Anti-inflammatory activity of Maytenus senegalensis root extracts and of maytenoic acid

Maytenus senegalensis (Lam.) Excell (Celastraceae) root extracts were investigated for their topical antiinflammatory properties by measuring the inhibition of the Croton oil-induced ear oedema in mice. The highest anti-inflammatory activity was detected in the chloroform extract, which reduced the oedematous response with a 2 potency similar to that of the NSAID reference drug indomethacin (ID50 = 84 and 93 mu g/cm(2), respectively). Fractionation of the chloroform and of the hexane extracts led to the isolation of maytenoic acid (1), which exhibited a dose-dependent antiphlogistic effect (ID50 = 0.11 mu mol/cm(2)) twice that of indomethacin (ID50 = 0.26 mu mol/cm(2)) and only three times lower than that of hydrocortisone (ID50 = 0.04 mu mol/Crn).