Anti-inflammatory activity of Maytenus senegalensis root extracts and of maytenoic acid.
Maytenus senegalensis (Lam.) Excell (Celastraceae) root extracts were investigated for their topical anti-inflammatory properties by measuring the inhibition of the Croton oil-induced ear oedema in mice. The highest anti-inflammatory activity was detected in the chloroform extract, which reduced the oedematous response with a potency similar to that of the NSAID reference drug indomethacin (ID(50)=84 and 93 microg/cm(2), respectively). Fractionation of the chloroform and of the hexane extracts led to the isolation of maytenoic acid (1), which exhibited a dose-dependent antiphlogistic effect (ID(50)=0.11 micromol/cm(2)) twice that of indomethacin (ID(50)=0.26 micromol/cm(2)) and only three times lower than that of hydrocortisone (ID(50)=0.04 micromol/cm(2)).
Sosa
S
S
Dipartimento dei Materiali e delle Risorse Naturali, Università degli Studi di Trieste, via Valerio 6, 34127 Trieste, Italy. silvio.sosa@econ.univ.trieste.it
Morelli
C F
CF
Tubaro
A
A
Cairoli
P
P
Speranza
G
G
Manitto
P
P
D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003436:Croton Oil; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D029755:Maytenus; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018517:Plant Roots; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014315:Triterpenes; C001687:maytenonic acid; D003436:Croton Oil