A study on anti-inflammatory and peripheral analgesic action of Salvia sclarea oil and its main components

Activity against the acute inflammatory process induced by carrageenin and histamine in rats and the anti-nociceptive effect in mice were investigated after administration of Salvia sclarea oil and some of its constituents. The oil showed a significant anti-inflammatory effect and moderate analgesic action after subcutaneous injection at a dose of 250 mg/kg. The anti-inflammatory action was more conspicuous in the carrageenin-induced edema, where it produced the equivalent effect of a 5 mg/kg dose of indomethacin, than in the histamine-induced edema. The effect was correlated to the presence of methyl chavicol, linalool, α-terpineol and linalyl acetate. The results show that these constituents produce less anti-inflammatory action when administered separately than the oil in toto, and are also less effective than the oxygenated fractions obtained by Flash chromatography of the oil. This indicates that the action of the oil is determined by synergistic action of its constituents. The moderate peripheral analgesia (evaluated by writhing test) produced by S. sclarea oil appears to be mainly attributable to its alcoholic component.