Short Communication Anti-inflammatory effect of a, b-Amyrin, a pentacyclic triterpene from Protium heptaphyllum in rat model of acute periodontitis

This study was aimed to evaluate the anti-inflamma - tory potential of triterpene a, b-Amyrin in rats on acute phase periodontitis. Periodontitis was induced by ligature placement around the maxillary right second molar tooth. Rats (n = 8/ group) were pretreated with a, b-Amyrin (5 and 10 mg/kg, p. o.), two hours before the induction of periodontal inflamma - tion. Sham-operated and positive controls (lumiracoxib and dexamethasone) were included. Six hours later, plasma levels of TNF-alpha were analysed. Rats were sacrificed at 24 h, and the gingival tissue analysed for myeloperoxidase (MPO) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), as measures of neutrophil influx and lipid-peroxidation, respectively a, b- Amyrin as well as dexamethasone significantly inhibited the periodontitis-associated increases of TNF-alpha, and the gin- gival MPO and TBARS. a, b-Amyrin effect was more promi- nent at 5 mg/kg. Lumiracoxib manifested varied influence on the studied parameters. These results provide evidence to show that a, b-Amyrin retards acute inflammation in rat mod - el of periodontitis and warrant further study on its efficacy to prevent chronic periodontitis-associated bone loss.