J Ethnopharmacol. 1996 Dec; 55(1): 63-8.

Antiinflammatory activity of some medicinal plant extracts form Venezuela.

Abad MJ, Bermejo P, Carretero E, MartÃnez-Acitores C, Noguera B, Villar A.

Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Complutense, Madrid, Spain.

Six medicinal plant extracts from Venezuela, used in traditional medicine, were investigated for their anti-inflammatory potential against adjuvant-carrageenan-induced inflammation (ACII). All doses expressed here are equivalents of dried starting plant materials (1.50 g dry plant/kg body wt.). The most interesting plant extracts were Synedrella nodiflora, and the hexane leaf extract of Bursera simaruba. In ACII, orally administered extracts (at doses 40 and 80 mg/kg, respectively), inhibited both the acute and chronic phases of this experimental model of inflammation, mainly the chronic phase. These extracts exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity daily throughout the experiment, and were as effective as reference drugs, phenylbutazone (80 mg/kg) and indomethacin (3 mg/kg).