EVALUATION OF SOME SAMOAN AND PERUVIAN MEDICINAL-PLANTS BY PROSTAGLANDIN BIOSYNTHESIS AND RAT EAR EDEMA ASSAYS

In our ongoing program to find new anti-inflammatory compounds, 58 ext racts from 46 different medicinal plant species, used in treatment of inflammatory disorders - 38 plants from the traditional medicine of We stern Samoa and eight originating from the indigenous medicine of the Shipibo-Conibo tribe of Peruvian Amazonia - were evaluated. The abilit y of all extracts to inhibit cyclooxygenase-1 catalysed prostaglandin biosynthesis in vitro was examined. Of the plant species tested 14 sho wed moderate to strong inhibition; including 11 Samoan and three Peruv ian species. Further, 12 Samoan and all eight Peruvian species were in vestigated on their inhibitory activity of ethyl phenylpropiolate indu ced rat ear oedema in vivo Significant activity was shown by 10 of the Samoan and by all eight Peruvian species. An additional evaluation of the most active species was provided through a compilation of existin g literature documenting traditional medicinal uses, pharmacological a ctivity and chemical constituents. Several known cyclooxygenase-l inhi bitors were reported to which the observed pharmacological activity ca n be attributed at least partly. The combination of chemical and pharm acological literature data and our experimental data may help to expla in the anti-inflammatory use of these species in indigenous medicine. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.