Farmaco. 1995 Apr; 50(4): 245-56.

Leaf extracts of some Cordia species: analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities as well as their chromatographic analysis.

Ficarra R, Ficarra P, Tommasini S, CalabrÃ² ML, Ragusa S, Barbera R, Rapisarda A.

Dipartimento Farmaco-Chimico, UniversitÃ di Messina, Italy.

Leaf preparations of several species of Cordia are used in traditional medicine as remedies for osteoarticular diseases. The analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activities in the rat of different extracts of C. francisci, C. martinicensis, C. myxa, C. serratifolia and C. ulmifolia leaves were studied. The results obtained showed that the petroleum ether and alcoholic extracts especially of C. francisci, C. myxa and C. serratifolia leaves have a significant analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activity in the rat. The flavonoids and phenolic derivative content of the five species of genus Cordia leaves was investigated by TLC and determined by reversed-phase HPLC with an acetonitrile/water/acetic acid buffer solvent gradient. UV detection was carried out at 255 and 280 nm. Four flavonoid glycosides, robinin, rutin, datiscoside and hesperidin, one flavonoid aglycone, dihydrorobinetin, two phenolic derivatives, chlorogenic and caffeic acid, were evidenced and determined.