In vivo anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic activities of aqueous extracts from Thymelaea hirsuta

BACKGROUND: The aerial parts of Thymelaea hirsuta (TH) are used as a decoction in the treatment of different pathologies in folk medicine in Morocco. OBJECTIVE: The aqueous extracts were evaluated for its anti-inflammatory activity and in inhibition of adjuvant induction arthritis in male Wistar rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The anti-inflammatory activity was carried out using carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model, and the antiarthritic activity was carried out using complete Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis model. RESULTS: The plant extract (500 mg/kg body weight) exhibited significant activity in acute inflammation produced 60% of inhibition after 4 h as compared with that of the standard anti-inflammatory drug, the diclofenac (100 mg/kg) which showed 40% of inhibition. In arthritis model, the extract produced 85% inhibition after 18 days when compared with the diclofenac (10 mg/kg; 72%). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the aqueous extract of TH had an anti-inflammatory activity and inhibited the induction of adjuvant arthritis in male Wistar rats.