<p>Anti-Nociceptive and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of <em>Hygrophila schulli</em> Leaves</p>

Abstract

The management of pain and inflammation with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioid analgesics are currently encountering severe adverse reactions. To overcome these problems, herbal remedies may offer new alternative medicines. Hygrophila schulli is a medicinal plant traditionally used for the treatment of pain and inflammationrelated disorders; yet, these claims are not scientifically validated. Hence, this study was aimed to validate the traditional use of Hygrophila schulli leaves as anti-inflammatory and analgesic remedy. Methods: In vitro anti-hyaluronidase assay and in vivo carrageenan-induced hind paw oedema model were used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory property of ethanolic leaf extract of Hygrophila schulli. Tail immersion and acetic acid-induced writhing tests were performed to determine the central and peripheral analgesic activity of the leaf extract, respectively. Results: The ethanolic leaf extract exhibited significant anti-hyaluronidase activity (P<0.001) and significant inhibition of carrageenan-induced paw oedema (P<0.05) compared to untreated controls. Similarly, the extract significantly prolonged the reaction time of mice (P<0.05) for the hot-water stimuli. Furthermore, an oral dose of the extract showed significant inhibition (P<0.01) of acetic acid-induced abdominal contractions of mice. Besides, the ethanolic leaf extract did not cause any obvious sign of acute toxicity at a single oral dose of 2 g/kg. Conclusion: The findings of this study may partially support the acclaimed traditional use of Hygrophila schulli leaves for the treatment of pain and inflammatory conditions.

Plant Natural Products: A Promising Source of Hyaluronidase Enzyme Inhibitors

“…The well-known medicinal plant Hygrophila schulli, traditional used as antiinflammatory and pain treatment in the north Ethiopia and India, possess antihyaluronidase activity in vivo by the ethanolic leaf extract [70]. In a study by Lee et al [71], the aqueous methanolic extracts of 150 plant species assayed for their potential as hyaluronidase inhibitors, the extracts of six species found to be most active against HAases were Areca catechu, Alpinia katsumadai, Dryopteris cassirrhizoma, Cinnamonum cassia, and Curcuma longa, and the extract of Areca catechu showed relatively higher anti-HAase activity.…”

The protective and antioxidant effects of Hygrophila schulli seeds on oxidative damage of DNA and RBC cellular membrane

“…Medicinal plants are a source of a wide variety of bioactive compounds which act as antioxidants and protect the human body against different oxidative stress related diseases, and are being used as food supplements. Among various medicinal plants, Hygrophila schulli (M. R. Almeida & S. M. Almeida) (English- Marsh Barbel; Local Bangla- Shulamardan; family-Acanthaceae), has gained much importance in the recent past [ 1 , 2 ]. The species, a thorny sub-herb among which many grow as aquatic plants [ 3 ], is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent, Myanmar and tropical Africa.…”