Topical antiinflammatory activity of the major lipophilic constituents of the rhizome of Zingiber cassumunar. Part I: The essential oil.

The essential oil of the rhizome of Zingiber cassumunar was found to exhibit a topical antiinflammatory effect, when tested using the model of carrageenan-induced hind paw edema in rats (ID(50) = 22 mg oil/paw). Individual assessment of topical antiinflammatory activity of the five major components of the oil demonstrated that (E)-1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)butadiene (DMPBD), terpinen-4-ol and α-terpinene significantly inhibited edema formation, whereas sabinene and γ-terpinene were inactive up to 6 mg/paw. The most active compound, DMPBD, was found to be an antiinflammatory agent twice as potent as the reference drug diclofenac (ID(50) = 3 vs 6 mg/paw, respectively).