Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of 7-epiclusianone, a prenylated benzophenone from Garcinia brasiliensis.

7-Epiclusianone, a natural prenylated benzophenone, was extracted from Garcinia brasiliensis Planch. & Triana (Clusiaceae), a native plant commonly known as bacupari and used in traditional Brazilian medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. As a result of the wide spectrum of biological activities attributed to polyisoprenylated benzophenones, the aim of this study was to evaluate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of 7-epiclusianone using two animal models. Carrageenan-induced paw oedema and peritonitis were used to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of 7-epiclusianone in rats. The acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin and hot-plate tests were used to investigate its antinociceptive activity in mice. At test doses of 5, 10 and 15 mg/kg p.o., 7-epiclusianone had an anti-inflammatory effect as demonstrated by the reduction of paw oedema induced by carrageenan and the inhibition of leukocyte recruitment into the peritoneal cavity. At the same doses, 7-epiclusianone inhibited nociception induced by an intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid, observed by the decrease in the number of writhing episodes. Additionally, 7-epiclusianone decreased licking time caused by a subplantar injection of formalin. Moreover, the hot plate test produced a significant increase in latency reaction, demonstrating an antinociceptive effect. The experimental data demonstrated that the polyisoprenylated benzophenone 7-epiclusianone has remarkable anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities.