Abstract: Objective To determine the effective fraction of Smilax for treatment of chronic pelvic inflammatory disease (CPID)
by pharmacodynamic screening as the basis for further development of sarsaparilla preparations. Methods The chemical
fractions of Smilax were administered intragastrically in rat models of CPID induced by injecting phenol mucilage into the
uterus to observe the therapeutic effects. The anti-inflammatory effects of different extract fractions from Smilax were tested in
mice with xylene-induced ear edema and in rats with cotton-ball-induced granuloma. Results High-dose ethyl acetate extract
of Smilax could obviously inhibit uterus inflammation in rats with CPID, showing also strong anti-inflammatory effects
against ear edema in mice and granuloma in rats (P<0.01). The moderate dose of ethyl acetate extract also obviously
ameliorated the inflammation. Both the ethyl acetate extract fraction and the total extract fraction of Smilax showed
anti-inflammatory effects, while the former produced strong effects while the latter has only weak actions. Conclusion The
ethyl acetate extract fraction of Smilax is the effective fraction to produce anti-inflammatory and anti-CPID effects.