Anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antipyretic effects of some desert plants

Alhagi maurorum Medic., Conyza dioscoridis (L.) Desf., Convolvulus fatmensis G. Kunze., Diplotaxis acris (Forssk) Boiss and Origanum syriacum L. were evaluated for their phytochemical contents. Moreover, their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive and antipyretic activities were evaluated in lab animals at doses of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg. The antioxidant activity was estimated using DPPH free radical scavenging activity method for the alcoholic extracts of the investigated plants at different concentrations (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 mg/ml). The anti-inflammatory activity was estimated using carrageenan-induced rat paw edema method and the activities were compared to that of diclofenac sodium (30 mg/kg). The antinociceptive activity was estimated peripherally and centrally using the writhing and the hot plate tests, respectively. The antipyretic activity was estimated using Brewer’s yeast-induced hyperpyrexia in rats and the activities were compared to that of diclofenac sodium. All plants possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities in a dose dependent manner. No antipyretic activity was detected for all the investigated plants at the used doses. The activity of the investigated plants could be explained, at least by their antioxidant properties, due to their high flavonoid contents.