Abstract
In Amazonas State (Brazil), Justicia acuminatissima (Miq.) Bremek., Acanthaceae, leaf teas are used in folk medicine to treat several inflammatory illnesses. In order to validate this medicinal application, we analyzed the acute toxicity and antioxidant, antiedematogenic and antinociceptive potentials of an aqueous extract of this species, using culture cells and animal models. The aqueous extract did not cause toxic effects on human lymphocytes in high concentration (400μg/ml), neither on mice treated with high doses (5000mg/kg) in an acute toxicity analysis by oral route, and also did not cause lesions in the gastric mucosa of animals treated with 300mg/kg, which was the maximal dose used in the anti-inflammatory screening. The aqueous extract caused inhibition of inflammatory pain in formalin-induced paw licking test with all tested doses, 30, 100 and 300mg/kg, and antiedematogenic activity at 100 and 300mg/kg. Additionally, the aqueous extract presented statistically significant action on the release of nitric oxide by lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages. These results and other preliminary studies support the folk use of this species, and further investigation of its action mechanism by inhibition of COX-2 or related metabolite would be interesting.
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