Anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential of Caesalpinia ferrea

ABSTRACT

Caesalpinia ferrea Mart. belongs to the family Fabaceae. Known as pau-ferro and jucá, it is used in folk medicine to treat diabetes, as antipyretic and antirheumatic. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of the ethanol extract of the fruits of C. ferrea (EECf). In the evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity, EECf (50 mg/kg) produced significantly inhibition of ear edema by 66.6 percent compared to control. Indomethacin (10 mg/kg) showed inhibition of 83.9 percent compared to control. EECf (50 mg/kg) inhibited of vascular permeability induced by acetic acid and was also able to reduce of cell migration to the peritoneal cavity induced by thioglycolate. In the writhing test induced by acid acetic, EECf (12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg) significantly reduced the number of contortions by 24.9, 46.9 and 74.2 percent, respectively. In the formalin test, EECf presented effects only in the second phase. The results provided experimental evidence for the effectiveness of the traditional use of C. ferrea in treating various diseases associated with inflammation and pain.