The oil of the fruits of Euterpe oleracea Mart., Arecaceae (OEO), was evaluated in models of inflammation and hyperalgesia in vivo to study its effects on these conditions. The experimental models contained the writhing test in mice, rat paw edema, granuloma test in rats, vascular permeability in rats, cell migration to the peritoneal cavity in rats and ear erythema induced by croton oil in mice. Doses of 500, 1000 and 1500 mg/kg of OEO were administered orally. The observed number of writhes was inhibited by 33.67, 45.88 and 55.58%, respectively. OEO produced a dose-dependent effect, with linear correlation coefficient R=0.99 (y=0.0219x+23.133), and the median effective dose found was 1226.8 mg/kg. The oral administration of 1226.8 mg/kg of OEO inhibited carrageenan-induced edema by 29.18% (p<0.05) when compared to the control group. The daily administration of OEO for six days inhibited the formation of granulomatous tissue by 36.66% (p<0.01). In ear erythema induced by croton oil, OEO presented a significant inhibition (37.9%). In the vascular permeability test, treatment with OEO decreased the response to histamine, inhibiting vascular permeability by 54.16%. In carrageenan-induced peritonitis, OEO reduced the number of neutrophils migrating compared to the control group by 80.14%. These results suggested that OEO has anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities, probably of peripheral origin and linked to prostaglandin biosynthesis inhibition.

Artemisia annua tem sido utilizada tradicionalmente para o tratamento de malária e febre na China devido à presença do princípio ativo, artemisinina. O presente trabalho avaliou a atividade central de do óleo essencial obtido por hidrodestilação e do extrato etanólico bruto de folhas frescas de A. annua em modelo in vivo como parte de um screening farmacológico dessa espécie. Sono induzido por pentobarbital, nado forçado e o ensaio de campo aberto são modelos de estudo conhecidos para o estudo de fármacos sobre depressão induzida. A administração do óleo essencial ou extrato bruto etanólico de A. annua aumentaram o tempo de imobilidade no teste do nado forçado. Por outro lado, diminuíram outros parâmetros no campo aberto, como ambulação, exploração, o ato de lamber as patas ou se lamber. Ambos produtos aumentaram o tempo de sono induzido por pentobarbital, com o óleo essencial apresentando um efeito superior ao do extrato. Pela análise dos resultados, é possível sugerir que tanto o extrato bem como o óleo essencial podem atuar como depressores do Sistema Nervoso Central (SNC).

Artemisia annua has been used as a traditional plant for the treatment of malaria and fever in China because of the presence of its active compound, artemisinin. The present study evaluated the central activity of the essential oil and the crude ethanol extract of A. annua L. in animals as a part of a psychopharmacological screening of this plant. The extract was prepared in ethanol (AEE) and the essential oil (AEO) obtained by hydrodistillation, both with fresh leaves. Induced immobility, the forced swimming test (FST) and the open-field test (OFT) are well-known animal models to study drug-induced depression. The administration of A. annua essential oil or crude ethanol extract increased the immobility time in the FST and decreased other activities (ambulation, exploration, rearing and grooming) in the OFT in animals. Both AEO and AEE prolonged pentobarbital-induced sleep as well, but the essential oil had a marked effect. Observing these results, it is possible to suggest that A. annua crude ethanol extract and essential oil could act as depressors on the Central Nervous System (CNS).

O 19-nor-clerodano trans-crotonina (CTN) e o triterpeno ácido acetil aleuritólico (AAA), isolados das cascas do caule de Croton cajucara Benth (Euphorbiaceae), uma planta tradicional da Região Amazônica do Brasil, bem como o extrato aquoso (EA) das cascas do caule deste Croton, foram submetidos a experimentos farmacológicos utilizando animais, para avaliação das atividades anti-inflamatória e antinociceptiva. A administração oral de AAA (50 mg/kg), CTN (50 mg/kg) ou AE (300 mg/kg) inibiram as contorções em ratos, induzidas por ácido acético. Os terpenóides AAA e CTN, bem como o extrato polar EA, inibiram significativamente o edema de pata em ratos, induzido por carragenina. As inibições foram observadas em todos os intervalos de medições, tendo sido evidenciado melhores inibições para os terpenóides AAA (47,7%, após a primeira hora) e CTN (54,4%, após a segunda hora). Evidenciou-se ainda, após 90 minutos do estímulo, significante inibição no edema induzido por dextrana (31,9% para CTN e 28,5% para AAA) e por histamina (43,2% para CTN e 40,5% para AAA). Estes resultados confirmam o uso popular de Croton cajucara na região Amazônica do Brasil, no combate a inflamações.

The 19-nor-clerodane trans-crotonin (CTN) and the triterpene acetyl aleuritolic acid (AAA), isolated from the stem bark of Croton cajucara Benth (Euphorbiaceae), a traditional medicinal plant from Amazon region of Brazil, as well as the aqueous extract (AE) from its stem bark, were submitted to pharmacological screening for anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities in animal models. The oral administration of AAA (50 mg/kg), CTN (50 mg/kg) or AE (300 mg/kg) inhibited the acetic acid-induced writhing in mice. The AE, CTN and AAA had shown significant inhibition of carrageenin-induced edema in rats, in all time intervals measured after the injection of the stimulus, with the greatest inhibition at the first hour for AAA (47.7%) and the second hour for CTN (54.4%). They have also exhibited significant inhibition in the dextran-induced edema 90 minutes after the stimulus: 31.9% for CTN and 28.5% for AAA. In the histamine-induced edema, the inhibition showed by CTN and AAA were 43.2% and 40.5%, respectively, 90 minutes after the injection of stimulus. This study extends and supports the popular medicine and folkloric uses of Croton cajucara in the Amazon region of Brazil.