Anti-inflammatory and anticonvulsant properties of some natural plant triterpenoids.

Abstract Some natural plant triterpenoids were evaluated for antiinflammatory and anticonvulsant activities. The protection afforded by these triterpenoids at a dose of 40 mg/kg against carrageenin-induced edema ranged from 9 to 48% with the exception of α-amyrin caprylate and friedelinoxime which were devoid of antiinflammatory activity. Antiproteolytic activity of all triterpenoids was demonstrated by in vitro inhibition of trypsin-induced hydrolysis of bovine serum albumin and casein. Such an inhibition of the activity of trypsin was found to be concentration dependent. The triterpenoids as well as sodium salicylate, used as the reference drug, produced greater inhibition of trypsin during hydrolysis of bovine serum albumin as compared to the hydrolysis of casein. These results have exhibited a good correlation between the antiinflammatory and antiproteolytic properties of these plant products. In the present study, all triterpenoids, with the exception of friedelinoxime and acetylmethylursolate, provided 10 to 40% protection against pentylenetetrazol-induced convulsions in mice. All natural plant triterpenoids, except erythrodiol caprylate, friedelinoxime and acetylmethylursolate, selectively inhibited the NAD-dependent oxidation of pyruvate, citrate, DL-isocitrate, α-ketoglutarate, β-hydroxybutyrate, and L-glutamate by rat brain homogenates at a final concentration of 2 mM. On the other hand, NAD-independent oxidation of succinate remained unaltered. In the present study, selective inhibition of NAD-dependent oxidations by triterpenoids was, however, not related to their anticonvulsant, antiinflammatory and antiproteolytic properties.