Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the plant Andrographis paniculata Nees

In this study, we explored the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the medicinal herb Andrographis paniculata using in vitro as well as in vivo systems. Methanolic extract of Andrographis paniculata was found to inhibit formation of oxygen derived free radicals such as superoxide (32%) hydroxyl radicals (80%) lipid peroxidation (80%) and nitric oxide (42.8%) in in vitro system. In vivo studies using BALB/c mice models also showed significant inhibition in PMA induced superoxide (32.4%) and nitric oxide (65.3%) formation. Interestingly we also found that, administration of Andrographis paniculata extract produced complete inhibition of carageenan induced inflammation compared with control models.