Improvement of p-cymene antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects by inclusion in β-cyclodextrin

Previously, we have demonstrated the analgesic-like property of p-cymene in rodents. Short half-life is a limitation for p-cymene application and several approaches have been used to improve pharmaceutical properties of monoterpenes, including the employment of drug-delivery systems. Here, we used p-cymene/β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) complex and p-cymene (PC) isolated to evaluated whether the complex formulation is able to improve the antinociceptive activity of this monoterpene. Male mice (26-30 g) were pretreated with PC/β-CD (20 or 40 mg/kg, p.o.), PC (20 or 40 mg/kg, p.o.) or vehicle (distilled water), 0.5 h before painful tests and antinociceptive effect was evaluated at times: 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 h after treatment. We evaluated the analgesic-like effect of PC/β-CD and PC in acetic acid-induced abdominal writhes, hot-plate, carrageenan-induced paw edema and in rota-rod apparatus. Our results demonstrated that acute treatment with complex PC/β-CD produced an antinocicepitve effect (p < 0.01 or p < 0.001) for 8 h followed whereas isolated PC produced the same effect for 2 h. Similar results were obtained in hot-plate test, PC/β-CD, in all doses, significantly reduces (p < 0.01 or p < 0.001) nociceptive behavior for 8 h while isolated PC for 1 h, did so only in higher dose. Such results were unlikely to be caused by motor abnormality. Systemic pretreatment with PC/β-CD and PC inhibited the development paw edema by carrageenan 1%, but PC/β-CD did so during a longer period when compared with isolated monoterpene alone. Our results provide evidence to propose that the complex with β-CD improved analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of p-cymene.