Analgesic and Anti‐inflammatory Activities of the Ethanol Extract of Taxillus tsaii Chiu in Mice

Preclinical Research

This study was conducted to investigate the analgesic activities and mechanism of anti‐inflammatory activities of a 50% ethanol extract of Taxillus tsaii (ETT) in vivo using the acetic acid induced writhing test and formalin induced paw licking in mice. The anti‐inflammatory effect of ETT was evaluated using a mouse model of λ‐carrageenan (Carr)‐induced paw edema. ETT reduced the writhing in the acetic acid assay test at a dose 1.0 g/kg po and reduced the licking time in the late phase of the formalin test at doses of 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg po). Carr‐induced paw edema was reduced when ETT (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg po) was administered 3–5 h after Carr injection. ETT (1.0 g/kg po) reduced the level of malondialdehyde in the edemic paw by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, e.g., superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase, in the liver and reducing TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6 activity in the edemic paw. This study demonstrates the analgesic and anti‐inflammatory effects of ETT, thus verifying its application in traditional Chinese medicine. Drug Dev Res 76 : 176–184, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.