ANTIINFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF D-002 - AN ACTIVE PRODUCT ISOLATED FROM BEESWAX

D-002 is a natural mixture of high molecular weight alcohols isolated and purified from beeswax, which contains triacontanol among its main components. This study was undertaken to investigate the anti-inflamma tory effects of D-002 administered by the oral route in two animal mod els commonly used in the pharmacological screening of anti-inflammator y drugs. D-002 administered orally to rats (100 and 200 mg/kg) produce d a mild but significant reduction of exudate volume in carrageenan-in duced pleuritic inflammation that was accompanied by a marked and sign ificant decrease of leukotriene B-4 (LTB4) levels in the exudate. D-00 2 (25, 50 and 200 mg/kg) also significantly diminished the granuloma w eight in the cotton pellet granuloma in rats. In both cases, D-002 was less effective than indomethacin, which was used as an established an ti-inflammatory reference drug. On the other hand, D-002 administered from 25-1000 mg/kg did not induce erosions or gastromucosal lesions in rats, which differs from results usually obtained with non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. These results indicate that D-002 is a mild a ntiinflammatory agent without any ulcerogenic effect associated. The r esults suggest that these effects are probably not mediated through an inhibition of cyclooxygenase, but a reduction in LTB4 levels induced by D-002 could explain these results.