Essential Oil from the Stem Bark of Casuarina equisetifolia Exerts Anti-inflammatory and Anti-nociceptive Activities in Rats

Abstract Herein the chemical constituents and the anti-pain properties of the essential oil from the stem bark of Casuarina equisetifolia L. (Casuarinaceae) grown in Nigeria were evaluated. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation method in an all glass Clevenger-type apparatus, and characterized by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The hot plate method was used to determine the anti-nociceptive property whereas the anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by carrageenan-induced and formalin experimental models. The pale-yellow essential oil was obtained in yield of 0.21% (v/w), calculated on a dry weight basis. The main constituents of the essential oil were methyl salicylate (30.4%), a-zingiberene (15.5%), (E)-anethole (9.5%), b-bisabolene (8.6%), b- sesquiphellandrene (6.9%), and ar-curcumene (6.2%). In the anti-nociceptive study, the rate of inhibition increases as the doses of essential oil increases with optimum activity at the 30th and 60th min for all tested doses. The essential oil displayed anti-nociceptive activity independently of reaction time at the highest tested dose (200 mg/kg). The essential oil of C. equisetifolia moderately reduced pain responses in early and late phases of the formalin test. The oil inhibited the paw licking in the neurogenic phase (60-63%) compared to the late phase of the formalin test. The carrageenan- induced oedema model revealed the suppression of inflammatory mediators within the 1st - 3rd h. Thus, C. equisetifolia essential oil displayed both anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities independent of the dose tested. The anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities of C. equisetifolia essential oil are herein reported for the first time

Comparative chemical constituents and antimicrobial activity of normal and organic ginger oils (Zingiber Officinale Roscoe).

Essential oils obtained from the rhizomes of normal and organic ginger plants (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) were characterized by GC and GC‐MS. Zingiberene was the chief compound in both ginger oils. Organic ginger oil contained geranial (10.5%) as the second main compound and had more oxygenated compounds (35.1%) compared to normal ginger oil (31.9%). The organic ginger oil also contained β‐bisabolene (6.1%), ar‐curcumene (5.8%), sesquiphellandrene (2.6%) and δ‐cadinene (2.2%). Antimicrobial activity of both the extracted oils was assessed against Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stephylococcus aureus, E. coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Shigella flexneri, Candida albicans, Fusarium oxysporum, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp by disc diffusion method and obtained results are comparable with the reference compounds. The MIC values of the oils ranged from 20μg/mL to 1 μg/mL which is very significant. The study shows a wide application of oil extracted from organic ginger in the treatment of many bacterial and fungal diseases.