The topical anti-inflammatory activity of essential oil of Pistacia lentiscus L. was studied using carrageenan induced rat paw edema and cotton pellet induced granuloma. The effect on serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in rats inserted with cotton pellet was also investigated. On topical application, the oil exhibited a significant decrease in paw edema. The oil also inhibited cotton pellet-induced granuloma, and reduced serum TNF-α and IL-6. It can be concluded that the essential oil of Pistacia lentiscus reduces leukocyte migration to the damaged tissue and exhibits anti-inflammatory activity.
TassouCCNychasGJE. (1995) Antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of mastic gum (Pistacia lentiscus var. chia) on Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria in broth and in model food system. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 28, 411–420.
5.
MagiatisP, MelliouE, SkaltsounidALChinouIBMitakuS (1999) Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils of Pistacia lentiscus var. chia. Planta Medica, 65, 749–752.
6.
GardeliC, VassilikiP, AthanasiosM, KibourisT, KomaitisM. (2008) Essential oil composition of Pistacia lentiscus L. and Myrtus communis L.: evaluation of antioxidant capacity of methanolic extracts. Food Chemistry, 107, 1120–1130.
7.
BenhammouN, BekkaraFAPanovskaTK. (2008) Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the Pistacia lentiscus and Pistacia atlantica extracts. African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 2, 022–028.
8.
MahmoudiM, EbrahimzadehMANabaviSFHafeziS, NabaviSMEslamiS (2010) Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of gum mastic. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, 14, 765–769;
9.
JohnsonAJKumarRARasheedSAChandrikaSPChandrasekharA, BabyS, SubramoniamA (2010) Antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of two major chromenes from Melicope lunu-ankenda. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 130, 267–271.
10.
SperoniE, CervellatiR, InnocentiG, CostaS, GuerraMCDall'AcquaS, GovoniP. (2005) Anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive and antioxidant activities of Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Delile. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 98, 117–125.
11.
Di RosaM, GiroudJPWilloughbyDA. (1971) Studies of the mediators of the acute inflammatory response induced in rats in different sites by carrageenin and turpentine. The Journal of Pathology, 104, 15–29.
12.
WinterCARisleyEANussGW. (1962). Carrageenan-induced oedema in the hind paw of rat as an assay for anti-inflammatory activity. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, 111, 544–547.
13.
MeasePJ. (2002). Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) in psoriatic arthritis: pathophysiology and treatment with TNF inhibitors. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 61, 298–304.
14.
MeasePJGoffeBSMetzJ, VanderstoepA, FinckB, BurgeDJ. (2000) Etanercept in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis: a randomised trial. Lancet, 356, 385–390.
15.
TraceyKJ. (1996) The Cytokine Handbook, 2nd ed., Academic Press, New York.
16.
AshersonRAPascoeL. (2002) Adult onset Still's disease: response to Enbrel. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 61, 859–860.
17.
MiguelMG (2010) Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of essential oils: A short review. Molecules, 15, 9252–9287.
18.
SayyahM, SaroukhaniG, PeiroviA, KamalinejadM. (2003) Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of the leaf essential oil of Laurus nobilis Linn. Phytotherapy Research, 17, 733–736.
19.
ChaoLKHuaKFHsuHYChengSSLiuJYChangST. (2005) Study on the anti-inflammatory activity of essential oil from leaves of Cinnamomum osmophloeum. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 53, 7274–7278.
20.
MaxiaA, FrauMA Danilo FalconieriD, Manvendra Singh KarchuliMS Sanjay KastureS. (2011) Essential oil of Myrtus communis inhibits inflammation in rats by reducing serum IL-6 and TNF–α. Natural Product Communications, 6, 1545–1548.
