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Hyptis pectinata L. Poit (Lamiaceae) is known popularly in Brazil as “sambacaita” or “canudinho” and is used in the treatment of inflammations, bacterial infections and ache. The antinociceptive activity of the volatile oils of six genotypes, at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body wt., were investigated using abdominal writhe models induced by acetic acid and hot plate tests. The volatile oils of all the genotypes are composed mainly of sesquiterpenoids. All the genotypes showed antinociceptive effects in both models used; the SAM002 genotype showed the major inhibitory effect at dose of 100 mg/kg body wt. These results suggest that the volatile oil of H. pectinata has peripheral (writhe reduction) and central (time delay of thermal reaction) effects. These observations indicate that H. pectinata may be useful as an analgesic drug.

Several species of the genus Hyptis have presented medicinal characteristics and are frequently indicated to treat gastro intestinal infections, gramps and pain, as well as for skin infections. Three harvests were carried out using six H. pectinata accessions, and the following characteristics were evaluated: plant height, canopy diameter, leave length (L) and width (W), L/W relation and dry weight of leaves and stem. The accession SAM006 have presented highest leave dry matter yield when the three harvests were summed. The aqueous leaf extracts of the same six H. pectinata accessions were tested for anti-edematogenic effect using the carrageenin-induced rat paw edema at doses of 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg. The extracts administered orally had a significant anti-edematogenic effect. The dose of 200 mg/kg of accessions SAM004 and SAM005 had a stronger effect reducing the edema by 19.6% and 15.4%, respectively. Similar results were obtained using higher dosages of the aqueous extract of the accessions SAM002, SAM003 and SAM006. It can be concluded that the accessions SAM004, SAM005 and SAM006 are promising genotypes for a plant breeding program that aims the development of a cultivar with highest leave yielding and anti-edematogenic effect.