Advantages of a combination of proteolytic enzymes, flavonoids and ascorbic acid in comparison with non-steroid anti-inflammatory agents.

The action of a combination of chymotrypsin-trypsin + flavonoids + ascorbic acid (zymolean) has been compared with that of 7 non-steroid anti-inflammatory substances in 4 tests: a histamine induced wheal, dextran and carrageenin induced edemas, and permeability to Evans blue in the peritoneal cavity. 1. The non-steroid anti-inflammatory substances, which reduce markedly the carrageenin induced edema, are active against peritoneal permeability, but bring about almost no decrease in the effects of histamine and dextran. 2. The combination studied is effective in all of the techniques. 3. The reduction of capillary permeability induced by histamine is due to the action of flavonoids and ascorbic acid. 4. The action of the proteolytic enzymes, administered by duodenal route, on the one hand, and that of hesperidin-methylchalcone + methyl-4-esculetol + ascorbic acid on the other, accumulate to reduce the two types of edema. 5. The effect against permeability in the peritoneum seems to exerted by the combination of the flavonoids + ascorbic acid. 6. The combination studied, therefore, shows a more complete spectrum of action than the non-steroid anti-inflammatory substances against initial symptoms of inflammation.