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Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: The dried root of Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. (Family Lauraceae) has long been used as a folk remedy in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Dai Ethnopharmacy for the treatment of rheumatic diseases in southwestern China. Aim of the study: This study investigated the preventive efficacy of Litsea cubeba root in treating rheumatoid arthritis using Freund's complete adjuvant (CFA) induced arthritis (AA) in rat model. Materials and methods: Arthritis was induced in male Wistar rats by immunization with CFA. Ethanol extract (EELC) and water extract (WELC) of Litsea cubeba root both at 50mg/kg and 200mg/kg were orally administered from a day after the induction of arthritis. Paw swelling, arthritic score, body weight growth rate, index of thymus and spleen were observed, and the production of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 in serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression levels of inflammatory enzymes like cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase were also measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Moreover, histological changes in the ankle joint were analyzed in AA rats. Results: Both EELC and WELC significantly suppressed paw swelling and arthritic score, increased the loss in body weight and decreased the index of thymus. Histopathological improvement in joint architecture was also observed in EELC, WELC-treated AA rats. The expression levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) were decreased on treatment with EELC and WELC. Furthermore, the overproduction of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 were remarkably attenuated in serum of all Litsea cubeba-treated rats, however, IL-10 was markedly increased at doses of 50mg/kg of EELC and WELC. Conclusions: These results indicate that extract of Litsea cubeba root significantly attenuates adjuvant arthritis in rats by decreasing the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 and increasing of IL-10 in serum as well as down-regulate the levels of inflammatory enzymes such as COX-2 and 5-LOX. This suggests that Litsea cubeba root might be used as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of human arthritis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (Umbelliferae) is a plant used as medicine and food in China. The essential oil (EO) extracted from its rhizomes possesses many pharmacological activities. However, there have been no scientific reports in the modern literature on the safety of EO. Aims of the study: The objective of this study was to conduct a chemical composition analysis and evaluate acute toxicity and skin sensitivity of EO from rhizomes of Ligusticum chuanxiong. Materials and methods: The chemical composition of hydrodistilled EO was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and was evaluated in animals for acute toxicity, skin irritation and sensitization tests. Results: Dozens of compounds were detected and the major components of EO were ligustilide and butylidenephthalide with relative contents of 67.46 and 5.06%, respectively. The oral and intra-peritoneal lethal doses of 50% (LD50) in mice were 7.23g/kg (approximately 14,606 times of clinical dose used) and 2.25g/kg (approximately 5091 times of clinical dose used), respectively. The doses of 0.115 and 0.23g/kg EO (approximately 232.5 and 465 times of the respective clinical doses used) revealed slight irritation effects on rabbit skin, but 1g/kg EO (approximately 2020 times of clinical dose used) had no observable effect on guinea pig skin in the skin sensitization test. Conclusions: These experimental results indicate that short term application of EO is probably safe within the range of its clinical doses, but the dose should be controlled for external use due to its slight skin irritation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]