Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities of the aqueous leaf extract of Kalanchoe crenata (Andrews) Haw. traditionally used for ear disorders in Côte d’Ivoire
Paper Details
Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities of the aqueous leaf extract of Kalanchoe crenata (Andrews) Haw. traditionally used for ear disorders in Côte d’Ivoire
Abstract
Ear disorders, particularly otitis, remain important public health problems, and traditional medicine contributes to their management in many African countries. In Côte d’Ivoire, the leaves of Kalanchoe crenata (Andrews) Haw. are traditionally used for ear disorders. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities of its aqueous leaf extract (EAKc) using complementary experimental models. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed using kaolin- and fresh egg albumin-induced paw edema in mice, analgesic activity using the hot-water tail immersion test, and antipyretic activity using brewer’s yeast-induced pyrexia in rats. EAKc reduced paw edema in both models, with the strongest effect generally observed at 500 mg/kg. At 5 h, paw thickness was 2.27 ± 0.31 mm in the kaolin model and 1.80 ± 0.02 mm in the egg albumin model. At 500 mg/kg, tail-withdrawal latency reached 6.28 ± 0.18 s at 4 h, compared with 6.80 ± 0.06 s for aspirin. The strongest antipyretic effect was observed at 250 mg/kg, with a temperature of 35.80 ± 0.10°C at 5 h, compared with 37.30 ± 0.00°C in controls and 36.45 ± 0.05°C for paracetamol. Overall, the findings extend previous pharmacological evidence for K. crenata by integrating anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities of its aqueous leaf extract. These findings support its traditional symptomatic use in ear disorders, without establishing efficacy directly against otitis or its infectious causes. Further phytochemical, safety, mechanistic and antimicrobial studies are needed.
Al-Khayri JM, Sahana GR, Nagella P, Joseph BV, Alessa FM, Al-Mssallem MQ. 2022. Flavonoids as potential anti-inflammatory molecules: A review. Molecules 27(9), 2901. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27092901
Assis de Andrade E, Machinski I, Terso Ventura AC, Barr SA, Pereira AV, Beltrame FL, Strangman WK, Williamson RT. 2023. A review of the popular uses, anatomical, chemical, and biological aspects of Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae): A genus of plants known as “Miracle Leaf”. Molecules 28(14), 5574. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28145574
Aydin S, Demir T, Oztürk Y, Başer KHC. 1999. Analgesic activity of Nepeta italica L. Phytotherapy Research 13(1), 20–23. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1573(199902)13:1<20::AID-PTR380>3.0.CO;2-J
Béné K, Camara D, Fofie NBY, Kanga Y, Yapi AB, Yapo YC, Ambe SA, Zirihi GN. 2016. Étude ethnobotanique des plantes médicinales utilisées dans le Département de Transua, District du Zanzan (Côte d’Ivoire). Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences 27(2), 4230–4250.
Dimo T, Fotio A, Nguelefack TB, Asongalem EA, Kamtchouing P. 2006. Antiinflammatory activity of leaf extracts of Kalanchoe crenata Andr. Indian Journal of Pharmacology 38(2), 115–119. https://doi.org/10.4103/0253-7613.24617
European Union. 2010. Directive 2010/63/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. Official Journal of the European Union L276, 33–79.
Harborne JB. 1998. Phytochemical methods: A guide to modern techniques of plant analysis. 3rd ed. Chapman and Hall, London/New York. 302 pp.
Huang GJ, Lin BR, Li PS, Tang N, Fan ZJ, Lu BQ. 2025. The global burden of otitis media in 204 countries and territories from 1992 to 2021: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease study 2021. Frontiers in Public Health 12, 1519623. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1519623
Kandeda AK, Mezui C, Kengni S, Baldagai N, Mabou ST. 2025. Kalanchoe crenata Haw. (Crassulaceae) decreases hippocampal neuron loss and improves memory and executive function in aged rats: Implications for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms. Brain and Behavior 15, e70261. https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.70261
Kokon JE, Davis K, Nwidu LL. 2016. Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of Solenostemon monostachyus aerial part extract in mice. Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine 6(3), 284–294.
Kouadio KK, N’Guessan K, Tra Bi FH, Koné MW. 2014. Enquête ethnobotanique sur les plantes utilisées dans le traitement traditionnel des affections ORL dans trois régions de Côte d’Ivoire. Phytothérapie 12(5), 295–302.
Milad R, El-Ahmady S, Singab AN. 2014. Genus Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae): A review of its ethnomedicinal, botanical, chemical and pharmacological properties. European Journal of Medicinal Plants 4, 86–104.
Muhammad N, Saeed M, Khan H, Raziq N, Halimi SMA, Abass M. 2013. Antipyretic and anticonvulsant activity of n-hexane fraction of Viola betonicifolia. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine 3(4), 280–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2221-1691(13)60063-5
Nguelefack TB, Fotio AL, Watcho P, Wansi SL, Dimo T, Kamanyi A. 2004. Analgesic properties of the aqueous and ethanol extracts of the leaves of Kalanchoe crenata (Crassulaceae). Phytotherapy Research 18(5), 385–388. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.1444
Nguelefack TB, Fotio AL, Watcho P, Wansi SL, Dimo T, Kamanyi A. 2006. Analgesic and anticonvulsant effects of extracts from the leaves of Kalanchoe crenata (Andrews) Haworth (Crassulaceae). Journal of Ethnopharmacology 106(1), 70–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2005.12.003
Panche AN, Diwan AD, Chandra SR. 2016. Flavonoids: An overview. Journal of Nutritional Science 5, e47. https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2016.41
Wagner-Jauregg T, Jahn U, Buech O. 1962. The antiphlogistic testing of known antirheumatics on kaolin-induced rat paw edema. Arzneimittel-Forschung 12, 1160–1162.
Yimer T, Birru EM, Adugna M, Geta M, Emiru YK. 2020. Evaluation of analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of 80% methanol root extract of Echinops kebericho M. (Asteraceae). Journal of Inflammation Research 13, 647–658. https://doi.org/10.2147/JIR.S267154
Monyn-Kouamé Ebalah Delphine*, Yéo Sounta Oumar, Sépé Gbodjrou Marthe, Kandé Brahima, 2026. Anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities of the aqueous leaf extract of Kalanchoe crenata (Andrews) Haw. traditionally used for ear disorders in Côte d’Ivoire. Int. J. Biosci., 29(4), 81-89.
Copyright © 2026 by the Authors. This article is an open access article and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license.


