Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of Bunium persicum essential oil, hydroalcoholic and polyphenolic extracts in animal models.

OBJECTIVE: Fruits of Bunium persicum (Boiss.) B. Fedtsh. (Apiaceae) are widely used in Iranian folkloric medicine for controlling colic pain and dysmenorrhea. This study was aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of the plant fruits and analyzing its essential oil.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hydroalcoholic extract, polyphenolic extract and essential oil were prepared using standard methods. The acetic acid and formalin tests were used in male mice (25-35 g) to assess analgesic activity. For evaluation of anti-inflammatory effect, carrageenan-induced rat paw edema and croton oil-induced ear edema were used.

RESULTS: Hydrodistillation of the fruits of B. persicum afforded a pale yellowish oil in a yield of 2%. GC/MS analysis identified 10 compounds, and gamma-terpinene (46.1%), cuminal (23.9%) and p-cymene (15.9%) were the main components. Hydroalcoholic and polyphenolic extracts (400 and 800 mg/kg, i.p.) and essential oil (100-400 µl/kg, p.o.) significantly (p < 0.01) reduced acetic acid-induced writhings. They also significantly reduced the pain response of both early and late phases of the formalin test. In the carrageenan test and croton oil-induced ear edema both extracts and essential oil showed considerable anti-inflammatory response.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: These results clearly show the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of the plant fruits, and since extracts and essential oil relieved the pain of the first phase of the formalin test, it seems that at least a part of analgesic activity is mediated centrally. Meanwhile, the effects observed in this study provide evidence for folkloric uses of the plant fruits in painful and inflammatory conditions.