Psidium Guajava’s Effect on Acute Phase Protein Levels during Acute Inflammation.

In spite of wide spread biological uses of Psidium guajava, there is a dearth of information on its hepatoprotective activity especially during inflammation. This work was therefore conducted to evaluate the effects of methanolic stem bark and leave extracts of the plant on acute-phase proteins during acute-phase response in rats. Forty albino Wistar rats (twenty in each group) were divided into two groups (stem bark and leave extracts). Inflammation was induced using egg albumin while treatment with the extracts commenced as soon as the inflammation was established and this lasted for 90 minutes. Initial, inflammation and recovery phase blood samples were obtained for analysis of acute-phase proteins (Albumin & C-reactive protein) using standard methods. Even though the stem bark extract showed more potent effects on both parameters in either dose-dependent and time-dependent fashions, both were perpetuating their anti-inflammatory potency through significant reduction on C-RP and increment on Albumin levels purporting a possible mechanism of action for anti-inflammatory activity of Psidium guajava. Results were considered significant at P≤0.05.