| Summary: | no === Cryptolepine is the major alkaloid of the West African shrub, Cryptolepis sanguinolenta. Cryptolepine has
been shown to inhibit nitric oxide production, and DNA binding of Nuclear Factor-kappa B following
inflammatory stimuli in vitro. In order to validate the anti-inflammatory property of this compound in vivo,
we investigated its effects on a number of animal models of inflammation. Cryptolepine (10¿40 mg/kg i.p.)
produced significant dose-dependent inhibition of the carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema, and carrageenaninduced
pleurisy in rats. These effects were compared with those of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug
indomethacin (10 mg/kg). At doses of 10¿40 mg/kg i.p., cryptolepine inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced
microvascular permeability in mice in a dose-related fashion. Oral administration of up to 40 mg/kg of the
compound for four consecutive days did not induce gastric lesion formation in rats. Analgesic activity was also
exhibited by cryptolepine through a dose-related (10¿40 mg/kg i.p.) inhibition of writhing induced by i.p.
administration of acetic acid in mice. The results of this study reveal that cryptolepine possesses in vivo
anti-inflammatory activity.Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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