Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect of Ceratonia siliqua L. methanol barks extract

Ceratonia siliqua L. has been used in Moroccan trad i ional medicine as antidiarrheal and diuretic. The infusion of carob leaves is used as an emetic for acute poisoni ng. The present investigation was designed to deter min the antiinflammatory potential of methanolic barks extract of Ceratonia siliqua in rodents using female Swiss mice (20-30 g) and Wistar male rats (150-250 g). The acute toxi city studies were carried out based on OECD 423 gui delines. The LD50 of Ceratonia siliqua was found to be more than 5 g /kg and did not produce mortality or changes in general behavior of the tested animals. Methanolic barks extract of Ceratonia siliqua was investigated for antiinflammatory properties by using carrageenan and ex perimental trauma-induced hind paw oedema in rodent s at the dose of 50, 100, 200 mg/kg p.o. respectively, Indom ethacin at 10 and 20 mg/kg was used as standard. Fr om the results obtained, the methanolic barks extract of C eratonia siliqua showed significant reduction (P ≤ 0.001) and inhibition of oedema comparable to the control and reference drug used in both models. This study show ed the justification of the use of Ceratonia siliqua in th e treatment of inflammatory disease conditions in M orocco.