In vivo anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of Cistus salviifolius (L.) and Cistus monspeliensis (L.) aqueous extracts

Abstract Cistus salviifolius (L.) and Cistus monspeliensis (L.) are a medicinal shrubs used in traditional medicine in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. The present study was carried out to evaluate possible in vivo anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of the aqueous extracts of C. salviifolius (L.) and C. monspeliensis (L.) from Morocco. The anti-inflammatory activity was investigated using the carrageenan induced paw oedema assay in rats. Further, the in vivo analgesic effect was evaluated using the acetic acid induces writhing and tail emersion tests. The results showed that the aqueous extracts at a dose of 500 mg/kg of body weight caused a significant inhibition of paw oedema (91.57 ± 0.52% and 85.78 ± 0.64% for C. salviifolius (L.) and C. monspeliensis (L.) extracts respectively, 360 min after carrageenan injection) and exhibited analgesic activity in the used nociceptive models. These results demonstrate that the aqueous extracts of C. salviifolius (L.) and C. monspeliensis (L.) possess anti-inflammatory and both central and peripheral analgesic properties, supporting the traditional use of those plants in the treatment of inflammatory ailments.