Development of hydroethanolic extract of Ipomoea pes-caprae using factorial design followed by antinociceptive and antiinfl ammatory evaluation

AbstractIpomoea pes-caprae (L.) R. Br., Convolvulaceae, is a medicinal plant that grows abundantly as a pan-tropical stand plant. The 32 (two factors and three levels) factorial design, was applied to determine the best time and drug/solvent proportion to maximize the fl avonoid content in the hydroethanolic extract by maceration process. The antinociceptive and anti-infl ammatory effects were studied at 5–20mg/ kg, i.p., using the writhing test and carrageenan-induced pleurisy models in mice. The optimized extract was able to inhibit more than 50% of abdominal writhing at 20mg/kg, with 55.88%±2.4 of maximum inhibition. Indomethacin, used as positive control, inhibited 64.86% at 10 mg/kg. In the pleurisy model, the extract produced dose-dependent inhibition of the fi rst phase of infl ammation (4 h) in the pleural cavity induced by injection of carrageenan (1%) in mice. It inhibited 50%±0.82 (p<0.01) of exudation induced by carrageenan, and 60.88%±0.14 (p