• Cândida A L Kassuya, Daniela F P Leite, Lucilia Vilela de Melo, Vera Lúcia G Rehder, and João B Calixto.
• Department of Pharmacology, Center of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
• Planta Med. 2005 Aug 1; 71 (8): 721-6.

AbstractThis study assessed the anti-inflammatory effect of the extracts and purified lignans obtained from Phyllanthus amarus. Given orally, the hexane extract (HE), the lignan-rich fraction (LRF), or the lignans phyltetralin, nirtetralin, niranthin, but not hypophyllanthin or phyllanthin, inhibited carrageenan (Cg)-induced paw oedema and neutrophil influx. The HE, the LRF or nirtetralin also inhibited the increase of IL1-beta tissue levels induced by Cg. Furthermore, bradykinin (BK)-, platelet activating factor (PAF)- and endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced paw oedema were significantly inhibited by the HE or LRF while histamine- and substance P-induced paw oedema were unaffected. Finally, nirtetralin or phyltetralin caused inhibition of paw oedema induced by PAF or ET-1. These results show that the HE, the LRF and the lignans niranthin, phyltetralin and nirtetralin exhibited marked anti-inflammatory properties and suggest that these lignans seem to be the main active principles responsible for the anti-inflammatory properties reported for the HE of P. amarus.

26 keywords...

hide…