In vivo anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of strictosamide from Nauclea officinalis

Context: Strictosamide is the main representative constituent of Nauclea officinalis Pierre ex Pitard (Rubiaceae), which has been used for a long time in China to treat diseases related to Infection and inflammation, but its pharmacological activities are not well studied.

Objective: This work evaluates the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of strictosamide by in vivo experiments.

Materials and methods: The anti-inflammatory activity was assessed in mice by models of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced ear edema, acetic acid-elevated vascular permeability, and carboxymethylcellulose sodium (CMC-Na)-induced leukocyte migration. The analgesic activity was estimated in mice using acetic acid-induced writhing and hot-plate tests. Compound was injected to mice twice a day for 3 d at doses of 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg.

Results: At 20 and 40 mg/kg, strictosamide obviously decreased the TPA-induced mice ear edema (24.7 and 28.1% inhibition, respectively), and significantly inhibited acetic acid-stimulated peritoneal vascular permeability in mice (23.3 and 33.4% inhibition, respectively). It also significantly decreased the leukocytes in the mice peritoneal cavity induced by CMC-Na at all the tested doses (46.0, 49.1, and 58.7% inhibition, respectively). To acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice, strictosamide markedly prolonged the pain latency at 20 and 40 mg/kg and decreased the writhing counts at 40 mg/kg (49.7% inhibition). However, it did not obviously improve the pain threshold of mice in hot-plate test.

Discussion and conclusion: Strictosamide may have important effects on inflammation and inflammatory pain. The results provide scientific support for the role of strictosamide in the use of N. officinalis to treat inflammatory diseases.