Evaluation of the Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic Activity of the Ethanolic Extract Arial Parts of Calendula suffruticosa subsp. Suffruticosa Vahl

The current study aims to evaluate the toxicity and the pharmacological activities of a spontaneous, medicinal and aromatic plant of the North-east of Algeria. Calendula suffruticosa subsp. suffruticosa Vahl. (Asteraceae) is widely used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases including inflammation, duodenal ulcers, burns and skin diseases. The anti-inflammatory activity of the ethanolic extract was evaluated by the inflammatory edema test induced by carrageenan in mice. And the analgesic activity has been determined in a model of pain induced by acetic acid. The diclofenac and acetylsalicylic acid are used as reference drugs. The toxicological study of the ethanolic extract revealed that the LD50 of this extract is greater than 1,000 mg/kg of body weight. The ethanolic extract at the dose 200 and 400 mg/kg administered orally and possesses a significant anti-inflammatory activity (test of Anova). The results of the analgesic activity also show the strong effect of the extract tested against chemical pain. This extract at a dose of 400 mg/kg, has analgesic activity greater to that of acetylsalicylic acid in the dose of 100 mg/kg, with a percentage inhibition of 81.13 ± 1.09%. These results confirm the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of Calendula suffruticosa subsp. suffruticosa Vahl., which are mainly due to the phytochemical composition of the extract studied.