The anti-inflammatory activity was determined using mouse of pleurisy and paw oedema models, both process being induced by different flogistic agents such as: carrageenan (Cg), bradykinin (BK), histamine (HIS), substance P (SP), dextran (DEX) or prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). We evaluated the effect of CD (200–600 mg/kg) administered by oral route (p.o.) upon leukocytes migration, myeloperoxidase (MPO), and adenosine-deaminase (ADA) activities and nitric oxide (NO) levels.
CD (200–600 mg/kg) inhibited the leukocytes by 60.0 ± 1.42 % , neutrophils by 82.75 ± 1.29 % , MPO by 42.30 ± 4.23 % , and ADA activities by 57.89 ± 1.94 % , as well as NO levels by 64.28 ± 2.15 % in Cg induced pleurisy. CD also inhibited total and differential leukocytes in the pleurisy induced by BK (1.30 ± 0.11/0.29 ± 0.02), HIS (1.20 ± 0.09/0.42 ± 0.05) and SP (0.74 ± 0.06/0.14 ± 0.01). In addition, CD was effective in reducing paw oedema induced by Cg by 72.79 ± 1.13 % , SP by 68.26. ± 0.78 % , BK by 66.66. ± 0.77 % , PGE2 by 53.346. ± 1.18 and DEX by 65.14 ± 2.35 % .
Several mechanisms, including the inhibition of enzymes (MPO and ADA) and mediators (BK, HIS, SP, NO and PGE2) release and/or action, appear to account for the anti-inflammatory effect of Coronopus didymus.