J Ethnopharmacol. 2003 Jun; 86(2-3): 229-34.

Analgesic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory effects of methanol, chloroform and ether extracts of Vernonia cinerea less leaf.

Iwalewa EO, Iwalewa OJ, Adeboye JO.

Department of Pharmacology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. eoiwalewa@yahoo.com

The chloroform, methanolic and ether extracts of Vernonia cinerea (Asteraceae; Less) leaf (100, 200 and 400mg/kg intraperitoneally) were tested in: acetic acid-induced writhing in mice, carrageenin-induced oedema and brewer's yeast-induced pyrexia in rats to assess their analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and behavioral activities, respectively. The changes in writhings and behavioural activities in mice, the pyrexia and paw volumes in rats were reduced significantly (P<0.05) compared to the control. There was an increase in pain threshold on the oedematous right hind limb paw of the rats. These results indicate that the extracts could possess analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory properties. All these effects and the changes in the behavioural activities could be suggested as contributory effects to the use of V. cinerea leaf in the treatment of malaria.