COMPLEMENT-MEDIATED ANTIINFLAMMATORY ACTION OF EXTRACTS AND PURE SECOIRIDOIDS ISOLATED FROM FRAXINUS SPECIES

Ethanol extracts from Fraxinus sp. were tested for in vitro and in viv o influence on complement activity. Total extracts from F. oxycarpa wi th a high anticomplement effect were tested in mice models of paw oede ma. An inhibitory effect of about 48% in carrageenan-induced oedema an d inhibition of about 80% in cobra venom-induced oedema was observed a t a dose of 25 mg/kg. A correlation between the reduction of oedema vo lume and changes in the alternative pathway activity was established. A series of pure secoiridoid constituents was compared in vitro for an ticomplement action as well as for their ability to prevent cobra veno m-induced complement activation in normal human serum, The substances selectively suppressed the classical pathway activity at 10(-4) M. The results support data for the traditional use of Fraxinus stem bark in some inflammatory disorders.