Screening of Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic Parts of Ardisia gigantifolia stapf.and Its Toxicological Safety Study

[Objectives] To screen out the anti-inflammatory and analgesic parts of Ardisia gigantifolia stapf.and to explore the toxicological safety of each part.[Methods]The carrageenan-induced toe swelling experiment of mice,acetic acid-induced peritoneal capillary permeability experiment,pain writhing test,and mouse maximum tolerated dose experiment were carried out.Taking mouse toe swelling,capillary permeability,pain writhing reaction times,and animal death number as indicators,anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects were screened and toxicological safety was evaluated for petroleum ether,ethyl acetate,n-butanol and water parts of A.gigantifolia.[Results] The petroleum ether part of A.gigantifolia can significantly reduce the degree of carrageenan-induced toe swelling of(P < 0.05),significantly inhibit the glacial acetic acid induced capillary permeability of mice(P < 0.05) and the times of pain writhing of mice(P < 0.01),no death was observed in each group after 150-fold of clinical equivalent dose administration,and no abnormality was observed in body weight and tissues of mice.[Conclusions]The petroleum ether part of A.gigantifolia is active part of anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect,and each part is low in toxicological safety.

Effects of Alcohol Extract of Giantleaf Ardisia Rhizome on Levels of Inflammatory Factors in Serum of Rats with Adjuvant Arthritis

[Objectives]The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of ethanol extract of Giantleaf Ardisia Rhizome on the serum levels of interleukin 6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factorα(TNF-α)and interleukin-1β(IL-1β)in adjuvant arthritis(AA)rats induced by Freund’s complete adjuvant(CFA),so as to investigate its role in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.[Methods]Rat models of AA were induced by CFA,and they were given with different doses of ethanol extract of Giantleaf Ardisia Rhizome,followed by scoring of systemic and joint inflammation and swelling degree and determination of serum IL-6,TNF-αand IL-1βlevels.[Results]Compared with the model group,the ethanol extract of Giantleaf Ardisia Rhizome significantly reduced the scores of systemic and joint inflammation and swelling degree and the serum levels of IL-6,TNF-αand IL-1βin AA rats(P<0.05,P<0.01).[Conclusions]The ethanol extract of Giantleaf Ardisia Rhizome can suppress the development of AA in rats and the mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of the expression of serum inflammatory factors(IL-6,TNF-α,IL-1β).

A Pharmacognostical Study on Ardisia gigantifolia and Its Adulterants

[Objectives]The research aimed to study the characteristics of Ardisia gigantifolia and its adulterants Embelia scandens and Mappianthus iodoides for identification. [Methods] Through the trait identification method,powder microscopic identification method,TLC,inclusions detection and content determination,A. gigantifolia and its adulterants were contrasted. [Results]The morphological and histological characteristics of A. gigantifolia,E. scandens and M. iodoides were different from each other. Containing water,total ash,acid insoluble ash and other inclusions also had difference; the total triterpenoid saponins were respectively 122. 90 mg/g of A. gigantifolia,147. 052 mg/g of E. scandens,and 63. 06 mg/g of M. iodoides. [Conclusions] These methods are accurate and reliable,which could be used for the identification of A. gigantifolia and its adulterants.