ANTIINFLAMMATORY AND ANTINOCICEPTIVE ACTIVITIES OF EXTRACTS AND ISOLATED COMPOUNDS FROM STACHYTARPHETA-CAYENNENSIS

The alcoholic and n-butanolic extracts of dried leaves of Stachytarphe ta cayennensis (L.C. Rich) Vahl (Verbenaceae) was assessed in antiinfl ammatory and antinociceptive models. Intraperitoneal pretreatment with the dried extracts at doses ranging from 100 to 200 mg/kg, significan tly inhibited carrageenin inducing edema formation. The active extract s were then fractionated and monitored with the same bioassay. The iri doid ipolamiide and the phenylethanoid glycoside acteoside were isolat ed from the active fraction and showed inhibitory effect on histamine and bradykinin induced contractions of guinea-pig ileum. The compounds also showed in vivo antiinflammatory activity when administered orall y to rats mainly in the fourth hour after the administration of the ph logistic agent (70.22% and 93.99%, respectively). These results indica te that S. cayennensis shows antiinflammatory properties which seems t o be due, at least partly, to the inhibition of bradyknin and histamin e. The extracts also exhibited antinociceptive activity measured by th e hot-plate test both i.p. and p.o. in doses ranging from 100 to 300 m g/kg (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.