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

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.