SEARCH FOR ANTIINFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY IN ARGENTINE MEDICINAL-PLANTS

Extracts of different polarity from four Argentine medicinal plants us ed in folk medicine as antiinflammatory remedies were tested for bioac tivity using carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats and TPA-induced ear edema in mice. A dichloromethane extract from Pluchea sagittalis show ed good antiinflammatory activity in both tests. Flavonoids present in this extract may be responsible for the activity. Ipomoea fistulosa d ichloromethane extract showed significant activity in the ear edema te st while a dichloromethane extract from Eupatorium inulaefolium and aq ueous extract of Polygonum punctatum exhibited antiinflammatory activi ty in the carrageenan-induced edema test.