The anti-inflammatory activity of crude methanolic (MeOH) extract and its partitioned fractions [ethylacetate (EtOAc) and butanol (BuOH)] of leaves of Tapinanthus bangwensis on wistar albino rats was investigated. The methanolic extract and fractions (EtOAc and BuOH) at doses of 10 and 100mg/kg body weight exhibited varying degrees of anti-inflammatory activities with BuOH and EtOAc fractions (100mg/kg) showing high and significant (p≤0.05) inhibition (67.32 and 38.56%) respectively at the 3rd h. The EtOAc and BuOH fractions (100mg/kg) reduced significantly (p≤0.05) paw oedema volume (0.94±0.02 and 0.5±0.01ml) when compared to control (0.9% saline) (1.62±0.07 ml) at the 3rd h. The administration of 10mg/kg dose of MeOH extract and its fractions ((EtOAc and BuOH) caused a mild inhibition at the 3rd h (4.56±0.26, 16.99±0.83 and 29.41±0.22%) respectively while mean percent inhibition was recorded as 3.47±0.18, 13.35±0.33, and 25.55±0.47% respectively after four hours of carrageenan injection. However, the BuOH fraction (100mg/kg) gave the highest percent inhibition (67.32±0.17%) which was significant (p≤0.05) at the 3rd h. The anti-inflammatory actions of the extract (MeOH) and partitioned fractions (EtOAc and BuOH) of T. bangwensis may be due to an inhibitory effect on mediators of inflammation. However, the results obtained indicate that the methanolic extract (MeOH) and partitioned fractions (EtOAc and BuOH) possess anti-inflammatory effect and this may justify the use of this plant in the management of inflammatory disease conditions.
