RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE To optimize the extraction process of blumeatin from Blumea balsamifera and to evaluate its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity. METHODS The content of blumeatin in the extract of B. balsamifera was determined by HPLC. On the basis of the single factor experiment， the extraction technology of blumeatin was optimized by the Box-Behnken response surface method with the volume fraction of ethanol， liquid-solid ratio and extraction time as the factors， using the yield of blumeatin as index. Microdilution method was used to determine the antibacterial activity of blumeatin against Streptococcus pyogenes， Staphylococcus aureus， Streptococcus agalactiae， Streptococcus mutans， Bacillus subtilis and Micrococcus luteus. The anti-inflammatory activity of blumeatin was evaluated by ear swelling test and capillary permeability test in mice. RESULTS The optimal extraction technology was as follows： ethanol concentration of 90%， liquid-material ratio of 15∶1， extraction time of 2 h at 80 ℃； the yield of blumeatin using this extraction process was 1.97 mg/g. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of blumeatin for S. pyogenes， S. aureus， S. agalactiae， S. mutans， B. subtilis and M. luteus were 50.00， 200.00， 400.00， 400.00， 800.00 and 1 600.00 μg/mL， respectively； the minimum bactericidal concentrations of blumeatin for S. pyogenes and S. aureus were 400.00 and 1 600.00 μg/mL， respectively. Blumeatin could significantly inhibit the ear swelling induced by xylene and capillary permeability induced by acetic acid in mice（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS The optimized extraction technology of blumeatin is stable and feasible. The extracted blumeatin has a certain antibacterial effect against S. pyogenes and a good anti-inflammatory activity.