Ocimum sanctum: an experimental study evaluating its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activity in animals.
A methanol extract and an aqueous suspension of Ocimum sanctum inhibited acute as well as chronic inflammation in rats as tested by carrageenan-induced pedal edema and croton oil-induced granuloma and exudate, respectively. In both test procedures, the anti-inflammatory response of 500 mg/kg of methanol extract and aqueous suspension was comparable to the response observed with 300 mg/kg of sodium salicylate. Both the extract and suspension showed analgesic activity in the mouse hotplate procedure and the methanol extract caused an increase in the tail-withdrawal reaction time of a subanalgesic dose of morphine. Both preparations reduced typhoid-paratyphoid A/B vaccine-induced pyrexia. The antipyretic action of the methanol extract and aqueous suspension was weaker and of shorter duration than that of 300 mg/kg sodium salicylate. Oral premedication with the methanol extract and the aqueous suspension delayed castor oil-induced diarrhoea in rats.
D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011453:Prostaglandins