Anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and neuropharmacological activities of Clerodendron viscosum

The crude methanol extract of Clerodendron viscosum Vent. ( Verbenaceae) leaves was evaluated for its antiinflammatory, antinociceptive, and neuropharmacological activities. When given orally to rats at doses of 200 and 400 mg/ kg of body weight, the extract showed a significant ( p < 0.001) anti- inflammatory activity against carrageenan- induced rat paw edema comparable with the standard drug phenylbutazone at the dose of 100 mg/ kg of body weight. It also produced a significant writhing inhibition in acetic acid - induced writhing in mice at the oral dose of 250 and 500 mg/ kg of body weight ( p < 0.001), which was comparable with the standard drug diclofenac sodium at the dose of 25mg= kg of body weight. Moreover, when given intraperitoneally to albino mice, it potentiated the pentobarbital- induced sleeping time ( p < 0.001), decreased the open field score in open field test ( p < 0.001), decreased the number of holes crossed from one chamber to the other in the hole- cross test ( p < 0.001), and decreased the head dip responses in the hole- board test ( p < 0.001) at the dose of 250 and 500 mg/ kg of body weight. The overall results tend to suggest the anti- inflammatory, antinociceptive, and central nervous system depressant activities of the crude methanol extract of Clerodendron viscosum.