Mutuma, Gitonga GodfreyNgeranwa, JosephMachocho, Alex King’oriKiruki, Silas2020-10-052020-10-052020Mutuma GG, Joseph N, King’ori MA, Silas K. Phytochemical and anti-inflammatory analysis of Prunus africana bark extract. Res J Pharmacogn. 2020; 7(4): 31-38.2345-5977http://www.rjpharmacognosy.ir/article_113661_7a6ef285246815770b2ad69b7b85281c.pdfhttp://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/20519A research article published in Research Journal of PharmacognosyBackground and objectives: Inflammation is associated with various diseases; Prunus africana (Hook f.) is commonly used in Meru community of Kenya in management of inflammation. Medicinal plants contain phytochemicals associated with pharmacological activities; so, the aim of the present study was evaluating the anti-inflammatory activity of Prunus africana bark extract and qualitative analysis phytochemical of its phytochemicals. Methods: Five hundred mg of the powdered P. africana stem bark was extracted using 1.5 liters of dichloromethane for 24 h. The anti- inflammatory activity was evaluated against carrageenan paw induced edema in mice. The ability of the extracts to suppress the paw inflammation was expressed as a percentage inhibition of paw edema in five groups each comprising of five mice. Group I was treated with DMSO, group II with diclofenac (100 mg/Kg) and experimental groups III, IV and V with 50, 100 and 150 mg/Kg of the plant extract. The ability of the extracts to suppress the paw inflammation was expressed as a percentage inhibition of paw edema in mice. The qualitative phytochemical analysis was conducted using the standard protocols. Results: The percentages paw edema inhibition after the 4th h in the positive control and the experimental groups I, II and III were 13.61, 32.85, 25.15 and 5.92%, respectively. The qualitative evaluation of stem bark extract illustrated presence of tannins, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, quinones, cardiac glycosides, terpenoids, phenolics and coumarins. Conclusion: Dichloromethane stem bark extract of the P. africana presented anti-inflammatory activity hence a possible candidate for extraction of active anti-inflammatory compounds.endiclofenacinflammationmicephytochemistryPrunus africanaArticle