Abstract
The anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic activities of two concentrations (250 and 500 mg/kg) of the chloroform and butanol fractions of Zilla spinosa were determined. The carrageenan-induced rat paw edema assay was exercised for assessing the anti-inflammatory activity in rats, yeast-induced hyperthermia was utilized to assess the antipyretic activity in mice and the analgesic activity was measured by three different methods (hot-plate test model in mice, tail flick test in mice and acetic acid-induced writhing in mice). The antioxidant activity was studied by using the DPPH assay. The chloroform fraction of the methanol extract of Z. spinosa (ZSC) demonstrated the maximum inhibition of inflammation (50% at 500 mg/kg; 44% at 250 mg/kg). The chloroform fraction showed significant antipyretic activities (p < 0.001 at 500 mg/kg) after 60 and 120 min of administration. ZSC also exhibited significant analgesic activity (p < 0.001). The butanol fraction (ZSB) was inactive in all the biological screening assays.