Abstract:
Background: The root bark extract of Zanthoxylum
xanthozyloides is used in folklore medicine in Ghana
and Nigeria to treat inflammation. A previous pharmacological
study confirmed the anti-inflammatory activity
of the extract.
Objective: To study the effect of the extract on vascular
response in inflammation.
Method: The extract was obtained by Soxhlet extraction
and rotatory evaporation, followed by freezedrying.
Groups of rats (with carrageenin-induced paw
inflammation) and mice (with xylene-induced pinna
inflammation) were, respectively, assigned randomly to
treatment groups. The animals were given three different
treatments orally: 0.9% saline (control), the extract
(400mg/kg and 800mg/kg for mice; 1000mg/kg, 2000
mg/kg, and 4000mg/kg for rats), and indomethacin
(5mg/kg and 10mg/kg for mice; 10mg/kg, 20mg/kg,
and 40mg/kg for rats). In another set of experiment,
each treatment group received phenylephrine subcutaneously
(30μg/kg for rats and 20μg/kg for mice) in
addition to the specified treatment aforementioned. In
both sets of experiments, each group of rats was rotated
through the entire treatment groups such that each animal
served as control as well as received all the treatments.
Analysis of variance was used as the statistical
test.
Results: The extract and indomethacin both caused
dose-dependent reduction in the carrageenin-induced
increase in paw volume in rats and also reduced xylene-
induced increase in blood flow in mice pinna arteries.
Phenylephrine enhanced the decrease in capillary
permeability and vasodilatation caused by low
dose extract but not that caused by high dose extract or
both low and high dose indomethacin.
Conclusion: The extract reduced vasodilatation and
decreased capillary permeability in inflammation.