Effects of punicalagin and punicalin on carrageenan-induced inflammation in rats.

Punicalagin and punicalin were isolated from the leaves of Terminalia catappa L. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of punicalagin and punicalin carrageenan-induced hind paw edema in rats. After evaluation of the anti-inflammatory effects, the edema rates were increased by carrageenan administration and reduced by drug treatment. After 4 hr of carrageenan administration, the best effect group was the punicalagin (10 mg/kg) treated group (inhibition rate was 58.15%), and the second was the punicalagin (5 mg/kg)-treated group (inhibition rate was 39.15%). However, even if the anti-inflammatory activity of punicalagin was the same as punicalin at the 5 mg/kg dose, the inhibition effect from larger doses of punicalagin was increased, but there was a decrease with a larger dose of punicalin. The data showed that both punicalagin and punicalin exert anti-inflammatory activity, but treatment with larger doses of punicalin may induce some cell damages.