ABSTRACT
The hydroalcoholic extract (HAE) of the leaves of Dodonaea viscosa, given by oral route at dose of 300 mg/kg, significantly inhibited the paw edema induced by carrageenin injection. The extract did not show any sign of toxicity in mice up to 5000 mg/kg p.o. This result seems to support the use of D. viscosa leaves ethanolic extract in relieving inflammation.
Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/pharmacology , Edema/prevention & control , Phytotherapy , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Sapindaceae , Administration, Oral , Animals , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/administration & dosage , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/therapeutic use , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/toxicity , Carrageenan , Edema/chemically induced , Female , Lethal Dose 50 , Male , Mice , Plant Extracts/administration & dosage , Plant Extracts/therapeutic use , Plant Extracts/toxicity , Plant Leaves , Rats , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
The aqueous extract of Casearia sylvestris was tested in cortical membrane preparations. C. sylvestris was obtained commercially from two different sources, designated as Sample A and Sample B. The enzymes studied in this work were NTPDase-like, 5'-Nucleotidase, Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Adult rats received aqueous extracts from C. sylvestris in a dose of 20mg/kg body wt. daily for a 75-day-period, by oral administration (gavage). Our study showed that this treatment caused an inhibition of NTPDase-like activity with both, ATP (19.41% with Sample A and 25.03% with Sample B) and ADP (41.57% with Sample A and 31.20% with Sample B) as substrates. This treatment also caused an inhibition of 5'-nucleotidase activity (28.34% with Sample A and 31.46% with Sample B) and Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase (25.08% with Sample A and 24.81% with Sample B). The rate of acetylcholine degradation was reduced, as shown by the inhibition of AChE (31.65% and 26.74%, Samples A and B, respectively). These results suggest that extracts of C. sylvestris can cause neurochemical alterations in the purinergic and cholinergic systems of the central nervous system.
