Anti-inflammatory effects of Sanguisorba minor Scop. subsp. muricata (Spach) Briq. and Cirsium libanoticum DC. subsp. lycaonicum (Boiss. & Heldr.) Davis & Parris in rat

An ethnobotanical research conducted in Pınarbaşı, Kayseri, revealed that Sanguisorba minor Scop. Subsp. Muricata (Spach) Briq. (Smm) is commonly used for wounds and burns and Cirsium libanoticum DC. Subsp. Lycaonicum (Boiss. & Heldr.) Davis & Parris (Cll) is used especially to treat pressure wounds suffered by bedridden patients. This study was performed to assess any possible anti-inflammatory effect of these two folk medicinal plants. Aqueous extracts of Smm and Cll were prepared at room temperature with maceration. Extracts were given at doses of 25, 50 and 100mg/kg to rats. Anti-inflammatory test was performed to animals after 30 minutes of intraperitoneal injection. Smm and Cll extracts exerted anti-inflammatory activity in a dose dependent fashion. Control group shows 1.1% (mL) paw edema following lambda-carrageenan injection. Aqueous extracts of Smm showed 41.9, 76.4 and 83.4% anti-inflammatory activity at 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg doses respectively. Similarly aqueous extracts of Cll showed 20.9, 34.2 and 53.5% anti-inflammatory activity at 25, 50 and 100mg/kg doses respectively. In addition, Smm was more potent anti-inflammatory plant than Cll. These findings suggest that traditional use of these subspecies of Smm and Cll for anti-inflammatory activity have an ethnopharmacological relevance.