Anti-inflammatory activity of hydroalcoholic extract of Helychrisum faradifani (Asteraceae) in mice

This study aimed to evaluate Helychrisum faradifani hydro alcoholic extract activity on the vascular and cellular phases of inflammation in mice. Carrageenan was injected on hind-paw to evaluate the extract effect on edema and acetic acid 0.6 % injected by intra peritoneal route to evaluate H. faradifani extract on vascular permeability. Cotton pellets imbibed with 1% carrageenan was inserted in the skin of the animals to investigate H. faradifani activity on granuloma formation. Indomethacin at the dose of 10 mg/kg was administered orally as positive control. The study of anti-inflammatory activity demonstrated that oral administration of the extract inhibited significantly inflammatory carrageenan-induced edema compared to the control. Control group paw edema is 0.61± 0.01 ml, versus 0.32± 0.02, 0.22± 0.01 and 0.15± 0.01ml respectively in groups treated with the extract, and 0.38± 0.02 for animals treated with indomethacin. It also reduces vascular permeability by 34.04 ± 0.001% and 67.30 ± 0.015% respectively compared to the control (p <0.05). The weight of granuloma in the control animals is 53.85 ± 0.62 mg versus 33.32 ± 0.3 and 19.95 ± 0.38 mg for the rats treated with extract at 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg respectively (p <0.05). Leucocytes number reduces from 119.55 ± 0.1in control group to 105.1 ± 0.1, 88.83 ± 0.1 and 70.48 ± 0.1 in groups treated with the extract and 85.52 ± 0.05 in animals treated with indomethacin. These results indicate that H. faradifani extract reduces the vascular and cellular phases of inflammation.