Background: Advantages of herbal drugs have been known to human being for many years and they have been used for treatment of many diseases. Nowadays, inflammation is known to be one of the basic pathologic causes of the diseases. Objective: In this study the anti-inflammatory effect of Thymus kotschyanus Boiss & Hohen was investigated. Methods: Forty two Wistar rats were used in three divided groups. In the first group, extract of Thymus kotschyanus Boiss & Hohen in doses of 50, 100, 150, 200 mg/kg was injected intra peritoneal and after one hour they were treated with hind paw edema test with carrageenan. In the second group, Indomethacin with the dose of 5 mg/kg was injected one hour before carrageenan and in the third one, saline was injected before carrageenan, every hours after carrageenan injection to rat’s right hind paw the inflammation was separately measured by the change in the volume of mercury (plethysmometer). Results: Indomethacin and Thymus kotschyanus Boiss & Hohen extract had significantly reduced edema in all five measurements (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between Indometacin and the extract in reducing edema in the first to fourth hour, but in the fifth hour, the herbal drug showed a significant difference of anti-inflammatory effect with Indometacin in all doses (p<0.05). Conclusion: The methanolic extract of Thymus kotschyanus Boiss & Hohen has anti- inflammatory effect in all doses which is dose dependant and can be used instead of or as a synergist for Indometacin. Higher doses of herbal extract may have more anti-inflammatory effects.

Background: Inflammation is a dynamic process that is elicited in response to various harmful stimulantsthat may threaten the well-being of the host. Herbs have been traditionally used as anti-inflammatory agents since very early times. Rubia tinctorum L. is one of these herbs that havebeen used for treating inflammatory diseases in Iranian traditional medicine. Objective: This study aims at considering anti-inflammatory effects of R. tinctorum and comparing its extracts in this property. Methods: The root of Rubia tinctorum (Rubiaceae) was collected from Yazd province, in the center of Iran. The root extracts of plant were studied for their anti-inflammatory activity by using carrageenan-induced hind paw edema in Wistarmale rats. Indomethacin and normal saline were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. Different concentrations of aqueous, ethanolic, and 50% aq. ethanolic extracts (600, 800, 1000 mg/kg) were given orally before carrageenan injection. The paw thickness was measured at 1, 3 and 5 hours after injection. Results: Both, aqueous and 50% eq. ethanolic extracts reduced paw edema at 600 and 800 mg/kg concentrations. Moreover, ethanolic extract showed significant effect only in1sthour after carrageenan injection. Conclusion: The results indicated that the aqueous extract were exhibited higher anti-inflammatory effect compared with other extracts. Accordingly, the potent anti-inflammatory effect of the root extracts is attributed to the polar compounds which are extracted in the water.

Background: The pathophysiology of the upper respiratory diseases involves inflammatory reactions, both immunological and non-immunological inflammation. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the activity of an Indonesian polyherbal product that combines the extracts of Curcuma zanthorrhiza Roxb. rhizome and Vitex trifolia L. leaves, as the main ingredients, and other medicinal plants for the anti-inflammatory effects in respiratory disorders. Methods: The effects of the polyherbal product at different doses (167.5, 335 and 670 mg/kg, p.o) on the right hind paw edema were measured by plethysmometer after induction by subplantar injection of either histamine (100 µl, 2 %) or carrageenan (100 µl, 0.1 %), to represent two types of inflammation. Rat paw edema volume as baseline (Vo) was measured at 30 min before oral administration of the polyherbal and every 30 min for 0-6 h after injection of histamine or carrageenan (Vt). Anti-inflammatory activity was calculated as the percent inhibition of paw edema relative to the negative control, CMC-Na. Results: The polyherbal formula significantly decreased paw edema compared with the negative control(P < 0.05). Inflammatory inhibition rates of 167.5, 335 and 670 mg/kg doses were 25.19, 32.77 and 47.03 %, respectively, in histamine-induced edema, and 20.12, 56.62 and 68.87 %, respectively, in carrageenan-induced edema. Conclusion: The anti-inflammatory properties of a polyherbal containing C. zanthorriza and V. trifolia as the main ingredients showed a dose-dependent manner. The other herbal components i.e. Zingiber officinale rhizome, Citrus bioflavonoid complex, and Echinacea purpurea herb may contribute to overall anti-inflammatory activity.