Aim of the study: The analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanol extract of Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg. Leaves were observed in various experimental models related to nociception and inflammation, so as to provide some evidence for its traditional use.
Materials and methods: Acetic acid-induced writhing and a hot plate test in mice were used to evaluate its analgesic activity. On the other hand, its anti-inflammatory activity was observed in xylene or carrageenan-induced edema, carboxymethylcellulose sodium (CMC-Na)-induced leukocyte migration in mice and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) release from mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro.
Results: The ethanol extract significantly inhibited acetic acid-induced writhing after single oral administration at doses of 424 and 848 mg extract/kg, and the response to the thermal stimulus in mice at the dose of 848 mg/kg. Meanwhile, the ethanol extract also remarkably lessened xylene-induced ear swelling, carrageenan-induced paw edema, and CMC-Na-induced leukocyte migration. Furthermore, the extract considerably reduced NO release from LPS-stimulated macrophages with IC50 of 80.4 mg/ml.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg. Leaves extract present notable analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities, which support its folkloric use for some diseases related with painful and inflammatory conditions such as trauma etc.