The anti-inflammatory activities of some medicinal plants are attributed to their contents of
sesquiterpene lactones. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activity of a
sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Viguiera robusta,
budlein A in mice was investigated. The treatment with
budlein A dose--(1.0-10.0 mg/kg, p.o., respectively) dependently inhibited the
carrageenan-induced: i. neutrophil migration to the peritoneal cavity (2-52%), ii. neutrophil migration to the paw skin tissue (32-74%), iii. paw oedema (13-74%) and iv. mechanical hypernociception (2-58%) as well as the
acetic acid-induced writhings (0-66%). Additionally,
budlein A (10.0 mg/kg) treatment inhibited the mechanical hypernociception-induced by tumour
necrosis factor (
TNF-alpha, 36%), Keratinocyte-derived
chemokine (KC, 37%) and
Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta, 28%), but not of
prostaglandin E(2) or
dopamine.
Budlein A also inhibited the
carrageenan-induced release of
TNF-alpha (52%), KC (70%) and IL-1beta (59%). Furthermore, an 8 days treatment with
budlein A inhibited Complete
Freund's adjuvant (10 microl/paw)-induced hypernociception, paw oedema and paw skin
myeloperoxidase activity increase while not affecting the motor performance or
myeloperoxidase activity in the stomach. Concluding, the present data suggest that
budlein A presents anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive property in mice by a mechanism dependent on inhibition of
cytokines production. It supports the potential beneficial effect of orally administered
budlein A in inflammatory diseases involving
cytokine-mediated nociception, oedema and neutrophil migration.