In vivo topical anti-inflammatory and in vitro antioxidant activities of two extracts of Thymus satureioides leaves

Four extracts at increasing polarity were prepared from the leaves of Thymus satureioides Coss. (Labiatae) and assayed for the in vivo topical anti-inflammatory effect using the croton oil ear test in mice, and for in vitro both antioxidant (DPPHdegrees test) and anti-bacterial (broth microdilution method) activities. The chloroform extract showed a topical anti-inflammatory activity (ID50 = 282 mug cm(-2)), only three times lower than that of the reference drug indomethacin (ID50 = 93 mug cm(-2)) and its active components were identified as ursolic and oleanolic acids. The methanol extract, showing a significant radical-scavenging effect (SC50 = 14.54 mug), was characterized by the isolation and identification of some flavonoids. On the contrary, the extracts did not show any anti-bacterial effect against four standard aerobial bacteria strains. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.