title: The antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of caulerpin, a bisindole alkaloid isolated from seaweeds of the genus Caulerpa.
abstract: The antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activity of caulerpin was investigated. This bisindole alkaloid was isolated from the lipoid extract of Caulerpa racemosa and its structure was identified by spectroscopic methods, including IR and NMR techniques. The pharmacological assays used were the writhing and the hot plate tests, the formalin-induced pain, the capsaicin-induced ear edema and the carrageenan-induced peritonitis. Caulerpin was given orally at a concentration of 100 micromol/kg. In the abdominal constriction test caulerpin showed reduction in the acetic acid-induced nociception at 0.0945 micromol (0.0103-1.0984) and for dypirone it was 0.0426 micromol (0.0092-0.1972). In the hot plate test in vivo the inhibition of nociception by caulerpin (100 micromol/kg, p.o.) was also favorable. This result suggests that this compound exhibits a central activity, without changing the motor activity (seen in the rotarod test). Caulerpin (100 micromol/kg, p.o.) reduced the formalin effects in both phases by 35.4% and 45.6%, respectively. The possible anti-inflammatory activity observed in the second phase in the formalin test of caulerpin (100 micromol/kg, p.o.) was confirmed on the capsaicin-induced ear edema model, where an inhibition of 55.8% was presented. Indeed, it was also observed in the carrageenan-induced peritonitis that caulerpin (100 micromol/kg, p.o.) exhibited anti-inflammatory activity, reducing significantly the number of recruit cells by 48.3%. Pharmacological studies are continuing in order to characterize the mechanism(s) responsible for the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory actions and also to identify other active principles present in Caulerpa racemosa.
authors.affiliation: LaFI-Laboratório de Farmacologia e Imunidade, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió (AL), Brazil. evertontenorio_al@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Everton Tenório
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Daysianne Pereira
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: de Lira
authors.forename: Aline Cavalcanti
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: de Queiroz
authors.forename: Diogo José Costa
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Anansa Bezerra
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: de Aquino
authors.forename: Eliane A Campessato
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Mella
authors.forename: Vitor Prates
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Lorenzo
authors.forename: George Emmanuel C
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: de Miranda
authors.forename: João Xavier
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: de Araújo-Júnior
authors.forename: Maria Célia de Oliveira
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.forename: José Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Barbosa-Filho
authors.forename: Petrônio Filgueiras
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: de Athayde-Filho
authors.forename: Bárbara Viviana de Oliveira
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Magna Suzana
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Alexandre-Moreira
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002211:Capsaicin; D002351:Carrageenan; D046068:Caulerpa / Q000737:chemistry*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde; D026121:Indole Alkaloids / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007211:Indoles / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D012624:Seaweed / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D026121:Indole Alkaloids; D007211:Indoles; D005557:Formaldehyde; C000392:caulerpin; D002351:Carrageenan; D002211:Capsaicin