Pharmacological activity and chemical composition of callus culture extracts from selected species of Phyllanthus.

This study was conducted in order to determine the chemical composition and the possible antinociceptive effects in mice of some species of Phyllanthus in vitro. The methanolic extracts obtained from callus cultures of P. fraternus, P. stipulatus and P. caroliniensis caused significant inhibition in to the late phase of the formalin test, whereas the extract from P. urinaria inhibited both neurogenic and inflammatory phases of the test. Conventional chromatographic methods (TLC, GC) permitted the detection of some steroids or triterpenes, including beta-sitosterol, glochidonol and glochidone, which seem be responsible for the antinociceptive effects of the callus extracts studied.