Lannea microcarpa (Anacardiaceae) is a tropical tree used in African folk medicine and commercial dermopharmaceutical formulations. Fractionation and analysis of its polar extract allowed the identification of 4'-methoxy-myricetin 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside, myricetin 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside, myricetin 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, vitexin, isovitexin, gallic acid and epi-catechin, as the major constituents. In-vivo assay (the croton oil ear test in mice) showed that the extract had significant anti-inflammatory effect (ID50 = 900 microg cm(-2)) but ten times lower than that of indometacin (ID50 = 93 microg cm(-2)), the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used as reference. Cytotoxicity and cutaneous irritation of the extract and its constituents were investigated. The crude extract and its major components did not affect cell viability in-vitro either in three different cultures (J774. A1, WEHI-164 and HEK-293) of cells grown in monolayers or in the reconstituted human epidermis (RHE, 3D model), nor did they cause release of pro-inflammatory mediators (IL-1alpha) or histomorphological modification of RHE.