Ethnopharmacological relevance: The Pseudobombax marginatum (St Hil) Rob., Malvaceae, is mentioned in ethnobotanical studies. It is used as anti-inflammatory, for ulcers and gastritis, and back pain. To evaluate anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities a hydroalcoholic extract (HE) from inner bark was prepared.
Materials and methods: For the anti-inflammatory activity, carrageenan-induced paw edema and peritonitis models, and also myeloperoxidase assay were used. For the antinociceptiva activity acetic acid-induced writhing, hot plate and formalin tests were employed.
Results: The HE extract exhibited an intense inhibition in carrageenan-induced edema model and also in myeloperoxidase activity at the doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg. The leukocyte migration into the peritoneal cavity was also inhibited at the doses of 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg. A similar profile was observed against acid-induced abdominal contortions and in formalin second phase test at the doses of 30 and 100 mg/kg, but this treatment did not affect the behavior of animals in the hot plate test.
Conclusions: The experimental data of the HE from Pseudobombax marginatum show anti-inflammatory and antinociceptiva activities, confirming the indication from traditional medicine; however further studies are required to define and isolate the active anti-inflammatory and antinociceptiva components from this active specie.
Keywords: ANOVA; APG; ASA; AUC; CEPA; COX; EDTA; FLONA; HE; Inflammation; MPO; NO; Nociception; PGE2; PGs; Pseudobombax marginatum; SISBIO; UMPO; acetylsalicylic acid; analysis of variance; area under curves; authorization system and information in biodiversity; cyclo-oxygenase; ethics committee for animal use in research; ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; group phylogeny of angiosperms; hydroalcoholic extract; myeloperoxidase; national forest; nitric oxide; prostaglandin E2; prostaglandins; units of myeloperoxidase.
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