Anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and antipyretic effects of methanol extract of Cariniana rubra stem bark in animal models.

Cariniana rubra Miers (Lecythidaceae), popularly known as "jequitibá-vermelho'', is a large Brazilian tree whose bark is used in infusion and decoction for the treatment of inflammatory conditions. This study aims to assess the anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and antipyretic effects of Cariniana rubra methanolic stem bark extract (EM Cr) using experimental animals. Anti-inflammatory activity of EM Cr was tested on carrageenan and dextran-induced rat paw edema, carrageenan-induced pleurisy in rats and acetic acid-increase vascular permeability in mice.

Anti-inflammatory effect of the ethanolic extract from Bowdichia virgilioides H.B.K stem bark.

Bowdichia virgilioides H.B.K stem bark (Fabaceae), locally known as "sucupira-preta", is a reputed folk-remedy to treat some inflammatory disorders.

Oleanolic acid, a pentacyclic triterpene attenuates capsaicin-induced nociception in mice: possible mechanisms.

The anti-inflammatory pentacyclic triterpene, oleanolic acid (OA) was examined on acute nociception induced by intraplantar injection of capsaicin in mice. OA administered orally to mice at 10, 30 and 100 mgkg(-1), significantly attenuated the paw-licking response to capsaicin (1.6 microg/paw) by 53%, 68.

Attenuation of visceral nociception by alpha- and beta-amyrin, a triterpenoid mixture isolated from the resin of Protium heptaphyllum, in mice.

In the search for novel natural compounds effective against visceral nociception, the triterpenoid mixture alpha- and beta-amyrin, isolated from Protium heptaphyllum resin, was assessed in two established mouse models of visceral nociception. Mice were pretreated orally with alpha- and beta-amyrin (3, 10, 30, and 100 mg/kg) or vehicle, and the pain-related behavioral responses to intraperitoneal cyclophosphamide or to intracolonic mustard oil were analyzed. The triterpenoid mixture showed a dose-related significant antinociception against the cyclophosphamide-induced bladder pain, and at 100 mg/kg, the nociceptive behavioral expression was almost completely suppressed.

Pro-erectile effects of an alkaloidal rich fraction from Aspidosperma ulei root bark in mice.

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the search for novel natural substances active against erectile dysfunction. Plants that belong to the genus Aspidosperma (Apocyanaceae) are known to be very rich in indole alkaloids and have an ethnomedical history of use as traditional remedies for erectile dysfunction. This study examined whether the indole alkaloidal rich fraction (F(3-5)) from Aspidosperma ulei Markgr.

Cardiovascular effects of trans-dehydrocrotonin, a diterpene from Croton cajucara in rats.

Previous studies have established the gastroprotective, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic effects of trans-dehydrocrotonin (t-DCTN), a major diterpene isolated from the Amazon medicinal plant Croton cajucara. This study aims to examine the potential effects of t-DCTN on hemodynamic parameters that include resting arterial blood pressure and heart rate in vivo, and on left atrial force, spontaneous beating atria, and aortic rings of rats in vitro. Intravenous bolus injections of t-DCTN (5, 10, or 15 mg/kg) to urethane anesthetized normotensive rats reduced the mean arterial pressure and heart rate in a dose-dependent manner.

Attenuation of capsaicin-induced acute and visceral nociceptive pain by alpha- and beta-amyrin, a triterpene mixture isolated from Protium heptaphyllum resin in mice.

The triterpene mixture, alpha- and beta-amyrin, isolated from Protium heptaphyllum resin was evaluated on capsaicin-evoked nociception in mice. Orally administered alpha- and beta-amyrin (3 to 100 mg/kg) significantly suppressed the nociceptive behaviors--evoked by either subplantar (1.6 microg) or intracolonic (149 microg) application of capsaicin.

Gastroprotective effect of the mixture of alpha- and beta-amyrin from Protium heptaphyllum: role of capsaicin-sensitive primary afferent neurons.

This investigation evaluated the role of capsaicin-sensitive afferent neurons in the gastroprotective effect of alpha- and beta-amyrin, a triterpenoid mixture isolated from Protium heptaphyllum resin. Gastric mucosai damage was induced in mice by intragastric ethanol and assessed by planimetry. Mice pretreated orally with the amyrin mixture (50 and 100 mg/kg) or capsaicin (2.

Pentacyclic triterpenoids, alpha,beta-amyrins, suppress the scratching behavior in a mouse model of pruritus.

In the search for natural compounds useful against pruritus, alpha,beta-amyrins, the pentacyclic triterpenes isolated from the resin of popular medicinal plant Protium heptaphyllum were examined on scratching behavior induced by dextran T40 and compound 48/80 in mice. The animals were pretreated orally with alpha,beta-amyrins (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) or cyproheptadine (10 mg/kg), an antagonist of histamine and serotonin receptors and 2 h later, they were given subcutaneous injections of dextran T40 (75 mg/kg) or compound 48/80 (3 mg/kg) into the rostral back, and scratching was quantified for 20 min. The scratching behavior induced by dextran T40 and compound 48/80 was significantly inhibited in mice pretreated with alpha,beta-amyrins (100 and 200 mg/kg) or cyproheptadine (10 mg/kg), In addition, the compound 48/80-elicited degranulation of rat peritoneal mast cells (ex vivo) was also markedly reduced in animals pretreated with alpha,beta-amyrins (100 mg/kg) or ketotifen (1 mg/kg), a known mast cell stabilizer.

Gastroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of resin from Protium heptaphyllum in mice and rats.

The natural resin collected from the trunk wood of Protium heptaphyllum is used in folk medicine to treat inflammatory conditions and to hasten wound repair. In the search of new potential anti-inflammatory agents with gastroprotective property, the present study evaluated its effects in experimental models of gastric ulcer and inflammation. In mice, the resin (200 and 400 mg/kg) significantly attenuated the gastric damage induced by ethanol or acidified ethanol (HCl/ethanol), in a manner similar to N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a replenisher of sulfhydryls.