SALVADORA PERSICA;

Objective: To evaluate anti-inflammatory activity of Salvadora persicain rats.Materials & methods: The anti-inflammatory activity of Salvadora persica was assessed in 63albino rats of both sexes, weighing 400 gm. They were divided into three groups, A (control), B(crude drug), C (standard drug) with twenty one animals. Each group was divided into threesubgroups with seven animals. Groups B &C were given crude drug and aspirin diluted in one mlof distilled water once daily orally, in doses of 300, 500, & 700 mg/kg body weight respectively,prior to induction of edema and Group A was given same volume of saline. Inflammation wasinduced in hind paw of rat by sub-planter injection of 0.1ml of 1% carrageenan. Paw volume wasmeasured in terms of milliliters using plethysmometer, immediately before injection & then hourlyup to 5 hours& mean was calculated. The inhibition of edema was calculated for each subgroupwith respect to control group. Results: After carrageenan injection mean paw volume of controlgroup was 5.43 ml, while that of drug treated subgroup was 4.32 ml & standard group was 4.49 mlat the dose of 700 mg/kg body weight. Comparison of crude drug with the control was found to bestatistically significant only at 700 mg/kg & was comparable with the standard drug aspirin.Conclusions: Salvadora persica has shown anti-inflammatory activity by decreasing the pawvolume of carageenan induced edema.