The development and progression of many diseases is related with an inflammatory process, which could affect different organs or tissues. Currently, many drugs are used to treat inflammation. However, some of these compounds induce severe side effects. For this reason, the search of new therapeutic options for the treatment of inflammation is very desirable. Medicinal plants have been an interesting source for obtaining new active compounds, including several terpenes and terpenoids with anti-inflammatory activity. This book chapter includes 62 sesquiterpenes, 34 diterpenes, and 22 triterpenes with antiinflammatory activity. The anti-inflammatory effect was evaluated using in vitro, in vivo, and both models. These terpenes were obtained from 44 plant species belonging to 25 botanical families. Eight of theses species belong to the Asteraceae family and four to Lamiaceae family, respectively, and the other species belong to 13 different botanical families, one sesquiterpene was obtained from a sponge and two diterpenes were isolated from corals.

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Context: Diarrheal disease is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity and accounts for 5-8 million deaths worldwide each year. Salvia connivens Epling (Lamiaceae) is used to treat sore throat, fevers, diarrhea, malaria, and also is used as an antipyretic. Objective: The present study evaluates the efficacy of S. connivens in the treatment of diarrhea using animal models. Materials and methods: The anti-diarrheal effect of methanol extract of S. connivens was investigated on mice with castor oil, arachidonic acid (AA) or prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 )-induced diarrhea. On Wistar rats, the activity was evaluated on the intestinal transit and Castor oil-induced enteropooling. Results: The methanol extract at doses of 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg on castor oil-induced diarrhea reduced the diarrhea by 32.3, 41.9, 67.7, 74.2, 83.3, and 100%, respectively. Additionally, this extract, at doses of 200 mg/kg, inhibited AA-induced diarrhea by 100%. The methanol extract produced no effect on PGE 2 -induced diarrhea at the same doses. In Wistar rats, at dose of 200 mg/kg, the methanol extract inhibited intestinal transit and decreased the volume of intestinal secretion induced by castor oil. Discussion: The methanol extract showed anti-diarrheal effect on the animal models used. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, and saponins which may be responsible for this effect. The extract did not cause any mortality or any visible signs of toxicity or differences in food and water uptake were seen. Conclusions: These results justify the use of S. connivens as an anti-diarrheal agent.

We investigated the anti-inflammatory activity of Senecio salignus. This medicinal plant is often used in Mexico for the treatment of fever and rheumatism. Chloroform and methanol extracts of the plant were tested on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate- (TPA-) induced edema in mice ears. The methanol extract of the plant inhibited edema by 36 ± 4.4% compared with the control, while the chloroform extract exhibited an even greater level of inhibition (64.1%). The chloroform extract was then fractionated, and the composition of the active fraction was determined by GC-MS. The anti-inflammatory activity of this fraction was then tested on TPA-induced ear edema in mice, and we found that the active fraction could inhibit edema by 46.9%. The anti-inflammatory effect of the fraction was also tested on carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats at doses of 100 mg/kg; a 58.9 ± 2.8% reduction of the edema was observed 4 h after administration of carrageenan, and the effect was maintained for 5 h.

This study evaluated the inhibitory effect of myristic acid (MA) on models of inflammation and nociception. The in vitro anti‐inflammatory activities of MA were assessed on LPS‐stimulated macrophages, membrane stabilization assay, and inhibition of protein denaturation, whereas the inhibitory activity of MA on in vivo inflammation was assessed on TPA‐induced ear edema using acute and chronic assays in mice. The inhibitory effect of MA on nociception was assessed using three in vivo models. MA exerted in vitro anti‐inflammatory activity by the increase (58%) in the production of IL‐10 in LPS‐stimulated macrophages. In the in vivo assay, MA showed good anti‐inflammatory effects on the acute (ED50 = 62 mg/kg) and chronic (ED50 = 77 mg/kg) TPA‐induced ear edema. The antinociceptive activity of MA was related to the participation of the nitrergic system in the formalin‐induced paw licking test. Practical applications Previous studies with different plant extracts containing MA, as one of their major components, have demonstrated anti‐inflammatory and antinociceptive actions. However, the anti‐inflammatory and antinociceptive actions of myristic acid have not been previously reported. The results suggest that MA induced anti‐inflammatory effects in LPS‐stimulated macrophages through the participation of IL‐10. The antinociceptive effects of MA are attributed to the participation of the nitrergic system.