EFFECTS OF A MIXTURE OF FATTY ACIDS FROM SUGAR CANE (Saccharum officinarum L.) WAX OIL IN INFLAMMATION

Summary A mixture of fatty acids obtained from sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum L.) wax oil, (FAM) in which the main constituents are palmitic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids, was evaluated in two models of inflammation: zymosan- induced arthritis and in the tail test for psoriasis, both on mice. In the first model, FAM significantly reduced zymozan-induced increase of β glucuronidase (DE50 90 ± 7 mg/kg). Histopathological studies showed inhibition in cellular infiltration and reduction of synovial hyperplasia and synovitis, whereas in the second test, histopathological and ultrastructural studies showed that topical application of FAM induced orthokeratosis with the presence of keratohyalin granules in the previously parakeratotic adult mouse-tail, and without effects on epidermal thickness The ED50 of FAM in this model was 155 ± 10 mg. The results of our studies showed that topical application of FAM exerts an important anti-inflammatory activity in both tests without evidence of irritant effects. The antiinflamatory effects exerted by FAM may be due to its inhibitory effects on arachidonic acid metabolism. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the anti-inflammatory effect of sugar cane by-products in experimental models of arthritis and psoriasis.