Antiinflammatory activity of some extracts from plants used in the traditional medicine of North-African countries (II)

Aqueous, ethanol and chloroform extracts from Corrigiliola telephiifolia, E chinops spinosus, Kundmannia sicula, Tamarindus indica and Zygophyllum gaet ulum were evaluated for antiinflammatory properties in mice (ear oedema ind uced by arachidonic acid) and rats (subplantar oedema induced by carrageena n) after topical or i.p. administration, respectively. Our results showed t hat all the. plants exhibit antiinflammatory activity, since at least one e xtract from each plant was active in one of the experimental models. Wherea s all the extracts of Corrigiliola telephiifolia and Echinops spinosus were highly active on all the experimental models assayed (values of inflammati on inhibition well above 50%), poorer activity profiles were recorded in Ku ndmannia sicula, Tamarindus indica and Zygophyllum gaetulum. These results support the traditional uses for these plants but indicate that the active principles in the chloroform extracts are probably more active and/or are c ontained in larger concentrations than the principles in the polar extracts used in the traditional medicine of North-African countries. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.