Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências (2011) 83(2): 557-566
(Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences)
Printed version ISSN 0001-3765 / Online version ISSN 1678-2690
www.scielo.br/aabc
Anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and antipyretic effects of methanol extract
of Cariniana rubra stem bark in animal models
EDSON N. SANTOS1 , JOAQUIM C.S. LIMA1 , VÂNIA F. NOLDIN2 , VALDIR CECHINEL-FILHO2 ,
VIETLA S.N. RAO3 , EVANGELISTA F. LIMA4 , GUILLERMO SCHMEDA-HIRSCHMANN5 ,
PAULO T. SOUSA Jr.4 and DOMINGOS T.O. MARTINS1
1 Departamento de Ciências Básicas em Saúde, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso
Av. Fernando Correa da Costa, 2367, Boa Esperança, Campus Universitário, 78060-900 Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
2 Centro de Pesquisa Químico-Farmacêutica/NIQFAR, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí
Rua Uruguai, 458, 88302-202 Itajaí, SC, Brasil
3 Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Ceará
Rua Cel Nunes de Melo 1127, Porangabussu, 60430-270 Fortaleza, CE, Brasil
4 Laboratório de Pesquisa em Química de Produtos Naturais/ICET, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso
Av. Fernando Correa da Costa, 2367, Boa Esperança, Campus Universitário, 78060-900 Cuiabá, MT, Brasil
5 Instituto de Química de Recursos Naturales (IQRN), Universidad de Talca, Casilla: 747, 2 Norte 685, Talca, Chile
Manuscript received on October 26, 2009; accepted for publication on August 27, 2010
ABSTRACT
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 (EMCr)
using experimental animals. Anti-inflammatory activity of EMCr was tested on carrageenan and dextran-induced rat
paw edema, carrageenan-induced pleurisy in rats and acetic acid-increase vascular permeability in mice. Antinociceptive and antipyretic activities were evaluated using acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin and hot-plate tests in
mice, as well as brewer’s yeast-induced pyrexia in rats. The extract inhibitied carrageenan and dextran-induced edema,
reduced exudate volume and leukocyte migration on the carrageenan-induced pleurisy and on the vascular permeability increase induced by acetic acid. The EMCr inhibited nociception on the acetic acid-induced writhing and in the
second phase of formalin test, and decreased rectal temperature. It was, however, inactive against thermal nociception.
Phytochemical analysis with EMCr showed the occurrence of saponins, triterpenes, sterols and phenolic compounds.
Phytosterols (β-sitosterol, stigmasterol), pentacyclic triterpenes (α- and β-amyrin as a mixture), arjunolic acid, a phytosterol glycoside (sitosterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside), and triterpenoid saponins (28-β-glucopyranosyl-23-O-acetyl
arjunolic acid; 3-O-β-glucopyranosyl arjunolic acid and 28-O-[α-L-Rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-glucopyranosyl]-23O-acetyl arjunolic acid) were the main identified compounds. It can be presumed that EMCr caused their effects by
inhibiting the liberation and/or action of different inflammatory mediators. These findings support the traditional use
of Cariniana rubra preparations to treat inflammation.
Key words: anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antipyretic, Cariniana rubra, Lecythidaceae, triterpenoidal saponins.
INTRODUCTION
Cariniana rubra Miers (Lecythidaceae), popularly
known as “jequitibá-vermelho”, is a large tree that
grows abundantly in the hills and forests of the BrazilCorrespondence to: Domingos Tabajara de Oliveira Martins
E-mail: taba@terra.com.br
ian states of Mato Grosso, Goiás, Tocantins and Minas Gerais States of Brazil. Its stem bark is a reputed
traditional remedy in the form of decoctions and infusions for the treatment of inflammatory conditions, especially sore throat, oophoritis and venereal diseases
(De La Cruz 2008).
An Acad Bras Cienc (2011) 83 (2)
558
EDSON N. SANTOS et al.
No scientific reports in support of the traditional
use of this plant are available, although phytochemical
studies indicated the presence of phenolic compounds
in C. rubra, such as β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, α- and
β-amyrins, arjunolic acid, sitosterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, the triterpenoidal saponins 28-β-glucopyranosyl-23-O-acetyl arjunolic acid; 3-O-β-glucopyranosyl
arjunolic acid and 28-O-[α-L-Rhamnopyranosyl-(1→
2)-β-glucopyranosyl]-23-O-acetyl arjunolic acid (Lima
et al. 2002).
The traditional knowledge on the medicinal use
of plants should be assessed under laboratory conditions using appropriate biological assays to disclose if
the traditional claims are evidence-supported. In this
context, the ethnopharmacological approach provides
specific targets for pharmacological and chemical investigation, looking for a possible development of new
plant-derived drugs. With this objective, the present
study aims to verify the possible anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and antipyretic effects of methanol extract
from C. rubra stem bark in selected animal models. In
addition, the plant extract was also subjetcted to phytochemical analysis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
P LANT M ATERIAL AND E XTRACTION
The stem bark of Cariniana rubra was collected in
November 1997 by Liberio Amorim Neto, at Serra de
São Vicente, Cuiabá Municipality, Mato Grosso State,
Brazil. It was identified by Prof. Dr Germano Guarim
Neto, Department of Botany and Ecology, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Brazil.
A voucher specimen (# 18337) was deposited in
the Herbarium of the University. The collection was authorized by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and
Renewable Natural Resources.
The finely powdered bark of C. rubra (1 kg) was
packed into a Sohxlet extractor and extracted for 48 h,
with absolute methanol. The solvent was removed under reduced pressure using a rotavapor to obtain 333 g
(33%) of a dark brown solid. The dry extract (EMCr)
was suspended in distilled water for the pharmacological studies.
An Acad Bras Cienc (2011) 83 (2)
P HYTOCHEMICAL A NALYSIS
The air-dried plant material (150 g) was extracted
with methanol:water (80:20 v/v, 500 mL) in a Soxhlet
apparatus to obtain the hydrophilic extract. The lipophilic extract was obtained as above, using diethyl ether
(500 mL) as solvent. The chemical analysis was performed on the hydrophilic and the lipophilic extracts,
according to the literature (Matos 1988).
Chromatographic fractionation was carried out
using silica gel chromatography and permeation on
Sephadex LH-20, as well as by high speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) and medium pressure
chromatography. The structure determination of the
main compounds was carried out using spectroscopic
techniques as previously reported (Harbone 1998, Matos 1988, Lima et al. 2002, E.F. Lima, unpublished
data).
A NIMALS
Male Wistar rats (170-250 g) and male Swiss mice
(25-30 g) were used. Experimental groups consisted of
8 animals per group. They were housed at 22 ± 1◦ C
under a 12 h light/12 h dark cycle, and had free access
to standard pellet diet (Purinar chow) and tap water.
The animals were deprived of food for 15-24 h before
experimentation, but had free access to drinking water.
The Animal Care and Use Committee of the Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso approved the experimental protocols in accordance with the ethical guidelines for the investigation of experimental pain in conscious animals (Zimmermann 1983).
A NTI - INFLAMMATORY A SSAYS
Hind paw-edema induced by carrageenan and dextran
Paw edema was induced in the left hind paw of rats
(180-200 g) by sub-plantar injection of 0.1 mL of 1%
λ-carrageenan or 1.5% of dextran (w/v) in 0.9% of saline. The paw volume was measured before (0) and 3 h
after carrageenan injection or 2 h after dextran (Parrat
and West 1957) using a plethysmometer (Ugo Basile).
The edema was expressed as an increase in paw volume. Different groups of animals were treated by gastric gavage with EMCr (250, 750 and 2,000 mg/kg),
indomethacin (5 mg/kg), cyproheptadine (5 mg/kg) or
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES OF Cariniana rubra STEM BARK EXTRACT
559
vehicle (10 mL/kg) in a volume of 10 mL/kg, 1 h before
carrageenan or dextran injection (Winter et al. 1962).
for each animal, starting 10 min after acetic acid injection over a period of 20 min.
Carrageenan-induced pleurisy in rats
Formalin test
Pleurisy was induced in rats (200-220 g) by intrapleural
injection of 2% λ-carrageenan suspension (0.1 mL/rat)
in 0.9% of saline (Vinegar et al. 1978). The EMCr
(250, 750, 1,500, and 2,000 mg/kg), dexamethasone
(0.5 mg/kg) or vehicle (10 mL/kg) were given by gastric gavage 1 h before the injection of irritant agent. Six
hours after the injection of carrageenan, the rats were
killed by excess of ether. The pleural cavity was opened
and rinsed with 1 mL of saline solution containing
0.1% of EDTA. The exudate and washing solution
were collected by aspiration and the total volume measured (mL). The mobilized leukocyte number in the
exudate was quantified using improved Neubauer counting chambers.
In formalin test, groups of mice were treated by gastric
gavage with vehicle or EMCr (50, 250, and 750 mg/kg)
and, one hour later, each mouse was given 25µL of
2.5% formalin (in 0.9% of saline, subplantar) into the
left hind paw (Hunskaar and Hole 1987). The duration
of paw licking (s) as an index of painful response was
determined at 0-5 min (early phase, neurogenic) and
20-25 min (late phase, inflammatory) after formalin injection. Meperidine (25 mg/kg, s.c., 30 min before the
test) pre-treated animals were included in the study as
a positive control.
Acetic acid-induced increase in vascular permeability
Groups of mice (25-30 g) were treated by gastric
gavage with vehicle (10 mL/kg), EMCr (50, 250, and
750 mg/kg) or dexamethasone (0.5 mg/kg) in a volume
of 10 mL/kg. One hour after these treatments, each animal received an intravenous injection of 2% Evan’s
blue solution (w/v) in 0.9% of saline. Ten minutes later,
each mouse received intraperitoneally 0.4 mL of 0.5%
acetic acid solution. Twenty minutes after acetic acid
injection, the animals were killed, the peritoneal fluid
was collected and the concentration of Evan’s blue
was measured by absorbance at 590 nm in a spectrophotometer.
The dye extravasation was quantified from a standard curve and expressed in µg (Whittle 1964).
A NTINOCICEPTIVE A SSAYS
Writhing test
Abdominal constriction induced by intraperitoneal injection of acid acetic was carried out according to
a method described earlier (Koster et al. 1959). In this
test, groups of mice were treated with the vehicle,
EMCr (50, 250 and 750 mg/kg) or indomethacin (5 mg/
kg), 1 h before the administration of acetic acid (0.6%,
10 mL/kg, i.p.). The number of writhings was counted
Hot-plate test
In thermal nociceptive test, the reaction time (time
in seconds elapsed between placement and the animal
starting to lick its hind paw or jumping as an index of
painful response) in a hotplate maintained at 56 ± 1◦ C
was measured before and after 15, 30, 60, 120, and
180 min of drug administration (Eddy and Leimbach
1953). Mice with baseline latencies of more than 15 s
were eliminated from the study. Animal groups were
treated with the vehicle, EMCr (50, 250, and 750 mg/
kg) or meperidine (25 mg/kg, s.c.) 60 or 30 min (in case
of meperidine) before the hot-plate test. The cut-off
time was set at 45 s.
A NTIPYRETIC A SSAY
Brewer’s yeast induced pyrexia
Pyrexia was induced in rats (200-220 g) by subcutaneous injection of 10 mL/kg of 20% brewer’s yeast
suspension (w/v) in 0.9% of saline (Al-Ghamdi 2001).
Twenty-one hours later, the animals were treated by
gastric gavage with vehicle, EMCr (250, 750, and
2,000 mg/kg) or phenacetin (175 mg/kg). The rectal
temperature of the rats was determined with a digital
thermometer. It was inserted 3 cm into the rectum anus
and the temperature measured before and 1, 2, and 3 h
after the treatments. In another group, the animals received a subcutaneous injection from 0.9% of normal
saline (1 mL/100g), and 21 h later received the vehicle
An Acad Bras Cienc (2011) 83 (2)
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EDSON N. SANTOS et al.
by gastric gavage. The rectal temperature was determined and included in the study as a negative control.
Statistical analysis
All parametric values are given as Mean ± S.E.M and
were analyzed by One-way ANOVA followed by Student Newman-Keuls test for significance at p < 0.05.
RESULTS
P HYTOCHEMICAL A NALYSIS
The chemical analysis of the methanolic stem bark
extract of C. rubra (EMCr) showed the presence of
saponins, tannins, free steroids, flavonols and flavones.
Several constituents were isolated and identified by
spectroscopic means, including phytosterols and pentacyclic triterpenoids (β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, α and
β-amyrins, arjunolic acid), phenolic compounds, the
steroid glycoside sitosterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside,
and triterpenoidal saponins (28-β-glucopyranosyl-23O-acetyl arjunolic acid; 3-O-β-glucopyranosyl arjunolic acid and 28-O-[β-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→ 2)-βglucopyranosyl]-23-O-acetyl arjunolic acid). The structures are in agreement with literature data and co-chromatography with authentic samples (Lima et al. 2002,
E.F. Lima, unpublished data).
A NTI - INFLAMMATORY E VALUATION
EMCr was evaluated in the model of rat paw edema
induced by carrageenan or dextran. Table I shows that
the EMCr (750, and 2,000 mg/kg) and indomethacin
(5 mg/kg) significantly reduced the carrageenan-induced rat hind paw edema by 29 ( p < 0.01), 38 ( p <
0.001) and 55% ( p < 0.001), respectively, compared
to control values. However, in the dextran-induced paw
edema, EMCr was active only at 2,000 mg/kg (60 –
p < 0.001). Under the same experimental conditions,
cyproheptadine (5 mg/kg) reduced inflammation by
54% ( p < 0.001).
The results on the effect of plant extract on carrageenan pleurisy test are presented in Figure 1. In the
present investigation, we compared the effect of the
EMCr at 250, 750, 1,500, and 2,000 mg/kg and dexamethasone on the cell migration. The EMCr at 1,500
and 2,000 mg/kg markedly inhibited the carrageenanAn Acad Bras Cienc (2011) 83 (2)
induced pleuritic exudate by 46 ( p < 0.01) and 80%
( p < 0.001), and the leukocyte migration by 37 ( p <
0.01) and 80% ( p < 0.001), respectively. Dexamethasone, the reference drug used in the study, produced
83 ( p < 0.001) and 86% ( p < 0.001) inhibitions, respectively. The increased vascular permeability caused
by intraperitoneal acetic acid was found to be significantly reduced in mice pretreated with 50, 250, and
750 mg/kg of the plant extract in a dose-dependent
manner (Fig. 2).
A NTINOCICEPTIVE E VALUATION
Figure 3 shows that the mean number of writhes following intraperitoneal administration of 0.6% acetic
acid in vehicle-treated control mice was 44 ± 1. Animal groups that received the plant extract at 250, and
750 mg/kg or indomethacin (5 mg/kg) demonstrated
significantly diminished number of writhes (12, 57 –
p < 0.01 and 70% – p < 0.01, respectively).
In the formalin test, vehicle-treated animals
showed the mean licking times (s) of 81 ± 4 in the first
phase, and 173 ± 12 in the second phase (Fig. 4). Pretreatment with the EMCr at 750 mg/kg did not show
significant effect on the first phase response, but significantly diminished the second phase (inflammatory
pain) response by 28% ( p < 0.01). However, meperidine (25 mg/kg, s.c), a known analgesic, produced
marked inhibition at both phases (84 – p < 0.001 and
99% – p < 0.001, respectively).
The present study indicates that, unlike meperidine
(25 mg/kg, s.c.), the EMCr (50, 250, and 750 mg/kg)
failed to show any significant analgesia in the hot-plate
test (data not shown).
A NTIPYRETIC E VALUATION
The subcutaneous injection of brewer’s yeast suspension 20% increased considerably the rectal temperature
of the rats 21 h after administration (38.3 ± 0.13◦ C vs.
37.1 ± 0.16◦ C, p < 0.001). The EMCr treatment, with
750 and 2,000 mg/kg, significantly reduced the rectal
temperature of the animals in the second and third h
after administration, reaching the peak of antipyretic
effect with the highest dose in the second h (37.5 ±
0.08◦ C, p < 0.001), in relation to control (38.5 ±
0.01◦ C). The phenacetin treatment (30 mg/kg) caused
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES OF Cariniana rubra STEM BARK EXTRACT
561
TABLE I
Effect of methanol extract of Cariniana rubra stem bark (EMCr)
on carrageenan and dextran-induced hind paw edema in rats.
Treatment
Control (vehicle)
EMCr
Indomethacin
Cyproheptadine
Dosage
(mg/kg, p.o)
250
750
2000
5
5
Paw edema (mL)
3 h after
2 h after
carrageenan
dextran
1.07 ± 0.03
0.94 ± 0.04
0.76 ± 0.09**
0.66 ± 0.05***
0.48 ± 0.02***
—
0.65 ± 0.07
0.58 ± 0.04
0.49 ± 0.05
0.26 ± 0.06***
—
0.30 ± 0.05***
Each value represents mean ± S.E.M. of 8 animals. ** p < 0.01; *** p <
0.001. One-way ANOVA was followed by Student-Newman-Keuls.
Fig. 1 – Effect of oral administration of Cariniana rubra methanol extract (EMCr) or
dexamethasone on exudate volume and leukocyte numbers (×106 ) in a 6 h rat carrageenan
pleurisy test. Value represents mean ± S.E.M. for 8 animals. ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001.
One-way ANOVA was followed by Student-Newman-Keuls.
An Acad Bras Cienc (2011) 83 (2)
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EDSON N. SANTOS et al.
Fig. 2 – Effect of methanol extract from Cariniana rubra and dexamethasone on acetic acid-induced increase in vascular permeability in mice.
Value represents mean ± S.E.M. for 8 animals. ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001. One-way ANOVA was followed by Student-Newman-Keuls.
Fig. 3 – Effect of methanol extract of Cariniana rubra (EMCr) against acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction in mice. Value represents mean
± S.E.M. Each point represents the mean ± S.E.M. of 8 animals. * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; ***P < 0.001. One-way ANOVA was followed by
Student-Newman-Keuls.
significant antipyretic effect at all time periods, reaching the peak in the second h (37.0 ± 0.09◦ C, p < 0.001),
in relation to control (38.3 ± 0.08◦ C) (Fig. 5).
DISCUSSION
Natural products of plant origin are used in folk
medicine all over the word. They exhibit a wide range
of pharmacological activities and may provide relief of
symptoms often comparable to that obtained from alloAn Acad Bras Cienc (2011) 83 (2)
pathic medicines. The results reached in this study suggest that EMCr possesses anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antipyretic properties and support the traditional use of this plant to treat inflammatory conditions. In rats and mice, oral administration of EMCr
reduced the carrageenan and dextran-induced edema. It
has been referred that, after the carrageenan injection
on the rat’s paw, several mediators are released sequentially like histamine, serotonin and bradykinin in the
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES OF Cariniana rubra STEM BARK EXTRACT
563
Fig. 4 – Effect of vehicle or methanol extract from Cariniana rubra (EMCr) and
meperidine on formalin-induced nociception in mice. Each column represents
mean ± S.E.M. of 8 animals. ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001. One-way ANOVA
was followed by Student-Newman-Keuls.
Fig. 5 – Effect of vehicle, methanol extract of Cariniana rubra (EMCr) or phenacetin on Brewer’s
yeast-induced hyperthermia in rats. Each point represents the mean ± S.E.M. of 8 animals. * p <
0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001. One-way ANOVA was followed by Student-Newman-Keuls.
initial phase (0-1h), and an increase in the production
of prostaglandins through the activation of cyclooxygenase-2 and release of nitric oxide in the later phase
(1-6 h) are reported (Silva et al. 2005). It is likely that
the extract might have suppressed the edema formation
by the inhibition of the inflammatory mediator substances. In addition, the extract effectively reduced the
vascular permeability in intraperitoneal acetic acid test
wherein many components of inflammatory cascade participate involving resident cells, macrophages and mast
An Acad Bras Cienc (2011) 83 (2)
564
EDSON N. SANTOS et al.
cells (Whittle 1964, Ribeiro et al. 2000). The increase
in vascular permeability induced by acetic acid is known
to correspond to the initial exudative inflammation and,
conversely, its inhibition may contribute to the reduction of edema formation and to decrease the migration of
neutrophils. Histamine and serotonin are the principal
mediators involved in the dextran-induced paw edema,
and their release is a result of mast cell degranulation
(Lo et al. 1982). EMCr effectively suppressed the dextran edema, and its effect at 750 mg/kg was similar to
that of 0.5 mg/kg dexamethasone.
The injection of carrageenan into the pleural cavity of rodents provokes an acute inflammatory response
characterized by the accumulation of fluids in the pleural cavity with a large number of polymorphonuclear
leukocytes. This eventually leads to the increased levels
of prostaglandin E2 , reactive oxygen intermediates, lipid
peroxidation, and cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-1β
(Di Paola et al. 2004). Cell migration occurs as a result
of different processes including adhesion and cell mobility (Meade et al. 1986). The extract treated animals
displayed less neutrophils in the pleural cavity fluids
than in the controls, suggesting the inhibition of neutrophil influx.
Besides anti-inflammatory activity, the EMCr demonstrated antinociceptive activity in the experimental
models of chemical nociception induced by acetic acid
and in the second phase of subplantar formalin. However, it was inactive in the first phase of formalin and
in hot-plate tests, suggesting that the effect of EMCr is
related to the anti-inflammatory action.
The acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing test
is a visceral pain model commonly used to assess the
inflammatory pain for its high sensitivity, despite its
low specificity. Acetic acid unleashes the release of
several mediators such as bradykinin, substance P and
prostaglandins, as well as cytokines such as IL-1β, TNFα
and IL-8 (Sekiya 1982). The antinociceptive activity
demonstrated by EMCr in this model implies that it is
likely to inhibit these mediators and, thus, the activation of chemosensitive nociceptors that contribute to the
development of inflammatory pain.
The formalin test is more specific and simulate
clinical pain. Several reports suggest that formalin-induced licking response is mediated by the release of
An Acad Bras Cienc (2011) 83 (2)
the excitatory amino acid glutamate at the first phase,
and by sensory neuropeptides like substance P released
from sensory neurons at the spinal cord at the second
phase (Otuki et al. 2001). Since EMCr failed to show
antinociception in the first phase of formalin test, possibly EMCr has only peripheral antinociceptive activity.
Most of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) exert antipyretic effects inhibiting prostaglandins production (Dinarello 1989), thereby suppressing inflammation-associated hyperthermia (Kaufmann
et al. 1997). The injection of brewer’s yeast causes the
liberation of proinflammatory cytokines and stimulates
the synthesis of prostaglandin E2 in the surroundings
of the hypothalamic thermoregulator centers (Chan and
Fiscus 2004). Since the extract manifests a significant
antipyretic effect in yeast-induced pyrexia, this may be
related to its anti-inflammatory effect.
The phytochemical analysis of the extract confirmed the presence of several constituents previously
isolated and identified from this crude drug. Arjunolic acid has been reported as an active compound reducing diabetic injury and other pathological conditions
related to oxidative stress (Manna et al. 2009, Ghosh
et al. 2010a, b). Furthermore, sitosterol and its glycosides have been shown to display anti-inflammatory and
analgesic effect (Bouic et al. 1996, Yuk et al. 2007,
Aragão et al. 2007, Messias et al. 2008). Other still
unidentified constituents of the extract, including tannins, also contribute to the total activity of the crude
drug. Tannins have been recognized as active and
widespread compounds in several medicinal and food
plants (Okuda 2005, Yoshida et al. 2000, 2005). The
data presented here indicate that C. rubra extract possesses anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antipyretic
effects and support to the traditional indication of C.
rubra stem bark in inflammatory conditions.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors are grateful to Superintendência do Desenvolvimento da Amazônia (SUDAM), Conselho Nacional
de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq),
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Mato
Grosso (FAPEMAT), Instituto Nacional de Ciência e
Tecnologia em Áreas Úmidas (INAU) and Centro de
Pesquisas do Pantanal (CPP) for the financial support.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES OF Cariniana rubra STEM BARK EXTRACT
RESUMO
Cariniana rubra Miers (Lecythidaceae), popularmente conhecido como “jequitibá-vermelho”, é uma árvore brasileira de
grande porte, cuja casca é utilizada nas formas de infusão e
decocção para o tratamento de condições inflamatórias. Os
efeitos antiinflamatório, antinociceptivo e antipirético do extrato metanólico da casca do caule de Cariniana rubra (EMCr)
foram avaliados em animais experimentais. A atividade antiinflamatória do EMCr foi testada nos modelos de edema de
pata induzido por carragenina e dextrana em ratos, pleurisia
induzida por carragenina em ratos e permeabilidade vascular
aumentada por ácido acético em ratos. As atividades antinociceptiva e antipirética foram avaliadas utilizando os modelos
de nocicepções induzidos por ácido acético e formalina, placa
quente em camundongos e de pirexia, pela injeção de levedura
de cerveja em ratos. O extrato inibiu o edema induzido por
carragenina e dextrana, reduziu o volume de exsudato e a migração de leucócitos na pleurisia induzida por carragenina e
o aumento da permeabilidade vascular induzida por ácido
acético. O EMCr inibiu a nocicepção nas contorções induzidas por ácido acético e na segunda fase do teste de formalina e diminuiu a temperatura retal. No entanto, foi inefetivo
no teste da placa quente. A análise química por via úmida
deu resultados positivos para saponinas, triterpenos, esteroides
e compostos fenólicos. Fitosteróis e triterpenóides pentacíclicos (β-sitosterol, estigmasterol, α and β-amirinas em mistura
e ácido arjunólico) e as saponinas triterpenoidais: 3-O-β-Dglucopiranosideo de sitosterol; ácido arjunólico 28-β-glucopiranosila-23-O-acetila; ácido arjunólico 3-O-β-glucopiranosila
e ácido arjunólico 28-O-[α-L-rhamnopiranosil-(1→2)-β-Dglucopiranosila]-23-O-acetila. Pode-se presumir que os efeitos do EMCr foram causados pela inibição da liberação e/ou
ação de diversos mediadores inflamatórios. Estes resultados
validam o uso tradicional das preparações caseiras de Cariniana rubra para tratar a inflamação.
Palavras-chave: antiinflamatório, antinociceptivo, antipirético, Cariniana rubra, Lecythidaceae, saponinas triterpênicas.
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