Anti-inflammatory and Anti-infective Properties of Ethanol Leaf and Root Extracts of Baphia nitida

Baphia nitida Lodd. (Family Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) is a tropical plant used in African folkloric medicine for the treatment of infections and inflammatory conditions. This study therefore seeks to investigate the biological activities including antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of 70% v/v ethanol leaf and root extracts of B. nitida.

The phytochemical constituents of the ethanol root and leaf extracts of B. nitida was determined by thin layer chromatography (TLC) analysis and in vitro phytochemical tests, while their anti-microbial activities were determined using the agar diffusion and micro-dilution methods. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of this extract was also investigated by the DPPH radical scavenging methods and invivo carrageenan-induced paw oedema model of inflammation, respectively.

The antioxidant properties of the extracts as determined by the DPPH free radical scavenging assay gave IC50 values for reference