Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanol extract of Taxillus sutchuenensis in mice

In this study, the analgesic activities and the mechanism of anti-inflammatory activities of 50% ethanol extract from TS (ETS) in vivo were investigated. Investigations were performed in mice with 2 analgesic models: acetic acid-induced writhing response and formalin-induced paw licking. The anti-inflammatory effect was tested by λ-carrageenan (Carr)-induced mice paw edema. These analgesic results indicated that ETS at a dose of 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg reduced the acetic acid-induced writhing responses and the licking time in the late phase of the formalin test. Moreover, Carr-induced paw edema was significantly reduced when ETS (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) was administered 1 to 5 h after Carr injection. ETS reduced the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the edema paw by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GRx), and catalase (CAT), in the liver and reducing tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a), interleukin (IL)-1b, and IL-6 activities in the edema paw. This study demonstrates the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of ETS, thus verifying its popular use in traditional medicine.   Key words: Taxillus sutchuenensis; analgesia, anti-inflammation, mice, malondialdehyde(MDA).