Pharmacological activity of the essential oil of Bupleurum gibraltaricum: anti-inflammatory activity and effects on isolated rat uteri.

The essential oil of Bupleurum gibraltaricum showed considerable anti-inflammatory activity against carrageenan-produced pedal edema in rats. This appeared to be due to the delta-3-carene component. The essential oil and delta-3-carene both produced qualitatively similar changes in rat uterine contractions caused by oxytocin (a progressive dose-related modification of the concentration-response curves) and acetylcholine (non-progressive modification of the concentration-response curves).