Anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective properties of Hypericum richeri oil extracts.

Oil extracts of flowering tops of Hypericum richeri Vill. prepared in three different ways were evaluated for chemical composition, and anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective activities. An HPLC method was developed for determination of two dominant flavonoids, quercetin and I3,II8-biapigenin. The carrageenan-induced rat paw edema test was used for screening the anti-inflammatory activity, while indomethacin-induced rat gastric mucosa damage test was used for evaluation of gastroprotective activity. The oil extract prepared by maceration with 96% ethanol, followed by extraction with sunflower oil by heating on a water bath, exhibited the highest anti-inflammatory (38.4%) and gastroprotective activities (gastric damage score of 0.9). The same oil extract had the highest content of quercetin (49 microg/mL) and I3,II8-biapigenin (60 microg/mL). These results approve the usage of oil extracts of H. richeri as an anti-inflammatory and gastroprotective agent.