Anti-Inflammatory, Analgesic, Antipyretic and the Membrane-Stabilizing Effects of Tamarix aphylla Ethanolic Extract

Aims: 1) To screen Tamarix aphylla for phytochemical constituents. 2) To study the anti-inflammatory effect, analgesic and antipyretic activity of the ethanolic extract of the plant, and 3) to assess membrane-stabilizing activity of the plant extract as a mode of its actions.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the laboratories of pharmacology and phytochemistry of the medicinal and aromatic plant research institute, national center for research, Khartoum, Sudan during a six Month period.

Methodology: Standard methods from the laboratory sheet were used to detect the phyto-conistituents of the plant. The pharmacological activities; the edema inhibition percentage (EI%), the granuloma tissue-formation inhibition percentage, the antipyretic, analgesic and membrane-stabilizing ability were determined using animal models as described in standard methods.

Results: Tamarix aphylla phytochemical screening showed that it contains flavonoids, saponin, cumarins, and tannins and traces of triterpenes and alkaloids.

Tamarix aphylla at a dose of 200 mg/kg achieved highest EI% 4 hours after oral dosing of the extract suspended in distilled water. Tamarix aphylla at a dose of 200 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg caused 71.86% and 67.05% inhibition of the granuloma tissue formation respectively; which were significantly more compared to indomethacin (32.25%, P< 0.05). Tamarix aphylla at a dose of 200 mg/kg and/or 100 mg/kg significantly increases the response time of the rats and reduces rats' body temperature compared to acetylsalicylic acid (P< 0.05). It also showed significant inhibition of RBCs hemolysis by heat or hypotonic solution compared to acetylsalicylic acid (P< 0.05), indicating membrane-stabilizing ability.

Conclusion: The present results indicates that the ethanolic extract of Tamarix aphylla possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, analgesic activity and membrane-stabilizing ability.