Effect of Hydroalcoholic Extracts of Leaves of Vitex trifolia Linn. on Chronic Inflammation and Tuberculosis

Background: The experiment was intended to evaluate the effect of Vitex trifolia Linn’s hydroalcoholic extract to treat chronic inflammation. Materials and Methods: Chronic inflammation was induced by injecting 0.25 mL of Complete Freund’s Adjuvant subcutaneously in the palmar surface of the right-hand paw of Wistar rats. The animals were treated with two different doses of the plant extract and their efficiency and efficacy was compared to standard drugs indomethacin and dexamethasone for 28days. At the end of the study the serum TNF-α and IL-10 using ELISA kits, differential leukocyte count was estimate, vital organs were subjected to histological studies. The anti-tubercular activity of the extracts of V. trifolia was also evaluated by the Microplate Alamar Blue Assay method (MABA) against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Results: The extract has also been shown to be effective in controlling levels of chemical cytokines IL-10 and TNF-α and the anti-TB activity was evaluated using Alamar Blue Assay which also exhibited promising results. Conclusion: The obtained results implicate that hydroalcoholic extracts of V. trifolia show promising anti-inflammatory action on chronic stage of inflammation and as well as have proven to be effective as anti-tubercular drug.