Evaluation of the Anti-inflammatory, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant activities of the stem bark extract of Croton penduliflorus Hutch (Euphorbiaceae)

Abstract

Croton penduliflorus is used in folklore medicine for the treatment of dysmenorrhea, fever, wounds, gastro-intestinal and others. The study evaluated the anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of a hydro-ethanolic extract of stem bark of Croton penduliflorus. Carrageenan-induced oedema model in chicks was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of the extract. Total phenol content (TPC), DPPH radical scavenging and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assays were used for assessment of antioxidant capacities. Agar well diffusion and micro-dilution methods were used to assess the antimicrobial activity of the extract. The extract caused a dose-dependent decrease (P