In vivo evaluation of the traditional uses of Salvia veneris Hedge and development of a topical formulation for localized pain and inflammation.

Salvia veneris is endemic to Cyprus and used for pain relief and infectious diseases by local people. This study aimed to evaluate folkloric uses of Salvia veneris and develop a topical formulation for analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects as an alternative to NSAIDs. The analgesic activity of Salvia veneris ethanol extract was studied using an acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice and formalin-induced paw licking in rats. For anti-inflammatory activity, the formalin-induced paw edema model was used. Five topical formulations were prepared by varying the concentrations of ingredients and evaluated. One-way analysis of variance was used at the P<0.05 confidence level for data analysis. The oral LD50 of Salvia veneris in rats was greater than 5000mg/kg. The extract showed significant (P=0.008) analgesic activity in the acetic acid-induced writhing test and significant (P<0.01) dose-dependent analgesic activity in both phases of the formalin test. In the formalin-induced paw edema test, 50 and 200mg/kg of extract significantly (P<0.05) suppressed inflammation. The extract showed dose-dependent antioxidant activity with 0.04559mg/mL IC50. This study confirms the folkloric use of Salvia veneris and shows that a topical formulation of Salvia veneris can be used as an alternative to topical NSAIDs.