Anti-inflammatory activity of Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merrill & Perry oil in carrageenan-induced paw edema in female rats

The present study was planned to evaluate in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merrill & Perry oil (clove oil), following single dose oral administration @ 100, 250 and 500 mg/kg in female wistar rats by using carrageenan-induced paw edema model. Twenty five rats were divided randomly into 5 groups and each group consists of five female rats. All rats were injected subcutaneously with 0.1 ml of 10% w/v carrageenan suspension subcutaneously as a local acute edema inducer after 30 min subsequent to oral administration of clove oil. Rats of control groups were kept untreated. Rats of standard control group were treated orally with indomethacin @ 10 mg/kg body weight as a reference standard drug. Rats of other three treatment groups were treated with clove oil @ 100, 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight, respectively. Edema was expressed as the increase in paw volume in ml and measured up to the tibiotarsal articulation. Volume of edematous paw was measured at 0 h (before treatment), 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 24 h after treatments. Increase in paw thickness was measured by using digital plethysmometer and per cent inhibition was calculated. The anti-inflammatory effect of clove oil was highest at 3 h (35.46 %) at the dose of 500 mg/kg. The anti-inflammatory effect of standard drug indomethacin (42.99 %) was higher than clove oil at 3 h. Clove oil at 3 h all doses gave higher anti-inflammatory effect. Clove oil showed dose dependent anti-inflammatory activity in female wistar rats.