Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of the water extract from Terminalia bellerica (Gaertn.) Roxb.

Terminalia bellerica extract was investigated for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities in animal models. An anti-inflammatory activity test showed that T. bellerica extract inhibited ear edema of the rats induced by ethyl phenylpropiolate as well as inhibited carrageenan-induced paw edema. In contrast, the extract did not have an inhibitory effect on arachidonic acid-induced ear edema in rats. T. bellerica extract did not reduce granuloma weight, body weight gain and thymus dry weight in the cotton pellet-induced granuloma formation model. An analgesic activity study showed that T. bellerica extract decreased licking times in mice injected with 0.1% formalin in both the early and late phases, but exerted the most marked effect in the late phase. These results suggest that T. bellerica water extract may possess both analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. The main mechanisms of action of T. bellerica extract may be due to the inhibitory effects on the synthesis and/or release of pain or inflammatory mediators.