Heliopsis longipes: anti-arthritic activity evaluated in a Freund's adjuvant-induced model in rodents

ABSTRACT This study assesses the anti-arthritic effect of the affinin-enriched (spilanthol, main alkamide) hexane extract from the roots of Heliopsis longipes (A. Gray) S.F. Blake, Asteraceae, on a Freund adjuvant-induced arthritis model in rodents. The extract was orally administered at a dose of 2, 6.6, or 20 mg/kg; a significant edema-inhibitory activity in the acute and chronic phases was observed with a dose of 2 and 20 mg/kg, respectively. The extract showed higher anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects than the reference drug phenylbutazone (80 mg/kg). Moreover, the extract prevented the occurrence of secondary lesions associated to this pharmacological model.