Beta-sitosterol and beta-sitosteryl-beta-D-glucoside were isolated as analgesic constituents from the leaves of Mentha cordifolia Opiz. The acetic acid-induced writhing test showed that beta-sitosterol and beta-sitosteryl-beta-D-glucoside decreased the number of squirms induced by acetic acid by 70.0% and 73.0%, respectively, at a dose of 100 mg / kg mouse. Statistical analysis using the Kruskall Wallis one-way analysis of variance by ranks showed that these isolates approximate the analgesic activity of mefenamic acid at a 0.001 level of significance. The hot plate method confirmed their analgesic activities, as beta-sitosterol and beta-sitosteryl-beta-D-glucoside exhibited a 300% and 157% increase in pain tolerance, respectively, while mefenamic acid, a known analgesic, showed a 171% increase. Neither isolate exhibited antiinflammatory activity using the carrageenan-induced mouse paw oedema assay. Beta-sitosterol also exhibited anthelminthic and antimutagenic activities. In vitro tests using live Ascaris suum as test animals showed that the behaviour of worms treated with beta-sitosterol approximated that of the positive controls, Combantrin and Antiox. An in vivo micronucleus test showed that beta-sitosterol inhibited the mutagenicity of tetracycline by 65.3% at a dose of 0.5 mg /kg mouse. At the same dose, it did not exhibit chromosome-breaking activity.
Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.