Antiinflammatory Activity of Some Extracts from Plants used in the Traditional Medicine of North‐African Countries

Aqueous, ethanol and chloroform extracts from five plants were administered either topically (oedema induced by arachidonic acid in mouse ear) or i.p. (subplantar oedema induced by carrageenan in rats). Our results show that Anacyclus pyrethrum, Armeria alliacea, Asphodelus ramosus, Capparis spinosa and Rhaponticum acaule possess antiinflammatory activity, since at least one extract of each plant was active in one of the experimental models. The three extracts from Anacyclus pyrethrum showed significant activity in both experimental models, but the highest antiinflammatory activity was exhibited by the polar extracts of Armeria alliacea. The ethanol extract of the latter produced 100% inhibition of the inflammation induced by carrageenan and this inhibition was highly significant (p<0.001) with reference to values found in both active (indomethacin 3 mg/kg) and vehicle administered control groups.