%0 Journal Article
%T Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of the Methanol Extract from Pogostemon cablin
%A Tsung-Chun Lu
%A Jung-Chun Liao
%A Tai-Hung Huang
%A Ying-Chih Lin
%A Chia-Yu Liu
%A Yung-jia Chiu
%A Wen-Huang Peng
%J Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
%D 2011
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1093/ecam/nep183
%X Pogostemon cablin (PC) is a herbal medicine traditionally applied to treat not only common cold, nausea and diarrhea but also headache and fever. The aim of this study was to investigate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of standardized PC methanol extract (PCMeOH) in vivo. Investigations were performed in mice with two analgesic models. One was acetic acid-induced writhing response and the other formalin-induced paw licking. The anti-inflammatory effect was tested by λ-carrageenan (Carr)-induced mice paw edema. These analgesic experimental results indicated that PCMeOH (1.0 g/kg) decreased the acetic acid-induced writhing responses and PCMeOH (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) decreased the licking time in the second phase of the formalin test. Moreover, Carr-induced paw edema inflammation was significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner when PCMeOH (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) was administered 3 and 4 h after the Carr injection. Mechanistic studies showed that PCMeOH decreased the levels of malondialdehyde in the edema paw by increasing the activities of anti-oxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase, in the liver and decreasing the cyclooxygenase 2 and tumor necrosis factor-α activities in the edema paw. This study has demonstrated the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of PCMeOH, thus verifying its popular use in traditional medicine.
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2011/671741/