Medicinal plant, oedematous inhibition, pain relief.