Antiinflammatory properties of Hypoxis hemerocallidea corm (African potato) extracts in rats.

The effects of aqueous and methanolic extracts of Hypoxis hemerocallidea corm, locally known as 'African potato' in South Africa, were examined on rat paw edema induced by subplantar injections of fresh egg albumin (0.5 ml/kg). Acetyl salicylic acid (100 mg/kg p.o.) was used as the reference antiinflammatory agent for comparison. Both the aqueous and methanolic extracts of H. hemerocallidea corm (500 mg/kg p.o.) progressively reduced rat paw edema induced by the subplantar injections of fresh egg albumin. The methanolic extract produced relatively greater and more pronounced antiinflammatory effect than the aqueous extract in the experimental animal model used. However, the two extracts of African potato examined in this study were found to be less potent than acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) as an antiinflammatory agent.