Abstract
Elsholtzia splendens Nakai has been used in North-East Asia as an ingredient of folk medicines for treating cough, headache and inflammation. The present investigation was carried out to establish itsin vivo anti-inflammatory activity using several animal models of inflammation and pain. The 75% ethanol extract of the aerial part ofE. splendens significantly inhibited mouse croton oil-induced, as well as arachidonic acid-induced, ear edema by oral administration (44.6% inhibition of croton oil-induced edema at 400 mg/kg). This plant material also showed significant inhibitory activity against the mouse ear edema induced by multiple treatment of phorbol ester for 3 days, which is an animal model of subchronic inflammation. In addition,E. splendens exhibited significant analgesic activity against mouse acetic acid-induced writhing (50% inhibition at 400 mg/kg), while indomethacin (5 mg/kg) demonstrated 95% inhibition.E. splendens (5-100 ug/mL) significantly inhibited PGE2 production by pre-induced cyclooxygenase-2 of lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW 264.7 cells, suggesting that cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition might be one of the cellular mechanisms of anti-inflammation.
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Kim, D.W., Son, K.H., Chang, H.W. et al. Anti-inflammatory activity ofElsholtzia splendens . Arch Pharm Res 26, 232–236 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02976835
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02976835