Research Information System
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL FOOD, vol.13, no.2, pp.352-356, 2010 (SCI-Expanded)
Leaves and fruits of Olea europaea L. (Family Oleaceae) are used for the treatment of various kinds of diseases, i.e., rheumatism and hemorrhoids, and as a vasodilator in vascular disorders for ages in folk medicine. In order to evaluate this information, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities of the ethanolic and n-hexane extracts prepared from the fruits of O. europaea were investigated. For the anti-inflammatory activity, the carrageenan-induced hind paw edema and acetic acid-induced increased capillary permeability models were used, and for the antinociceptive activity, the p-benzoquinone-induced writhing and hot plate tests in mice were used. The results revealed that the ethanolic extract did not show a significant anti-inflammatory or analgesic activity, whereas the n-hexane extract displayed 12.7-27.8% inhibition on the carrageenan-induced hind paw edema model at the 400 mg/kg dose, without inducing any apparent acute toxicity as well as gastric damage. Further studies are warranted to define and isolate the active anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive components from this plant, which may yield safe and effective agents to be used in the treatment of inflammatory disorders.