Abstract

Bursera morelensis Ramírez bark is used by people of San Rafael, Coxcatlán, in Puebla State, México, as a traditional remedy to heal skin wounds. In the present study, we evaluated anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antioxidant activities of the methanolic extract (MP) obtained from the bark. Our results demonstrated that MP of B. morelensispossesses anti-inflammatory activity by inhibition of paw edema induced by carrageenan in rats. The dose of 50 mg/kg was comparable with indomethacin used as reference standard. The extract (50 mg/kg) also diminished 28.01% of the number of neutrophils migrating into the peritoneal cavity. At the same dose, an analgesic activity of the extract was observed by inhibition of acetic acid induced writhing response in mice. The extract also showed a strong capacity of DPPH radical scavenging with an EC₅₀ of 3.05 µg/mL that was comparable with quercetin (EC₅₀ = 4.45 µg/mL). The biological activities of the extract are attributed to its mixture of phenolic compounds (50.5%), particularly phenilpropanoids and flavonoids. The anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antioxidant properties shown by the extract favor the wound healing, thus controlling the inflammatory process without inhibiting it. This study supports the traditional use of B. morelensis bark for the treatment of acute skin wounds.

Key words: Bursera morelensis, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, wound healing, phenolic compounds