Abstract
The aim of this study was to fractionate an extract of
Xanthium strumarium L. (EXS) and to investigate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of the extract and its fractions. The ethanol extract of
X. strumarium (EXS) was fractionated on the basis of polarity. Among the different fractions, the
n-butanol fraction showed the highest anti-inflammatory activity in the croton
-oil-induced ear edema test and furthermore reduced the number of writhings induced by acetic acid in mice in a dose-dependent manner. This indicates that the
n-butanol fraction of
X. strumarium possesses potent analgesic effects which are likely to be mediated by its anti-inflammatory activity. Bioassay-guided fractionation of EXS led to the isolation and identification of ten caffeoylquinic acids and three heterocyclics by HPLC–DAD–MS
n
from the active
n-butanol fraction, implying that the active compounds are polar in nature. The isolated caffeoylquinic acids could partially explain the antinociceptive effect of
X. strumarium polar extract.