Planta Med 1995; 61(4): 329-332
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-958093
Papers

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Antinociceptive Properties of Steroids Isolated from Phyllanthus corcovadensis in Mice

Adair R. S. Santos1 , Rivaldo Niero2 , Valdir C. Filho2 , Rosendo A. Yunes2 , Moacir G. Pizzolatti2 , Franco Delle Monache3 , João B. Calixtro1
  • 1Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Rua Ferreira Lima, 82, 88015-420, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
  • 2Department of Chemistry, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC. 88049-900, Brazil
  • 3Instituto di Chimica Recettori e Molecole Biologicamente Attive del C.N.R. Università Cattolica S. Cuore, Largo F. Vito L, I-00168 Rome, Italy
Further Information

Publication History

1994

1995

Publication Date:
04 January 2007 (online)

Abstract

The antinociceptive actions of the steroid compounds isolated from the leaves, stems, and roots of P. corcovadensis have been investigated in mice. Stigmasterol, stigmasterol acetate, β-sitosterol, and aspirin (3-100 mk/kg, i.p.) inhibited, in a dose-related manner, acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction in mice with ID50s of 16, 11, 9, and 24 mg/kg, respectively. In the formalin test, stigmasterol and stigmasterol acetate (10-100 mg/kg, i.p.) caused graded inhibition of both the neurogenic (first phase) and inflammatory phases (second phase) of formalin-induced pain. However, both compounds were more effective in relation of the second phase of the formalin test with ID50 values of 26 and 41 mg/kg, respectively. Furthermore, both steroids failed to affect the edematogenic response of the formalin test. Given orally, stigmasterol and stigmasterol acetate (50-200 mg/kg) also exhibited significant though less potent analgesic action against both acetic acid- and formalin-induced nociception in mice. In addition, stigmasterol (up to 100 mg/kg, i.p.), in contrast to morphine (l0 mg/kg, s.c.), had no analgesic effect in either tail-flick or hot-plate models. These findings suggest that stigmasterol and β-sitosterol may account, at least in part, for the antinociceptive actions reported previously for the hydroalcoholic extract of Phyllanthus corcovadensis.

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