ANTI-INFLAMMATORY POTENTIAL OF ESSENTIAL OIL FROM POGOSTEMON BENGHALENSIS (BURM.F.) KUNTZE. USING ANIMAL MODELS

Abstract

Aromatic herbals are economically important as spices, flavor, crude essential oil and also for other therapeutic uses. The essential oils (Eos) continue to rise as a commodity and indirectly a range of beauty care and aromatherapy products. Pogostemon benghalensis (Burm.F.) Kuntze., a close relative of patchouli is a bushy herb of Lamiaceae family. The leaves are substituted as the source for essential oils which imparts the therapeutic properties to cure many health related issues among the human beings. Native people use the decoctions of this wild species for curing many skin related issues but not validated scientifically. In this scenario, the present study was undertaken to extract the Eos from Pogostemon benghalensis, fractionated by GC-MS and to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potentials using animal models. Anti-nociceptive role of Eos were analyzed in rats using the acetic acid-induced writhing test. Anti-inflammatory effects of Eos in four different concentrations, namely 100, 200, 300 and 500 mg/kg, were accessed in animal models representing various changes connected with inflammation such as carrageenan-induced paw edema, xylene induced ear edema, cotton pellet-induced granuloma and ethanol induced ulcer. No sign of toxicity was noticed in the Eos treated rats from both the species up to a concentration of 3000 mg/kg. The extract showed statistically significant inhibition of induced nociception and inflammation in a concentration dependent manner. The higher concentration of Eos from the species remarkably inhibited pain and inflammation as compared to control (P less than 0.01). GC-MS analysis identified 41 volatile compounds as phytoconstituents in the species. The present study scientifically validated the anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory potential of Eos from Pogostemon benghalensis. These potentialities may be attributed by the presence of various classes of terpene phytoconstituents in the Eos.