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Analgesic and topical anti-inflammatory activity of Hypericum canariense L. and Hypericum glandulosum Ait.

Rabanal RM, Bonkanka CX, Hernández-Pérez M, Sánchez-Mateo CC

Departamento de Medicina Física y Farmacología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de la Laguna, c/ Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38071, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.

The present study investigates the analgesic and topical anti-inflammatory activities of the infusion, methanol extract and fractions of the aerial part in blossom of Hypericum canariense L. and Hypericum glandulosum Ait. in mice. The acetic acid-induced writhing test, tail flick test and the tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA)-induced ear inflammation model in mice were used to determine these effects. Our findings show that oral administration of methanol extracts, and the aqueous, butanol and chloroform fractions of both species and the infusions of Hypericum glandulosum significantly inhibit acetic acid-induced writhing in mice. Only the infusion, methanol extract and butanol and chloroform fractions of Hypericum glandulosum were significantly active in the tail flick assay, suggesting that they may have central analgesic properties. On the other hand, the topical treatment of all extracts tested from both species, with the exception of the infusions and the Hypericum canariense aqueous fraction, significantly reduced the TPA-induced ear oedema. In conclusion, the results indicate analgesic and topical anti-inflammatory activities in mice for the Hypericum species studied.

Published 27 December 2004 in J Ethnopharmacol, 96(3): 591-6.
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