Topical anti-inflammatory activity of extracts and compounds from Thymus broussonettii

The topical anti-inflammatory activity of four extracts from Thymus broussonetii Boiss (Labiatae) leaves, a herbal drug used in Moroccan traditional medicine, has been studied using the croton oil ear test in mice. A bioassay-oriented fractionation revealed that the pharmacological activity is mainly in the chloroform extract. Fractionation and analysis of this extract allowed the identification of ursolic acid and oleanolic acid as the main anti-inflammatory principles. Some flavonoids (luteolin, eriodictyol, thymonin) and glycosides (luteolin-7-O-glucoside, luteolin-3'-O-glucuronide, eriodictyol-7-O-glucoside) were also isolated from the methanol extract.