Preliminary evaluation on anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Sideritis syriaca L. herba extracts

We studied the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of extracts of Sideritis syriaca L. herba. Samples were collected from the wild plant, dried, powdered, and extracted with hexane and methanol. The extracts were evaporated to dryness and then suspended in suitable solvent. They were then tested for anti-inflammatory activity in the carrageenin rat paw edema test and for analgesic activity in the Randall and Selitto test and in the tail-flick test. At 24 hours after the treatment, the gastric mucosa of each rat was observed macroscopically. Based on these results the hexane extract was fractionated by column chromatography, and the fractions were obtained tested in the same way. Results showed interesting anti-inflammatory activity only for the hexane extract and all the fractions obtained from it. All the extracts and all the other fractions showed both peripheral and central analgesic activity. In rats treated with the tested compounds hyperemia and ulcers were absent. The data from this preliminary study reveal interesting pharmacological properties of S. syriaca L. herba extracts related to the marked analgesic activity and the absence of gastric ulcerogenic activity. The same is for anti-inflammatory activity, but in this case it seems to be related only to the apolar fraction.