Screening of extracts and fractions from aerial parts of Stachys schtschegleevii Sosn. for anti-inflammatory activities.

Stachys schtschegleevii Sosn. is a native plant widely distributed in Iran and belongs to family of Lamiaceae and genus of Stachys. The plant is used in Iranian folk medicine in infective, rheumatic and other inflammatory disorders. In the present study the anti-inflammatory properties of different extracts and components isolated from aerial parts of Stachys schtschegleevii Sosn. were investigated. Intraperitoneal injection of hydroalcoholic extract 60 min before the induction of carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema significantly reduced the maximal oedema response attained during 4 hr and the total oedema response. A low dose of chloroform extract (100 mg/Kg) caused significant inhibition of the carrageenan-induced inflammation, whereas a high dose of 400 mg/Kg produced a pro-inflammatory response. One of the ethyl acetate extract caused a potent and dose-related inhibition of inflammation. This extract was fractionated into 11 major fractions according to increasing polarity of solvent mixtures. These results suggest that the hydroalcoholic extract of aerial parts of Stachys schtschegleevii attenuate the inflammatory response. The compounds in different fractions have also been identified to exhibit anti-inflammatory activity through thin layer chromagoraphy.