Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of Commelina diffusa (Commelinaceae)

Abstract

The leaves of Commelina diffusa are used traditionally for the treatment of a variety of disease conditions in Ghana, including inflammation and wound healing. In this study, the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Commelina diffusa was investigated for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Carrageenan induced foot oedema in 7-day old chicks was used to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of the extract while DPPH radical scavenging test, total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity assays were used to investigate the antioxidant property of the extract. Commelina diffusa ethanolic leaf extract significantly (P<0.05) reduced the total foot oedema in a dose dependent manner. The maximum percentage inhibition of inflammation given by the extract was 43.55% (300 mg kg^-1). The extract also showed potent DPPH scavenging effect with an IC₅₀ of 11.35 µg/ml. Total phenolic content was found to be 193.7 mg/g of extract calculated as tannic acid equivalent. Total antioxidant capacity of the extract was found to be 130.5 mg/g of (ascorbic acid equivalent). Thus, the study justifies the traditional use of the leaves of Commelina diffusa in the treatment of various inflammatory conditions.