ORAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY AND ANTI-ULCEROGENIC ACTIVITIES OF A HYDROALCOHOLIC EXTRACT AND PARTITIONED FRACTIONS OF TURNERA-ULMIFOLIA (TURNERACEAE)

Anti-inflammatory studies were conducted on rats or mice using a crude hydroalcoholic extract of the aerial parts of Turnera ulmifolia and i t's partitioned fractions. i,e. the aqueous, ethyl acetate and ethanol ic fractions. The hydroalcoholic extract and it's fractions (aqueous a nd ethanolic) inhibited carragreenan-induced edema. However, only the ethanolic fraction was used in the other experiments due to it's yield . The extract also inhibited the cotton pellet granuloma and the incre ase of vascular permeability induced by histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine and prostaglandin E-2, but not that produced by bradykinin. The extra ct or the fraction did not present analgesic activity in the writhing test using acetic acid and did not reduce croton oil-induced ear edema in mice. When the ethanolic fraction and LPS were administered i.p. t o Balb/C mice 72 h before blood or peritoneal fluid collection. no cha nges were observed in the white or total blood cell counts in the peri pheral blood. On the other hand, changes were observed in both total a nd differential cell counts in the peritoneal exudate since all doses of the fraction reduced the number of total leukocytes (mainly lymphoc ytes) obtained from the peritoneal exudate. In contrast to nonsteroida l anti-inflammatory drugs, the administration of the hydroalcoholic ex tract or the ethanolic fraction alone did not potentiate gastric mucos al lesions induced by aspirin. The extract and the fraction inhibited the appearance of gastric lesions induced by indomethacin, ethanol and pylorus ligature, but not those induced by stress. As also observed w ith carbenoxolone, the ethanolic fraction increased the wall mucus in hypothermical-restraint stress-induced gastric lesions. The anti-ulcer ogenic effect of the extract and of the ethanolic fraction may be rela ted to an increase of mucosal defensive factors, such as prostaglandin and mucus. The anti-inflammatory actions of the extract and the fract ion may be due to an inhibitory effect on histamine and cyclooxygenase II, but not on cyclooxynenase I, because the extract and it's fractio n present both anti-inflammatory and anti-ulcerogenic effects. The maj or substances present in the ethanolic fraction are flavonoids which w ill be isolated and identified. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.