Anti-inflammatory activity of cacalol and cacalone sesquiterpenes isolated from Psacalium decompositum.

The hexane extract and two sesquiterpenic compounds, cacalol and cacalone, were isolated from the roots and rhizomes of Psacalium decompositum. Then, their anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in carrageenan-induced rat paw edema and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced ear edema. Indomethacin was used as the anti-inflammatory agent of reference. In the rat paw model of inflammation, both the hexane extract and the sesquiterpenes isolated from Psacalium decompositum showed a clear dose-dependent inhibition of the carrageenan-induced edema (P < 0.05), with important differences among them during the temporal course of the inhibition. In the TPA-induced mouse ear edema all tested compounds showed anti-inflammatory activity in dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). In both models, cacalone showed the most prominent anti-inflammatory activity. We conclude that some of the beneficial effects attributed to Psacalium decompositum in traditional medicine can be related with the anti-inflammatory activity of cacalol and cacalone.