Screening of some rare endemic Italian plants for inhibitory activity on 5-lipoxygenase

2003

Abstract The extracts of four rare plants found on the islands of Sicily, Vulcano and Marettimo, Southern Italy, were screened for their inhibitory effect on the production of leukotriene B 4 by 5-lipoxygenase in intact cells. The methanol extracts of pods of Cytisus aeolicus and aerial parts of Thymus richardii were the most active extracts, inhibiting almost completely the leukotriene B 4 production at 200 and 50 μg/ml, respectively.