Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Essential Oil of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Leaf: In Vivo and in Silico Studies

The objective of our present study is to scrutinize the analgesic and anti-inflammatory potentials of essential oil of Eucalyptus camaldulensis leaf using different in vivo assay models at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg body weight. Twenty chemical compounds, which were isolated from the leaves essential oil of E. camaldulensis, were docked using AutodockVina against cyclooxygenase 2, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-1 beta convertase to elucidate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity. The essential oil of E. camaldulensis exhibited noteworthy analgesic activities in the writhing test. In the tail immersion and hot-plate test, the essential oil significantly extended the latency period. The number of licks in the formalin-induced paw licking test was markedly reduced following essential oil administration. In addition, E. camaldulensis essential oil revealed notable anti-inflammatory responses in carrageenan-induced paw edema, xylene induced ear edema and cotton pellet induced granuloma methods. Among 20 compounds, 5 (cis-sabinol, globulol, alpha-eudesmol, beta-eudesmol, and gamma-eudesmol) showed better binding for cyclooxygenase-2 while beta-eudesmol exhibited higher affinity for TNF alpha than that of TNF-alpha-IN-1 and standard drug. In the case of interleukin 1 beta convertase, maximum affinity was shown by alpha-eudesmol than the synthetic drug belnacasan. Chemical components of the essential oil interacted with diverse amino acid residues which were similar to the natural substrate and standard drugs. In conclusion, E. camaldulensis essential oil can be an effective source of analgesic and anti-inflammatory treatment and additional modification and docking studies will be required to justify the efficiency of globulol, alpha-eudesmol, beta-eudesmol, and gamma-eudesmol.

Automated summary

The study aimed to investigate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of Eucalyptus camaldulensis essential oil in different in vivo models. The essential oil exhibited significant analgesic activities and anti-inflammatory responses in various tests, while certain compounds showed high affinity for key inflammatory enzymes and cytokines. Further studies are needed to explore the potential of specific compounds for drug development.