Evaluation of the Antinociceptive and Anti-inflammatory Activities of Satureja thymbra. L. Essential Oil

Figures & data

Table 1. Chemical composition of the essential oil of S. thymbra..

Number	Rt (min)	Compounds	RI	Percentage
1	4.10	α.-Thujene^a.	931	1.98
2	4.18	α.-Pinene	939	1.47
3	4.28	Camphene	954	0.63
4	4.42	Myrecene	992	1.52
5	4.46	β.-Pinene	980	0.47
6	4.61	α.-Phellandrene	1005	0.35
7	4.71	para.-Cymene^a.	1028	12.73
8	4.80	Limonene	1032	0.78
9	4.85	Ocimene	1052	0.58
10	5.01	γ.-Terpinene^a.	1064	40.99
11	5.08	cis.-Sabinenehydrate	1068	0.40
12	5.28	Linalool	1099	0.71
13	5.89	Menthon	1157	0.21
14	6.08	endo.-Borneol	1168	0.26
15	6.19	Terpinen-4-ol^b.	1170	0.27
16	6.83	Thymyl methyl ether	1237	1.94
17	7.28	Thymol^a.	1292	13.19
18	7.41	Carvacrol^a.	1304	17.50
19	9.39	β.-Caryophyllene^a.	1420	3.15
20	9.80	α.-Humulene	1461	0.19
21	10.30	Caryophyllene oxide	1584	0.20

R_t, retention time; RI, retention index.

^a.Comparison with the authentic samples.

^b.Identification depends on only mass spectra.

Figure 1 Antinociceptive effect of S. thymbra. extract (mg kg⁻¹, i.p.) determined as the effect on early phase (striped columns) and late phase (dotted columns) formalin-induced hind-paw licking behavior in mice. Results indicate hind-paw licking time in seconds (s) and are mean±SEM, n = 10 for each group. Essential oil (12.5, 25, 50, 100 mg kg⁻¹), vehicle (2% Tween 20) (control), morphine, morphine + naloxone, or essential oil + naloxone were administered before the formalin injection. EO, essential oil of S. thymbra., M, 10 mg kg⁻¹ morphine; M + N, 10 mg kg⁻¹ morphine + 2 mg kg⁻¹ naloxone; EO + N, 100 mg kg⁻¹ essential oil of S. thymbra. + 2 mg kg⁻¹ naloxone administration. ^#p < 0.01 according to control animals. ^⋆p < 0.05 according to morphine group.

Figure 2 Latency to withdraw the tail from noxious thermal stimulation in rats after treatment with 2% Tween 20 (control) and 50, 100, and 200 mg kg⁻¹ i.p. S. thymbra. essential oil injection. Data are expressed as mean and vertical lines show SEM (n = 10 for each group). EO, essential oil of S. thymbra.; M, 10 mg kg⁻¹ morphine; M + N, 10 mg kg⁻¹ morphine + 2 mg kg⁻¹ naloxone; EO + N, 100 mg kg⁻¹ essential oil of S. thymbra. + 2 mg kg⁻¹ naloxone administration. *p < 0.05, ^#p < 0.01 according to control animals. ^⋆p < 0.05, ^·⋄p < 0.01 according to morphine group. ^θp < 0.01 according to 100 mg kg⁻¹ EO.

Table 2. Effect of S. thymbra. essential oil on the latency time of rats submitted to the hot-plate test.

			Latency (s)
Group	Dose (mg kg^−1)	n	0 (min)	15 (min)	30 (min)	45 (min)	60 (min)	90 (min)
Control	—	10	6.66 ± 0.48	6.93 ± 0.75	6.94 ± 0.66	7.82 ± 1.29	6.36 ± 0.86	6.63 ± 0.87
EO	50	10	6.37 ± 0.74	7.05 ± 0.77	7.63 ± 0.84	6.30 ± 0.46	5.75 ± 0.37	6.53 ± 0.60
	100	10	5.66 ± 0.44	7.00 ± 0.84	7.49 ± 0.76	10.71 ± 1.27	13.91 ± 2.38	11.69 ± 1.48
	200	10	4.95 ± 0.53	8.22 ± 0.97	9.84 ± 1.18	10.18 ± 1.05	12.28 ± 1.51	11.36 ± 1.45
M	10	10	5.42 ± 0.54	12.53 ± 3.10^#	13.56 ± 3.61	16.56 ± 3.44^#	13.21 ± 3.73	7.41 ± 1.28
M + N	10 + 2	10	5.71 ± 0.67	7.80 ± 1.37^⋆	7.53 ± 1.13^⋆	9.98 ± 2.90^⋆	7.26 ± 1.47	7.47 ± 0.82
EO + N	100 + 2	10	4.67 ± 0.43	11.67 ± 1.87 ^·⋄	19.82 ± 3.35^θ	20.32 ± 3.593^θ	19.73 ± 3.34	13.31 ± 2.89

Each group represents the mean ± SEM for 10 animals (n = 10).

*p < 0.05,

^#p < 0.01 compared with corresponding control values,

^⋆p < 0.05 compared with morphine group,

^·⋄p < 0.05 compared with 100 mg kg⁻¹ EO,

^θp < 0.01 compared with 100 mg kg⁻¹ EO determined by Student-Newman-Keuls test. M, morphine; N, naloxone; EO, essential oil of S. thymbra.. S, second, min, minute.

Figure 3 Percent increase in carrageenan-induced paw edema in control rats treated with vehicle (2% Tween 20), in rats treated with 50, 100, and 200 mg kg⁻¹ S. thymbra., and 10 mg kg⁻¹indomethacin. Percent increment in paw swelling was calculated by using the values before carrageenan injection. Data are expressed as mean and vertical lines show SEM (n = 10 for each group). *p < 0.05, ^#p < 0.01 vs. control. EO, essential oil of S. thymbra..