Research Article
Daniel Anokwah, Abraham Yeboah
Abstract
Psydrax subcordata (DC.) Bridson (Rubiaceae) is used by traditional medical practitioners in Ghana for treating piles, haemorrhoids, enteritis and stomach ulcer. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the methanol stem bark extract of Psydrax subcordata. The extract at 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg body weight, showed a dose-dependent reduction (p ˂ 0.001) in the carrageenan-induced footpad oedema in seven-day old chicks with of 61.21 ± 2.16% at the highest dose. Considerable antimicrobial activity was observed against selected microorganisms with the highest sensitivity towards Streptococcus pyogenes. The extract exhibited moderate DPPH scavenging activity with an IC50 of 226.5 ± 0.86 μg/ml compared to ascorbic acid (IC50 of 24.37± 0.33μg/ml). The findings of this study has highlighted the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of Psydrax subcordata stem bark and therefore gives scientific credence to its use in folklore medicine.