Antiinflamatory activity of Peucedanum officinale on rats.

Peucedanum officinale , ( fam. Apiaceae ), belongs to a large group of medicinal plants, sp read around the world, used for wide range therapeutic p urposes. Antiinflammatory action has been tested on kaolin rat paw oedema model (measured by plethysmography), efficiency of Peucedanum officinale , has been compared to those of phenylbutazone. Inflammatory oedema represent the difference between the injected paw volume at 2, 4, respectively 24 hours and initial v olume; the inhibition of oedema represents the diff erence in paw volume, between treated animals ( Peucedanum officinale and phenylbutazone) and untreated ones. Acute toxicity test has revealed no pathological changes in animals in study. Antiinflammatory effect reflec ted by inhibition of oedema has the highest value on 4h de termination, but the difference to negative control group was statistically significant in all the determinations . However, the antiinflammatory efficiency has been lower as compared to phenylbutazone. Peucedanum officinale has proved a significant antiinflammatory activity ; therefore, it might be useful for patients unsuitab le for classical antiinflammatory therapy.