Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the water extract from Terminalia chebula Rezt.

Background: In ayurvedic and Thai traditional medicine, the fruit of T. chebula is useful in arthritic disorders, inflammation, tumor, pains, chronic and recurrent fever. The study investigated the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities in animal models.Materials and methods: The water extract of T. chebula fruit was prepared and pain induced in mice by 0.1% formalin, before testing for the analgesic activity of the extract. The anti-inflammatory study was conducted in rats using four experimental models; ethyl phenylpropiolate or arachidonic acid-induced ear edema, carrageenan-induced paw edema and cotton pellet-induced granuloma formation.Results: The T. chebula extract decreased licking times in mice injected with 0.1% formalin in both the early and late phases. Moreover, the extract inhibited rat ear edema induced by ethyl phenylpropiolate as well as in carrageenan-induced paw edema. In contrast, the extract did not have any inhibitory effect on arachidonic acid-induced ear edema in rats. The T. chebula extract did not reduce granuloma weight, body weight gain and thymus dry weight in cotton pellet-induced granuloma formation.Conclusion: These results likely suggest that T. chebula water extract possess both analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. The main mechanisms of action of T. chebula water extract may be due to the inhibitory effect on the synthesis and/or release of pain or inflammatory mediatorsKeywords: Terminalia chebula Retz., analgesic activity, anti-inflammatory activit

Anti-Diarrheal Activity and Toxicity of Learng Pid Samud Recipe

Learng Pid Samud (LPS) recipe is a traditional remedy in Thai folk medicine to ease the common diarrhea. The anti-diarrheal potential of LPS recipe was herein examined in vitro using a guinea-pig ileum model. The LPS exerted an inhibitory effect on acetylcholine-induced smooth muscle contraction in the guinea pig ileum. Significantly, not only did the LPS reduce the total amount of feces in the induced diarrhea rats, but also the intestinal transit in the charcoal meal test. A single oral administration with the recipe at 5,000 mg/kg did not cause acute toxicity and the daily oral administration (1,000, 2,000 and 4,000 mg/kg) for 90 days in rats did not produce any toxic signs and symptoms. In conclusion, the Learng Pid Samud recipe remedy is evidently safe and effective for the anti-diarrheal treatment which supports its therapeutic uses in the alternative medicine