Analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of aqueous extract of Zea mays husk in male Wistar rats.

The analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of Zea mays husk extract (25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg of body weight) were investigated in rats. The hot plate and formalin-induced paw licking models were used to assess analgesic effects of the extract, whereas the carrageenan and cotton pellet models were used for the evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity. The extract at 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight significantly (P < .05) reduced pain stimuli and inflammatory activity when compared with the control group. The reductions in paw licking time and granuloma weight in the formalin and cotton pellet models were both dose dependent. Also, the 200 mg/kg doses of the extract produced higher effects compared with indomethacin (5 mg/kg body of weight) in all the tests. These observations suggest that Z. mays husk extract may have analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects that may be due to its tannins and polyphenolic constituents. These results provide scientific validation for the use of Z. mays husk decoction for the treatment of pain and inflammatory conditions in Nigerian folk medicine.