In the last years plant species containing flavonoids have been intensively studied because they could be a source of medicine with anti-inflammatory and spasmolitic effects. Our attention focused on some species of Stachys / Lamiaceae due to the fact that in the last years flavonoids were identified in some species belonging to this genus. So we carried out a chemical and pharmacological study of a flavonoidic extract isolated from the aerial part of Stachys lanata which grows in our country. The chemical study we carried out emphasised the presence of apigenin glycosides. The flavonoidic extract was further submitted to the pharmacological study. The pharmacological trials we carried out were based on the evaluation of the acute toxicity and the evaluation of the anti-inflammatory effects. We appreciated that the acute toxicity developed by the flavonoidic extract was very low. The maximum tolerated dose was higher than 5 g/kg. In order to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of the flavonoidic extract we used the carrageenan-induced inflammation of the rat's paw. The extract induced an inhibition of the inflammatory oedema of 39.2%, while indomethacin induced an inhibition of 74.1%. Differences between the mean values were analysed by the Student's t - test and they were regarded as significant when p < 0.05.

References

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