Essential oil from Eugenia stipitata McVaugh leaves has antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic activities without showing toxicity in mice

Abstract

Eugenia stipitata is a Brazilian plant species used in traditional medicine for a wide range of ailments. Considering the biotechnological potential of herbal oils, in this study an essential oil was evaluated for toxicity, antinociceptive, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory activity in mice model. The essential oil from Eugenia stipitata (EsEO) leaves was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Abdominal contortion tests were performed to evaluate its antinociceptive activity. For estimating its anti-inflammatory activity, tests of paw edema, peritonitis, and protein denaturation were performed. The antipyretic effect was assessed with a yeast-induced pyrexia model. Artemia salina was used for environmental biomonitoring and preliminary toxicity. To analyse the safety of use; acute toxicity and hemolytic activity were performed. Majority of the compounds were identified by guaiol (13.77%), trans-caryophyllene (11.36%), and β-eudesmol (8.13%) e γ-eudesmol (6.55%). Essential Oil from E. stipitata promoted mortality of A. salina nauplii, with an LC50 of 812.45 μg/mL. No mice death(s) was noted with oral administration of the essential oil at 2000 and 5000 mg/kg, respectively; additionally, no alterations were observed with biochemical, hematological, and histopatological analyses. Markedly reduced abdominal contortion (54.1–56.6% inhibition) at all doses as compared with the negative control. Reduction in inflammation was also seen. In the paw edema test, a significant decrease in edema (88.66–96.94%) was observed. Whereas, in peritonitis; a reduction in the migration of total leukocytes (76.8–86.5%) and neutrophils (74.5–79.6%) was noted. Moreover, EsEO was capable of inhibiting protein denaturation (74.39–82.83%) as compared with the control (45.02–100%) at the concentrations evaluated. It also exerted an antipyretic effect after the first 1 h of evaluation, until the end of observation duration (4 h). The results suggested EsEO as a promising source of natural antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic constituent for application in food and pharmaceutical industries.