Antiinflammatory effect of Graptophyllum pictum (L.) Griff.

The red leaves of Graptophyllum pictum (L.) Griff. (G. pictum) are used in Indonesian folk medicine. The present study was carried out to elucidate the antiinflammatory effect of the ethanol extract obtained from this crude drug. The extract was partitioned between ether and water, and then the water-soluble fraction was extracted with 1-butanol. The 1-butanol-soluble fraction was extracted with chloroform-acetone, hot methanol and water, successively, and the hot methanol-soluble fraction (fr.) was chromatographed (frs. I-III). The antiinflammatory activity of these fractions was investigated on carrageenin-induced edema in rats and acetic acid-induced vascular permeability as well as the writhing symptom in mice. The ethanol extract (p.o.) showed an antiinflammatory activity as well as an analgesic activity and these activities shifted to the water-soluble fraction, 1-butanol-soluble fraction, methanol-soluble fraction and fr. II, successively. It was found that fr. II contained flavonoids. These results suggest that these flavonoids are at least partly responsible for the antiinflammatory effect of the ethanol extract of G. pictum.