Anti-inflammatory activity of leaf extract and fractions of Bursera simaruba (L.) Sarg (Burseraceae).

Seeking for new medicinal compounds in plants used in traditional medicine, which grow in Venezuela, we investigated the anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf hexane extract (HE) and several fractions obtained from sp. Bursera simaruba (L.) Sarg. (Indio desnudo) using carrageenan-induced paw edema inflammation. Oral administration of leaf HE as well I (91-100) fraction, and compounds VIII 25-26 and VIII 29, inhibited the carrageenan-induced paw edema with different capacity and time course, over a period of 7h. The anti-inflammatory effect was comparable to that of the reference drug phenylbutazone (80 mg/kg, p.o.). Included in fraction I (91-100), Vitamin E was identified as one of its components and compound VIII 29 was identified as a methyl-beta-peltatin A. The comparison of the anti-inflammatory activity of VIII 29 fraction with the corresponding standard of methyl-beta-peltatin A, suggest that this compound could be one of the active principles involved in the anti-inflammatory activity of Bursera simaruba (L.) Sarg. leave. Our results contribute to the pharmacological support of the use of Bursera simaruba (L.) Sarg. as anti-inflammatory in the ethnomedicinal practice. Copyright 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.