PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF THE IN-VIVO ANALGESIC AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITIES OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL FROM CYMBOPOGON OLIVIERI (BOISS.) BOR

Cymbopogon olivieri (Poaceae) is a native plant to the south of Iran and is used for the treatment of some inflammative based disorders and as a pain killer. Regarding the presence of volatile terpenoids in the aerial parts, we were prompted to investigate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the essential oil from C. olivieri in animal models. The oil was also analyzed by GC and GC-MS to identify the potentially responsible compounds for observed properties. The analgesic activity of the oil was assessed by acetic acid-induced writhing test and hot plate method while the acute anti-inflammatory effect was investigated by induced-inflammatory paw edema in the rat. The studied oil could decrease the number of acetic acid-induced writhes in mice compared with animals that received vehicle only. In hot-plate tests, the studied doses of C. olivieri were not effective. The oil moderately reduced carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats. The major component of the oil was characterized as Piperitone (66.0%), which might be responsible for these observed activities. The results suggest that C. olivieri essential oil possesses biologically active constituent(s) that have significant activity against peripheral nociception, which supports the ethnomedicinal claims of the plant application in the relief of pain.