@article {734, title = {Margaritaria Discoidea (Euphorbiaceae) Stem Bark Extract Attenuates Allergy and Freund{\textquoteright}s adjuvant-induced Arthritis in Rodents}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Research}, volume = {6}, year = {2014}, month = {March,2014}, pages = {163-171}, type = {Original Article}, chapter = {163}, abstract = {

Background: Various parts of Margaritaria discoidea find use in traditional medicine in the treatment of pain and oedema. This study evaluated the anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects of a 70\% (v/v) aqueous ethanol extract of the stem bark of Margaritaria discoidea, MDE in rodents. Materials and Methods: Systemic anaphylaxis was induced by the injection of compound 48/80 into mice and their survival rate was monitored to evaluate the anti-allergic action of the extract. The effect of MDE assessed on the maximal and total oedema responses in the mouse carrageenan-induced paw oedema was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory action of the extract while the Freund{\textquoteright}s adjuvant-induced arthritis model was employed to study the anti-arthritic effects of MDE. Results: MDE dose-dependently increased the time for compound 48/80-induced mortality in mice. MDE suppressed the mean maximal swelling and the total paw swellings induced over 6 h in the carrageenan-induced paw oedema when administered either prophylactically or therapeutically. MDE caused a reduction in serum levels of TNFα and IL-6 and significantly suppressed Freund{\textquoteright}s adjuvant-induced arthritis. Conclusion: Margaritaria discoidea suppresses allergy and exhibits anti-inflammatory activity in mice. In addition it attenuates Freund{\textquoteright}s adjuvant-induced arthritis through a reduction in serum levels of TNFα and IL-6 in rats.

}, keywords = {Allergy, Anaphylaxis, Anti-inflammatory, Arthritis, Margaritaria discoidea}, doi = {10.4103/0974-8490.129039}, author = {David D Obiri and Newman Osafo and Joshua Oppong-Sarfo and Jude K Prah} }