Anti-inflammatory effect of peat distillates in animal models

Until now, the medical uses of peat derivatives have been very limited. One medicinal product made from peat is Torfot, a Soviet Union product used as a stimulator of regeneration processes, as well as non-specific immunomodulator. The aim of present study was to investigate anti-inflammatory effect of peat distillates.

Two samples of peat (upper -PD1 and deep -PD2) were collected in October 2010 by Dr. N. Demidova (Northern Research Institute of Forestry, Arkhangelsk, Russia).

The peat was distilled with steam. Female rats were injected intravenous with peat distillates in single dose of 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9ml. Indomethacin was used as positive control. Edema was induced 1h later by injection of 0.5% carrageenin solution in the planter aponeurosis of the right hind paw. The edema volume was determined using the oncometric method at 3h after the injection of carrageenin, and inhibition of edema rate was calculated [1]. Analgesic studies was carried out using the hot plate test [2].

Inhibition of edema rate after injection of PD1 in dose 0.6ml was 55.2% and PD2 in dose 0.3ml was 50.5%, while after administration of indomethacin it was 17.5%. Analgesic properties of distillates were observed in the hot-plate test at a dose of 0.9ml. The latency time was increased in 2.4, 1.9 and 1.6 times comparing to control group for indomethacin, PD1 and PD2 respectively.

This is the first evaluation of anti-inflammatory effect of distillates of peat which exhibited significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity in rats.

Keywords: upper peat, deep peat, indomethacin, edema, analgesic

Acknowledgement: the study was done in frame of FORESTSPECS project, grant agreement 227239.

References: 1. Shikov AN et al. (2010) Phytomedicine 17: 463–468

2. Shikov AN et al. (2008)J Nat Med 62: 436–440.