title: Evaluation of the analgesic and antiedematogenic activities of Quassia amara bark extract.
abstract: We evaluated the possible antiedematogenic, antinociceptive and/or sedative effects of four different extracts obtained from the bark of Quassia amara namely, 70% ethanol (70EtOH), 100% ethanol (100EtOH), dichloromethane (DCM) and hexane extracts (HEX). The oral administration (100, 250 and 500 mg/kg) of these extracts did not show significant effects in any experiment. However, when administered intraperitoneally, the HEX extract decreased the paw edema induced by carrageenan, showed antinociceptive effects on the hot-plate test and on acetic acid-induced writhing, and showed sedative effects on pentobarbital-induced sleep. Naloxone did not reverse the antinociceptive effect of this extract. In conclusion, although the mechanisms are uncertain, the results demonstrated that these effects are apparently related to sedative and muscle relaxant or psychomimetic activities of the HEX extract of the plant.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofi;sica, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, C.P. 6109, CEP-13083-970, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Toma
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gracioso
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hiruma-Lima
authors.forename: F D P
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Vilegas
authors.forename: A R M
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Souza Brito
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002351:Carrageenan; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008517:Phytotherapy; D024301:Plant Bark; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D032271:Quassia
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002351:Carrageenan