Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activity of flavonoids isolated from Viscum album ssp. album.

Viscum album L. has been used in the indigenous systems of medicine for treatment of headache and some inflammatory diseases. In order to evaluate this information, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the five flavonoids (5,7-dimethoxy naringenin or 4',6'-dimethoxy chalcononaringenin) derivatives, isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of the extract from V. album ssp. album, were investigated, namely 5,7-dimethoxy-flavanone-4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1), 2'-hydroxy-4',6'-dimethoxy-chalcone-4-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), 5,7-dimethoxy-flavanone-4'-O-[2"-O-(5"'-O-trans-cinnamoyl)-beta-D-apiofuranosyl]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3), 2'-hydroxy-4',6'-dimethoxy-chalcone-4-O-[2"-O-(5"'-O-trans-cinnamoyl)-beta-Dapiofuranosyl]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4), 5,7-dimethoxy-flavanone-4'-O-[beta-D-apiofuranosyl-(1 --> 2)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5). For the antinociceptive activity assessment the p-benzoquinone-induced writhing test and for the anti-inflammatory activity the carrageenan-induced hind paw edema model in mice were used. The ethyl acetate fraction in a dose of 250 mg/kg as well as compounds 2 and 5 in a 30 mg/kg dose were shown to possess remarkable antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities per os without inducing any apparent acute toxicity as well as gastric damage.