Ethnopharmacology of Calotropis procera flowers

An ethanolic extract of the flowers of Calotropis procera was investigated for anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, analgesic and antimicrobial activities. The plant extract reduced the paw swelling induced by carrageenan by 37%, fever in rats by 40% and showed some weak effect in rats on the writhing induced by acetic acid. The growth of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria was significantly inhibited. A dose-dependent effect on prostaglandin release was also observed.