Anti-inflammatory effect of a Thai traditional drug for muscle pain treatment via nitric oxide and COX-II inhibitor

A Thai Traditional remedy called Sahasthara (SHT) is normally used to treat muscles pain and arthritis in the list of herbal medicinal products A.D. 2011 of Thailand. Its formula consists of twenty one plants. The objective of this investigation is to study on anti-inflammatory activity of SHT extract and its plant components on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced production in RAW 264.7 cells via nitric oxide (NO) and COX-II inhibitor. The ethanolic extracts of SHT, Atractylodes lancea, Baliospermum montanum, showed higher inhibition of NO production (IC₅₀=2.81, 9.70 and 12.55µg/ml respectively) than indomethacin (IC₅₀=56.78µM or 20.32µg/ml), but SHT extract exhibited less anti-inflammatory activity via COX-II inhibitory on PGE₂ release than indomethacin [IC₅₀=16.97and 1.00µg/ml or 2.80µM respectively]. The extract of plant ingredient such as Myristica fragrans (seed), Piper nigrum and Piper retrofractum showed good inhibitory activity on PGE₂ release with IC₅₀ values as 16.99, 17.70 and 23.08µg/ml respectively. It concluded that SHT extract had a potential as anti-inflammatory drug for pain treatment by possessing on NO and COX-II inhibition.