Experimental evaluation of anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antipyretic activities of clove oil in mice.
Clove oil of Eugenia caryophyllata (Myrtaceae) is a light yellowish fluid obtained from dried flower buds. Clove oil is used traditionally to relieve toothache.



The aim of the present work was to study the anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antipyretic potential of clove oil in mice.



Analgesic activity was examined using acetic-acid-induced abdominal constrictions and the hot plate test. Carrageenan-induced paw edema and brewer's-yeast-induced pyrexia were used to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity and the antipyretic effects, respectively. The oil was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) at a dose of 33 mg/kg body weight and the effects were compared with reference drugs.



In the antinociceptive test, mice treated with clove oil exhibited significantly decreased acetic-acid-induced writhing movements by a maximum of 87.7% (p<0.01) compared with a decrease of 77.7% (p<0.01) in response to aspirin injection (100 mg/kg, intraperitoneal, i.p.). Similarly, in the hot plate test, clove oil significantly increased the reaction latency to pain after 60 min by 82.3% (p<0.05) compared with morphine value of 91.7% (p<0.01). In addition, clove oil and indomethacin produced anti-inflammatory effects, as demonstrated by respectively 50.6% (p<0.05) and 70.4% (p<0.01) inhibition of mouse paw edema induced by carrageenan. Furthermore, clove oil significantly attenuated the hyperthermia induced by yeast at ΔT-max by 2.7°C (p<0.001), and time of peak effects was 30-180 min compared with a paracetamol value ΔT-max of 3.2°C (p<0.001). The estimated i.p. LD50 of clove oil was 161.9 mg/kg. Phytochemical screening of the oil showed the presence of eugenol.



The present findings demonstrate the potential pharmacological properties of clove oil and provide further a support for its reported use in folk medicine.
Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tripoli University, Tripoli, Libya; ymadane@yahoo.co.uk.
Yousef A
YA
Taher
Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Faculty of Medical Technology, Tripoli University, Tripoli, Libya.
Awatef M
AM
Samud
Orthodontic Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Tripoli University, Tripoli, Libya.
Fathy E
FE
El-Taher
Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tripoli University, Tripoli, Libya.
Ghazala
G
ben-Hussin
Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tripoli University, Tripoli, Libya.
Jamal S
JS
Elmezogi
Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tripoli University, Tripoli, Libya.
Badryia F
BF
Al-Mehdawi
Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tripoli University, Tripoli, Libya.
Hanan A
HA
Salem
D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058633:Antipyretics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000494:pharmacology; D045783:Clove Oil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004487:Edema / Q000188:drug therapy; D005334:Fever / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008805:Mice, Inbred A; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D027842:Syzygium / Q000737:chemistry
D000700:Analgesics; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D058633:Antipyretics; D045783:Clove Oil; D001241:Aspirin
Eugenia caryophyllata; anti-inflammatory; antinociceptive; antipyretic; clove oil; eugenol; mice