Antinociceptive and antispasmodic effects of the essential oil of Ocimum micranthum: potential anti-inflammatory properties.

The antinociceptive and antispasmodic properties of the essential oil of OCIMUM micranthum (EOOM) were characterized. In mice, EOOM (15-100 mg · kg (-1), p. o.) reduced both the writhing responses induced by acetic acid and the licking-time induced by formalin, being inert on the hot plate test. In rat trachea, EOOM relaxed sustained contractions induced by KCl or carbachol (CCh). Its constituents, ( E)- [( E)-MC] and ( Z)-methyl cinnamate [( Z)-MC], reproduced several effects of EOOM. Inhaled as aerosol, EOOM prevented tracheal hyperresponsiveness to KCl or CCh in ovalbumin-sensitized animals after antigen challenge. Thus, EOOM exerts peripheral analgesia in nociception of inflammatory origin and has antispasmodic actions on rat airways under an inflammatory environment. Its effects are mainly due to ( E)-MC, which makes this substance potentially interesting for studies involving conjunctly smooth muscle cells, nociception, and inflammation. Other EOOM constituents also appear to be involved in its pharmacological actions.