A report on anti-oedemogenic activity of Byttneria herbacea roots--possible involvement of histamine receptor (type I).

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The traditional healers of the Kol tribes of West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand (India), widely use the woody rootstock of Byttneria herbacea to reduce the swelling of limbs, due to filariasis. Besides filariasis different part of this plant is used for the treatment of cholera, diarrhoea and asthma.

Aim Of This Study: This study is a preliminary attempt to evaluate the anti-oedemogenic activity of the roots of Byttneria herbacea.

Materials And Methods: The anti-oedemogenic activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of the roots of Byttneria herbacea (HBH) was evaluated against carrageenan and histamine induced rat paw oedema, acetic acid induced writhing and histamine induced vascular permeability in mice. Further, the effect of HBH on the expression of human histamine receptor type I (H1R) was studied in HeLa cells.

Results: HBH exhibited significant dose-dependent inhibition (*p<0.05) against carrageenan and histamine induced rat paw oedema. Similar significant dose-dependent inhibition was observed against acetic acid induced writhing and histamine-induced vascular permeability in mice. Moreover, H1R specific mRNA expression was also significantly (*p<0.05) suppressed by HBH.

Conclusion: HBH was observed to possess anti-oedemogenic activity which is probably mediated through suppression of H1R.