Abstract

Murraya koenigii (Curry leaves) has been widely used in Asian countries for the treatment of some ailments such as diabetes and hypertension. In the present study, leaves of Murraya koenigii were extracted with ethanol and evaluated for anti-inflammatory activity in rats using carrageenan induced paw edema method. Ethanolic extract showed a potent anti-inflammatory activity at third hour after carrageenan administration when compared with the standard drug, Diclofenac. The percent inhibition of paw volume was found to be 84.75% for 50 mg/kg of extract whereas it was found to be 80.86% for 50 mg/kg extract in combination with Diclofenac 10 mg/kg. Thus, the present study suggests that the combination therapy potentiates the anti-inflammatory effect of diclofenac and may help in reducing the dose of the synthetic drug. Some relevant patents are also outlined in this article.

Keywords: Anti-inflammatory activity, medicinal plants, Murraya koenigii, pharmacodynamic interactions, synthetic drug.