Objective:To verify through a scientific mean the therapeutic use of the plant as an anti-tussive agent,by traditional medicine healers and also aid in the search for new drugs developments from plants.Methods:The roots of Triclisia dictyophylla were investigated for their antitussive properties.The plant was uprooted in the month of June 2003 at Igbodo,Delta State,Nigeria and was taken to the university of Nigeria Nsukka for taxonomy. The roots were chopped,ground and immersed in pure drinking water for 24 hours.After filtration, extraction was carried out using a Rotary evaporator,preliminary phytochemistry and acute toxicity studies were carried out.Antitussive study was carried out using a total of 42 young rats of average weight of 72.2 g.The rats were housed in standard animal house of the university and were allowed access to feeds and water but, were fasted for 12 hours prior to commencement of experiment.Specific and appropriate dosage of the crude extract and Codeine re - dissolved in water were administered orally 30 minutes prior to induction of cough. Cough was induced by exposing the animals to Sulphure dioxide gas for 3- minutes.Coughing was taken as number of Head-nods per minute,Stethoscope aided audible sounds and,or tears secretion.Percentage cough inhibition for crude extract and,or Codeine treated rats were compared with reference to control animals.Results were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS 13.0.Results:A 10.2%extraction yield was got from a starting root initial weight of 320 g.The preliminary phytochemistry of the aqueous root extract revealed the presence of alkaloids,saponins,flavonoids,proteins,reducing sugars,steroids,resins fats/oils and glycosides. The Median lethal dose(LD_(50)) based on Lorke’s 1983 method was 548 mg/kg The aqueous root extract at concentrations of 10 mg/kg,50 mg/kg,100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg orally administered,inhibited cough in rats induced by sulphure dioxide gas by 16.67%,33.33%,50.00%and 83.33%respectively.While Codeine phosphate,a standard antitussive agent,at oral concentrations of 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg inhibited cough in rats induced by sulphure dioxide gas by 33.33%and 60.67%respectively.Conclusion:Earlier works by some authors had led to isolation of Morhinian Alkaloids from Triclisia dictyophylla thus most probably linking its mechanism of antitussive activity to that likable of Morphine.This study justifies the use of the plant in treatment of cough by Traditional Medicine Healers. Objective: To verify through a scientific mean the therapeutic use of the plant as an anti-tussive agent, by traditional medicine healers and also aid in the search for new drugs developments from plants. Methods: The roots of Triclisia dictyophylla were investigated for their antitussive properties. The plant was uprooted in the month of June 2003 at Igbodo, Delta State, Nigeria and was taken to the university of Nigeria Nsukka for taxonomy. The roots were chopped, ground and immersed in pure drinking water for 24 hours. After filtration, extraction was carried out using a Rotary evaporator, preliminary phytochemistry and acute toxicity studies were carried out. Antitussive study was carried out using a total of 42 young rats of average weight of 72.2 g. The rats were housed in standard animal house of the university and were allowed access to feeds and water but, were fasted for 12 hours prior to commencement of experiment. Specialized and appropriate dosage of the crude extract and Codeine re - dis solved in water were administered orally 30 minutes prior to induction of cough. Cough was induced by exposing the animals to Sulfur dioxide gas for 3- minutes. Coughing was taken as number of Head-nods per minute, Stethoscope aided audible sounds and, or tears secretion.Percentage cough inhibition for crude extract and, or Codeine treated rats were compared with reference to control animals. Results were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS 13.0. Results: A 10.2% extraction yield was got from a starting root initial weight of 320 g The preliminary phytochemistry of the aqueous root extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, proteins, reducing sugars, steroids, resins fats / oils and glycosides. The Median lethal dose (LD_ (50)) based on Lorke’s 1983 method was 548 mg / kg The aqueous root extract at concentrations of 10 mg / kg, 50 mg / kg, 100 mg / kg and 200 mg / kg orally administered, inhibited cough in rats induced by sulphure dioxide gas by 16.67%, 33.33%, 50.00% and 83.33% respectively.While Codeine phosphate, a standard antitussive agent, at oral concentrations of 10 mg / kg and 20 mg / kg inhibited cough in rats induced by sulphure dioxide gas by 33.33% and 60.67% respectively. Conclusion: Earlier works by some authors had led to isolation of Morhinian Alkaloids from Triclisia dictyophylla thus most promising linking its mechanism of antitussive activity to that likable of Morphine. This study justifies the use of the plant in treatment of cough by Traditional Medicine Healers.