The present study was aimed at investigating the hypouricemic and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities of the various fractions of the hydromethanolic extract of the leaves of Coccinia grandis L. Voigt (Cucurbitaceae). The leaves of this species was used in traditional medicinal system for the treatment of gout, rheumatism, jaundice, bronchitis, fever, skin eruptions, wounds, etc. The degree of xanthine oxidase inhibition was determined in vitro by measuring the increase in absorbance at 295 nm associated with uric acid formation. Among the fractions tested, the chloroform fraction exhibited highest potency ($IC_{50}$ $17.8;{mu}g/ml$). This was followed by the pet-ether ($IC_{50}$ $29.7;{mu}g/ml$), ethyl acetate ($IC_{50}$ $41.2;{mu}g/ml$) and residual ($IC_{50}$ $47;{mu}g/ml$) fractions. The $IC_{50}$ value of allopurinol was $6.1;{mu}g/ml$. In addition, the hypouricemic and hepatic xanthine oxidase (XO)/xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) inhibitory activities of the fractions were examined in vivo using oxonate (280 mg/kg, i.p.) induced hyperuricemic mice. At a dose of 200 mg/kg orally for 7 days, the pet-ether, chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions produced a significant (P < 0.01) reduction in serum urate level and also inhibited hepatic XO/XDH activities when compared to hyperuricemic mice. These inhibitory effects were weaker than that observed for the standard drug, allopurinol (10 mg/kg, p.o.). Lineweaver-Burk analysis of the enzyme kinetics indicated that the mode of inhibition was of a mixed type. These results suggest that the use of Coccinia grandis leaves for the treatment of gout could be attributed to its XO inhibitory activity.