ABSTRACT
The piquia (Caryocar villosum (Aubl.) Pers.) has drawn the attention of the scientific community for its potential as an oilseed crop species. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vivo the topical anti-inflammatory activity of fixed oil from Caryocar villosum (Aubl.) Pers. – OCV. To evaluate anti-inflammatory activity, the following assays were used in rats: a) granuloma assay (cotton-pellet), b) carrageenan-induced paw edema and c) vascular permeability assay. Gas chromatography analysis from the OCV, transesterified with a BF3-methanol sample, showed the following fatty acid esters to be major compounds of this species: methyl hexadecanoate (32%), methyl octadecanoate (29%) and methyl (E)-octadecanoate (29%). The ED50 calculated from the granuloma assay was 531 mg/kg. In the granuloma assay, rat model of carrageenan-induced paw edema and vascular permeability of histamine test, groups treated with a topical dose of 531 mg/kg OCV showed significant differences (p < 0.05, analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by a multiple comparison Student-Newman-Keuls test) when compared to the control groups treated with distilled water. Thus, a 531 mg/kg dose of OCV elicited a topical anti-inflammatory effect in rats, and the fatty acid esters identified in the fixed oil from Caryocar villosum participate in the detected topical anti-inflammatory activity because compounds with this characteristic are capable of modulating acute and chronic inflammatory responses.