title: Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of the aqueous extract of Rheedia longifolia Planch & Triana.
abstract: Rheedia longifolia Planch et Triana belongs to the Clusiaceae family. This plant is widely distributed in Brazil, but its chemical and pharmacological properties have not yet been studied. We report here that leaves aqueous extract of R. longifolia (LAE) shows analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Oral or intraperitoneal administration of this extract dose-dependently inhibited the abdominal constrictions induced by acetic acid in mice. The analgesic effect and the duration of action were similar to those observed with sodium diclofenac, a classical non-steroidal analgesic. In addition to the effect seen in the abdominal constriction model, LAE was also able to inhibit the hyperalgesia induced by lipopolysaccharide from gram-negative bacteria (LPS) in rats. We also found that R. longifolia LAE inhibited an inflammatory reaction induced by LPS in the pleural cavity of mice. Acute toxicity was evaluated in mice treated with the extract for seven days with 50 mg/kg/day. Neither death, nor alterations in weight, blood leukocyte counts or hematocrit were noted. Our results suggest that aqueous extract from R. longifolia leaves has analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity with minimal toxicity and are therefore endowed with a potential for pharmacological control of pain and inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacodinâmica, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040-900, Brasil. frutuoso@ioc.fiocruz.br
authors.forename: Valber da Silva
authors.initials: Vda S
authors.lastname: Frutuoso
authors.forename: Márcia Magalhães
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Fábio Coelho
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Amendoeira
authors.forename: Andressa Luiza Figueiredo
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Diogo Dibo
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: do Nascimento
authors.forename: Ana Luiza Rangel
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bérenger
authors.forename: Maria Auxiliadora Coelho
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Maria Raquel
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.forename: Patrícia T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Bozza
authors.forename: Hugo C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Castro-Faria-Neto
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019342:Acetic Acid; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D028084:Clusiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D051379:Mice; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010998:Pleurisy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D019342:Acetic Acid