Abstract
Caesalpinia sap pan wood has been evaluated for its antiinflammatory effects based
on its traditional usage in Oriental medicine to reveal that it is active in the fertile
egg assay. Then, its extract has been fractionated monitored by the physiological
activity, resulting in the isolation of brazilin as the active principle. Brazilin,
together with hematoxylin a constituent of Haematoxylon campechianum wood, have been
subjected to various antiinflammatory assays. Both the substances have proved to exhibit
significant antiinflammatory activities in the carrageenin-induced rat paw edema test
and the fertile egg test: the order of activity was brazilin > hematoxylin, and in
the former test brazilin at 10 mgl kg p.o. was more effective than berberine chloride
at 100 mg/kg p.o. Brazilin has also been shown to be approximately as active as berberine
chloride in the granuloma pellet assay in rats. These properties of brazilin support
its clinical application of the crude drug sappan wood in certain inflammatory disorders.
