Ethnopharmacological relevance: Gynura procumbens is applied topically for the treatment of traumatic injuries in South China.
Materials and methods: This study was conducted to identify the active ingredients in the essential oils from Gynura procumbens (GPEO) by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) and to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects in vivo and in vitro.
Results: A reduction in dswelling and pain were observed in mice treated with GPEO or its active ingredients (α-pinene, 3-carene, and limonene) compared with mice treated with a solvent control. GPEO or its three active ingredients had potent pharmacological effects on COX-2 overexpression and LPS-induced migration of Raw264.7 macrophages. All three ingredients inhibited nociceptive stimulus-induced inflammatory infiltrates and COX-2 overexpression, which could be responsible for the anti-inflammatory effect of GPEO. However, only 3-carene produced an antinociceptive effect.
Conclusion: Consistent with the traditional usage in Southern China, GPEO may serve as a promising potent external therapeutic agent for the treatment of chronic pain.
Keywords: Analgesic; Anti-Inflammatory; Cyclooxygenase-2; Essential oils; Gynura procumbens; Traditional medicine.
Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.