Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of methanolic extracts of aerial parts of Stachys Schtschegleevii Sosn. and Stachys Balansae Boiss. and Kotschy ex Boiss in rats

Extracts of the flowering aerial parts of Stachys schtschegleevii Sosn. and S. balansae Boiss. and Kotschy ex Boiss have been used in Iranian folk medicine as remedy for rheumatic and other inflammatory disorders and anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of some species of Stachys e.g. Stachys inflata have been reported. In this study, the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties of total methanolic extracts of the flowering aerial parts of two Stachys species in rat were investigated by carrageenan-induced paw edema and formalin test. Intraperitoneal injection of the extracts, 60 min before induction of inflammation, resulted in inhibition of carrageenan-induced rat paw edema in dose dependant manner (doses 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg). In the formalin test, the extract (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) had low effect in the first phase (0–5 min) of the formalin-induced pain, but all three doses showed analgesic and anti nociception effects significantly. In conclusion the methanolic extracts of Stachys schtschegleevii and Stachys balansae have analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in formalin test and carrageenan-induced paw edema.