Anti-Inflammation Effect of Alcoholic Extract of Linum Usitatissimum L. in Male Rats

The anti-inflammatory drugs are associated with the wide side effect. The herbal medicine has fewer side effects. Numerous references to anti-inflammatory effects of Linum usitatissimum L. have been noted in our traditional medicine. In the present study، anti-inflammatory effects of flaxseed extract has been studied and with anti-inflammatory effects of sodium salicylate was compared. In this experimental study 90 male albino rats (weighing 200? 300 gr) were used. Animals were randomly divided into 15 groups (n=6): positive control (sodium salicylate 200 mg/kg i. p.)، negative control (DMSO 10%، 10 ml/kg i. p.) and treatment groups received extract (100، 200،400 mg/kg i. p.) in a similar volume. Flaxseed hydroalcholic extract was prepared by maceration. Half an hour after، inflammation was induced by injection (s. c.) 0. 1 ml Carrageenan (1% w/v in saline solution) into the hind paw or 0. 03 ml xylene behind the ear and or 1 ml ovalbumin (2%) into the hind paw. The paw volume was measured with plethysmometer in 1، 2، and 3 h after the carrageenan (or ovalbumin) injection. In xylene test، 0. 03 ml of xylene was injected to the posterior surfaces of the right ear and the weight of two ears after 2 h was also compared. The results showed that all doses of Flaxseed hydroalcoholic extract in dose-dependent manner significantly reduced inflammation in both acute and chronic phases in compared with the negative control group (p<0. 05، p<0. 01). The extract (400 mg/kg) reduced inflammation in Carrageenan test 56%، the albumin 69%، and xylene 60% when compared with anti-inflammatory effects of sodium Salyslat (50%). The results of this study showed that flaxseed extract has significant anti-inflammatory effects but to understand the possible mechanism of this effect، additional research is needed.