Anti-inflammatory activity of some Iraqi plants using intact rats.

Five plants (Myrtus communis, Apium graveolens, Matricaria chamomilla, Withania somnifera and Achillea santolina) grown in Iraq were assessed for their anti-inflammatory activity on intact rats by measuring the suppression of carrageenan-induced paw edema produced by 1/10 of the intraperitoneal LD50 doses for the respective 80% ethanol extracts. Acetylsalicylic acid was used as the standard drug. Results showed that the plants possessed varying degrees of anti-inflammatory activity and were classified in the following descending order of activity: W. somnifera greater than A. graveolens greater than A. santolina greater than M. chamomilla greater than M. communis.