Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of Arrabidaea brachypoda (DC.) Bureau roots.
OBJECTIVE
Arrabidaea brachypoda (DC.) Bureau has been used to relieve general pain, painful joints and kidney stones in Brazilian folk medicine. Nevertheless, scientific information regarding this species is scarce; there are no reports related to its possible analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. This study was aimed at evaluating the traditional use of Arrabidaea brachypoda root using in vivo inflammatory and nociceptive models.


METHODS
Carrageenan-induced paw edema, peritonitis and fibrovascular tissue growth induced by s.c. cotton pellet implantation were used to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of Arrabidaea brachypoda roots ethanolic extract (AbEE) in rats. Formalin and acetic acid-induced writhing tests were used to investigate the antinociceptive activity in mice. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine the fingerprint chromatogram of AbEE.


RESULTS
The AbEE at test doses of 30-300 mg/kg p.o. demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects. AbEE reduced paw edema induced by carrageenan, inhibited leukocyte recruitment into the peritoneal cavity and, in the model of chronic inflammation using the cotton pellet-induced fibrovascular tissue growth in rats, significantly inhibited the formation of granulomatous tissue. The extracts at test doses of 30-300 mg/kg p.o. clearly demonstrated antinociceptive activity, except during the first phase of the formalin test. The presence of quercetin and phenolic compounds in the extract Arrabidaea brachypoda was confirmed using HPLC.


CONCLUSIONS
Arrabidaea brachypoda ethanol extract markedly demonstrated anti-inflammatory action in rats and antinociceptive activity in mice, which supports the previous claims of traditional use.
Laboratory of Physiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas, MG, Brazil.
Cláudia Q
CQ
da Rocha
Fabiana C
FC
Vilela
Gustavo P
GP
Cavalcante
Flávia V
FV
Santa-Cecília
Lucas
L
Santos-e-Silva
Marcelo H
MH
dos Santos
Alexandre
A
Giusti-Paiva
D000700:Analgesics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029402:Bignoniaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D001938:Brazil; D004487:Edema / Q000188:drug therapy; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D015745:Granuloma, Foreign-Body / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D051379:Mice; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000188:drug therapy; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D000700:Analgesics; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D010936:Plant Extracts