Anti-inflammatory activity of Imupret®– the combination product versus its single herbal extracts

Abstract

Imupret® is an alcoholic-aqueous extract of seven different herbal drugs: Radix Althaeae, Flores Chamomillae, Herba Equiseti, Folia Juglandis, Herba Millefolii, Cortex Quercus, and Herba Taraxaci. It is used for the treatment of recurrent infections of the respiratory tract, especially tonsillitis. The aim of the study was the assessment of the influence of the herbal extract combination Imupret® compared to selected single herbal extracts on its anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. Therefore pharmacological effects of Imupret® and its herbal components on arachidonic acid metabolism were investigated. The anti-inflammatory activity was measured by the inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis by cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and -2) [1] and the inhibition of leukotriene biosynthesis in human neutrophile granulocytes [2]. The inhibitory activity was calculated by the produced amount of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4), respectively. This study compares different anti-inflammatory pharmacological effects in order to reveal whether there is an increase or decrease of enzyme inhibition caused by additional synergistic effects as a result of a multiple extract preparation.