Chemical Composition and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of the Essential Oil of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardiaceae) Fruits

Traditional usage of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, popularly known as Brazilian pepper, includes the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Chemical composition of the essential oil extracted of fruits of S. terebinthifolius collected in Mato Grosso do Sul was investigated and the anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated. The essential oil (EOST) obtained in Clevenger and analyzed by GC-MS, exhibited predominance of monoterpenes. The oral administration of EOST significantly inhibited, in dose dependent manner, the carrageenan (Cg) induced rat paw oedema. The observed inhibitions after two hours of Cg-injection were 57 +/- 8 % (100 mg kg(-1)) for EOST and 66 +/- 6 % for dexamethasone (DEXA). In another model of inflammation, the oral administration of EOST (100 mg kg(-1)) reduced 56 +/- 11 % while DEXA inhibited about 91 +/- 5 % the Cg-induced leukocyte migration in the air pouch model. Finally, in the persistent inflammation induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), the daily oral treatment with EOST (200 mg/kg) inhibited 33 +/- 6 % in 4 days after injection of CFA. The essential oil (EOST) exhibited a marked anti-inflammatory activity, and these response profiles differ from others oils collected in different places.