Total Phenolic Content, Anti-inflammatory, Analgesic, and Antipyretic Activities of Some Extracts of Inula viscosa (L.) from Algeria

Abstract

Inula viscosa (L.) is a medicinal plant that has been used for a long time for its many therapeutic properties, especially to treat pain and inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antipyretic activities of methanolic extracts and decoctions of Inula viscosa leaves and flowers. The phenol content of the extracts was determined by spectrophotometric methods. The extracts were administered orally (400, 600, and 800 mg/kg) to mice and/or rats in the study of antiinflammatory (carrageenan-induced paw edema test), analgesic (acetic acid-induced writhes test), and antipyretic (Brewer’s yeast-induced pyrexia method) activities. The highest phenolic content was found in leaf methanolic extract. Methanolic extracts and decoctions of leaves and flowers showed significant decrease in mice paw edema after 4 h (P < 0.01; P < 0.001), and an appreciable analgesic effect at the tested doses with a maximum of writhing inhibition observed with leaf methanolic extract at the dose of 800 mg/kg (93.39%; P < 0.001). The rectal temperature of the rats decreased significantly (P < 0.01; P < 0.001) after 4 h in groups treated with leaves and flowers extracts at the doses of 600 and 800 mg/kg. The obtained results confirm the traditional uses of Inula viscosa.