Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities and acute toxicity of Achillea nobilis subsp. neilreichii extract in mice and rats

The ethanol extract of Achillea nobilis L. subsp. neilreichii (Kerner) Formanék (Asteraceae) flower heads was investigated for its antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities and for acute toxicity in mice and rats. While the extract exhibited an antinociceptive effect during the late phase of the formalin test (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, i.p.) and an anti-inflammatory effect in the paw edema test (100 and 200 mg/kg, i.p.), it did not exert any significant antinociceptive effect in the tail-flick test. Furthermore, administration of 400 mg/kg extract increased the latency to hot-plate test at 60 and 90 min. No significant change was detected in sensory motor performance. The acute LC50 value of the extract was 4456 mg/kg (i.p.) in mice. The current results demonstrate that an ethanol extract of A. nobilis L. subsp. neilreichii exerts anti-inflammatory activity. © 2007 Informa Healthcare.