title: The latex obtained from Hancornia speciosa Gomes possesses anti-inflammatory activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hancornia speciosa Gomes (Apocynaceae) is a tree that is widely distributed throughout Brazil. Its latex is collected and used extensively to treat acne, warts, diseases related to bursitis, and inflammation. In this work, we describe the anti-inflammatory effects of the latex.
  
  
  METHODS
  The latex from Hancornia speciosa (0.06-1.3mg/kg, p.o.) and the reference drug acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, 200mg/kg, p.o.) were evaluated in analgesia (formalin-induced licking, acetic acid-induced contortions, and hot plate) and inflammation models (formalin-induced licking, paw oedema, and subcutaneous air pouch, with measurement of cell migration, exudate volume, protein extravasations, nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, TNF-α, and IL-6, and expression of the enzymes inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase 2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The latex from Hancornia speciosa significantly inhibited the number of writhings and the time that the animal spent licking the formalin-injected paw (second phase). Doses of 0.1-1.3mg/kg latex reduced carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema. However, only the highest doses (0.6 and/or 1.3mg/kg) reduced the oedema induced by bradykinin, histamine, and serotonin. The latex also inhibited inflammation induced by subcutaneous carrageenan injection, cell migration, exudate volume, protein extravasations, increased levels of inflammatory mediators (nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, TNF-α, and IL-6) produced in the pouch, and increased expression of the enzymes nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that the latex obtained from Hancornia speciosa demonstrates significant anti-inflammatory activity through the inhibition of nitric oxide, PGE2, and cytokine production, thus confirming the popular use of this plant as an anti-inflammatory agent.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Farmacologia da Inflamação e do Óxido Nítrico, Programa de Desenvolvimento de Fármacos, ICB, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Diogo Guimarães
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Marinho
authors.forename: Daniela Sales
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Alviano
authors.forename: Maria Eline
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Matheus
authors.forename: Celuta Sales
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Alviano
authors.forename: Patricia Dias
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Fernandes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029062:Apocynaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D007840:Latex / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D007840:Latex