Abstract
The crude methanol extract of Melilotus elegans Ser. (Fabaceae), a plant widely used in Ethiopian traditional medicine for the treatment of asthma, haemorrhoid and lacerated wounds showed a significant anti-inflammatory activity against carrageenin-induced rat paw oedema. At a dose corresponding to 333.3 mg per kg body weight of dry plant material, the methanol extract displayed a strong inhibitory effect that was comparable to the inhibitory effect of 1 mg/kg of indomethacin in the same test system. Bioassay guided fractionation of the alcoholic extract led to the isolation of an oleanene-type triterpene saponin identified as azukisaponin V (1) ((3-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 --> 2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1 --> 2)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl]-soyasapogenol B). The structure of the compound was identified by using MS and extensive one- and two-dimensional NMR experiments (1H, 13C, COSY, HMQC, HMBC and NOESY). One hour after injection of carrageenin, inhibition of oedema exerted by 1 was approximately ten times higher than that of indomethacin on a molar basis.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 310-312 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Die Pharmazie |
Volume | 60 |
Issue number | 4 |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2005 |
Keywords
- Animals
- Anti-Inflammatory Agents/isolation & purification
- Carbohydrate Sequence
- Carrageenan
- Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
- Edema/chemically induced
- Ethiopia
- Hydrolysis
- Medicine, African Traditional
- Melilotus/chemistry
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Plant Extracts/pharmacology
- Plant Leaves/chemistry
- Rats
- Saponins/isolation & purification