Anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the extracts of Stauntonia chinensis

The aim of this investigation was to study the anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of Stauntonia chinensis (S. chinensis) and the possible action mechanisms of effective fractions. The anti-nociceptive and antiinflammatory activities of S. chinensis extracts, including the 60% EtOH extract (YMG), the n-BuOH extract (YMGB) and the aqueous residue (YMGW) of YMG, and the fractions from YMGB (YMGB1~YMGB7) were investigated by using the mouse acetic acid-induced writhing test and the rat formalin test. The effect of these extracts on the PGE2 production was tested as well. In the mouse acetic acid-induced writhing test and the rat formalin test, YMGW and YMGB displayed anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities, suggesting that they were the active ingredients of YMG. Among the fractions isolated from YMGB, YMGB1, YMGB3, YMGB4 and YMGB6 were the main active ingredients producing anti-nociceptive activity and YMGB3, YMGB5, YMGB6 and YMGB7 were the main active ingredients producing anti-inflammatory activity. Additionally, YMGW, YMGB and its separations reduced the production of PGE2, which might be the mechanism of them producing anti-inflammatory activity. These results demonstrated the active ingredients of S. chinensis producing anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities, which is valuable to validate the substance basis of S. chinensis’s pharmacological actions.