title: Studies on the anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyrexic activities of betulinic acid derived from Tetracera potatoria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activity of betulinic acid (BA) was investigated in this study. The triterpene was isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of Tetracera potatoria and its structure was verified by IR and NMR spectroscopy. The bioactivity of this compound was assessed using carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats and carrageenan-induced pulmonary oedema in mice for the anti-inflammatory activity, while acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice and zymosan-induced fever in rats were used for analgesic test.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats and mice were randomly divided into groups of five animals. For each experiment, betulinic acid at 10, 20 or 40mg/kg b.w was administered intraperitoneally to the first three groups respectively. The fourth group was administered with indomethacin (10mg/kg) or acetylsalicylic acid (150mg/kg), while the fifth group was administered with distilled water (10ml/kg). Data obtained were expressed as mean±S.E.M and significant differences were determined at p<0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BA significantly reduced carrageenan-induced paw oedema by 11.0%, 45.7%, 68.6% or pulmonary oedema by 25.6, 29.2 and 45.13% dose dependently. 40 mg/kg of BA inhibited paw oedema by 68.6% comparably to acetylsalicylic acid (71.4%) or indomethacin (51.33%) respectively. Abdominal writhing was also significantly (p<0.05) reduced to 17.20 writhes by BA (40mg/kg) comparable to Indomethacin (16.3writhes). Fever was inhibited by BA most significantly by 3hours post-injection of zymosan (1.00, 1.45, 0.00°C) and this inhibitory effect was higher than that observed for acetylsalicylic acid (0.30°C).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Betulinic acid derived from Tetracera potatoria exhibited potent anti-inflammatory, analgesic or antipyrexic activity which is comparable to indomethacin or acetylsalicyclic acid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Bukola Olunike
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Oyebanji
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Biochemistry & Pharmacology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Adebowale Bernard
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Saba
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Biochemistry & Pharmacology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olayinka Ayotunde
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Oridupa
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid; D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058633:Antipyretics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002351:Carrageenan; D045466:Dilleniaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000188:drug therapy; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015054:Zymosan; D000094062:Betulinic Acid
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D058633:Antipyretics; D053978:Pentacyclic Triterpenes; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014315:Triterpenes; D002351:Carrageenan; D015054:Zymosan; D019342:Acetic Acid; D000094062:Betulinic Acid
keywords: Anti-inflammatory; Tetracera potatoria; analgesia; antipyrexia; betulinic acid