Biomaterial Database

The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of 25 plant species used traditionally to treat pain in southern African. 2015

Salmon A Adebayo, and Jean P Dzoyem, and Leshweni J Shai, and Jacobus N Eloff

Phytomedicine Programme, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort, Pretoria, 0110, South Africa. adebayosa@tut.ac.za.

BACKGROUND Inflammation is a common risk factor in the pathogenesis of conditions such as infections, arthritis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity and cancer. An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used traditionally to treat inflammation and related disorders such as pain, arthritis and stomach aches in southern Africa led to the selection of 25 plant species used in this study. METHODS The antioxidant activities of acetone extracts were determined by measuring the free radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing ability, respectively. The anti-inflammatory activities of the extracts were determined by measuring the inhibitory effect of the extracts on the activities of the pro-inflammatory enzyme, lipoxygenase and inducible nitric oxide synthase. RESULTS Extracts of Peltophorum africanum had good antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 4.67 ± 0.31 μg/mL and 7.71 ± 0.36 μg/mL compared to that of the positive control ascorbic acid (2.92 ± 0.14 μg/mL and 13.57 ± 0.44 μg/mL), using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging and 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) methods, respectively. The metabolism of linoleic acid to leukotriene derivatives by 15-lipoxygenase (15-LOX) was also inhibited by the crude acetone extracts of Peltophorum africanum (IC50 = 12.42 μg/mL), Zanthoxylum capense (IC50 = 14.92 μg/mL) compared to the positive control quercetin (IC50 = 8.75 μg/mL). There was a poor correlation between the flavonoid content and 15-LOX inhibition by the extracts (R(2) = 0.05), indicating that flavonoids are not involved in LOX inhibition. Extracts of Clausena anisata, at a concentration of 6.25 μg/mL inhibited nitric oxide production by RAW 264.7 macrophage cell lines in vitro by 96 %. The extracts of Zanthoxylum capense were the least cytotoxic (IC50 > 1000 μg/mL) when the extract toxicity was determined against Vero (African green Monkey) kidney cell lines. CONCLUSIONS Some plant species used traditionally to treat pain have reasonable anti-inflammatory activity and flavonoids are probably not involved in this process.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007887	Fabaceae	The large family of plants characterized by pods. Some are edible and some cause LATHYRISM or FAVISM and other forms of poisoning. Other species yield useful materials like gums from ACACIA and various LECTINS like PHYTOHEMAGGLUTININS from PHASEOLUS. Many of them harbor NITROGEN FIXATION bacteria on their roots. Many but not all species of "beans" belong to this family.	Afzelia,Amorpha,Andira,Baptisia,Callerya,Ceratonia,Clathrotropis,Colophospermum,Copaifera,Delonix,Euchresta,Guibourtia,Legumes,Machaerium,Pithecolobium,Stryphnodendron,Leguminosae,Pea Family,Pithecellobium,Tachigalia,Families, Pea,Family, Pea,Legume,Pea Families
D008517	Phytotherapy	Use of plants or herbs to treat diseases or to alleviate pain.	Herb Therapy,Herbal Therapy
D009569	Nitric Oxide	A free radical gas produced endogenously by a variety of mammalian cells, synthesized from ARGININE by NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHASE. Nitric oxide is one of the ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT RELAXING FACTORS released by the vascular endothelium and mediates VASODILATION. It also inhibits platelet aggregation, induces disaggregation of aggregated platelets, and inhibits platelet adhesion to the vascular endothelium. Nitric oxide activates cytosolic GUANYLATE CYCLASE and thus elevates intracellular levels of CYCLIC GMP.	Endogenous Nitrate Vasodilator,Mononitrogen Monoxide,Nitric Oxide, Endothelium-Derived,Nitrogen Monoxide,Endothelium-Derived Nitric Oxide,Monoxide, Mononitrogen,Monoxide, Nitrogen,Nitrate Vasodilator, Endogenous,Nitric Oxide, Endothelium Derived,Oxide, Nitric,Vasodilator, Endogenous Nitrate
D010084	Oxidation-Reduction	A chemical reaction in which an electron is transferred from one molecule to another. The electron-donating molecule is the reducing agent or reductant; the electron-accepting molecule is the oxidizing agent or oxidant. Reducing and oxidizing agents function as conjugate reductant-oxidant pairs or redox pairs (Lehninger, Principles of Biochemistry, 1982, p471).	Redox,Oxidation Reduction
D010146	Pain	An unpleasant sensation induced by noxious stimuli which are detected by NERVE ENDINGS of NOCICEPTIVE NEURONS.	Suffering, Physical,Ache,Pain, Burning,Pain, Crushing,Pain, Migratory,Pain, Radiating,Pain, Splitting,Aches,Burning Pain,Burning Pains,Crushing Pain,Crushing Pains,Migratory Pain,Migratory Pains,Pains, Burning,Pains, Crushing,Pains, Migratory,Pains, Radiating,Pains, Splitting,Physical Suffering,Physical Sufferings,Radiating Pain,Radiating Pains,Splitting Pain,Splitting Pains,Sufferings, Physical
D010851	Picrates	Salts or esters of PICRIC ACID.
D010936	Plant Extracts	Concentrated pharmaceutical preparations of plants obtained by removing active constituents with a suitable solvent, which is evaporated away, and adjusting the residue to a prescribed standard.	Herbal Medicines,Plant Extract,Extract, Plant,Extracts, Plant,Medicines, Herbal
D010946	Plants, Medicinal	Plants whose roots, leaves, seeds, bark, or other constituent parts possess therapeutic, tonic, purgative, curative or other pharmacologic attributes, when administered to man or animals.	Herbs, Medicinal,Medicinal Herbs,Healing Plants,Medicinal Plants,Pharmaceutical Plants,Healing Plant,Herb, Medicinal,Medicinal Herb,Medicinal Plant,Pharmaceutical Plant,Plant, Healing,Plant, Medicinal,Plant, Pharmaceutical,Plants, Healing,Plants, Pharmaceutical
D002522	Chlorocebus aethiops	A species of CERCOPITHECUS containing three subspecies: C. tantalus, C. pygerythrus, and C. sabeus. They are found in the forests and savannah of Africa. The African green monkey is the natural host of SIMIAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS and is used in AIDS research.	African Green Monkey,Cercopithecus aethiops,Cercopithecus griseoviridis,Cercopithecus griseus,Cercopithecus pygerythrus,Cercopithecus sabeus,Cercopithecus tantalus,Chlorocebus cynosuros,Chlorocebus cynosurus,Chlorocebus pygerythrus,Green Monkey,Grivet Monkey,Lasiopyga weidholzi,Malbrouck,Malbrouck Monkey,Monkey, African Green,Monkey, Green,Monkey, Grivet,Monkey, Vervet,Savanah Monkey,Vervet Monkey,Savannah Monkey,African Green Monkey,Chlorocebus cynosuro,Green Monkey, African,Green Monkeys,Grivet Monkeys,Malbrouck Monkeys,Malbroucks,Monkey, Malbrouck,Monkey, Savanah,Monkey, Savannah,Savannah Monkeys,Vervet Monkeys
D000353	Africa, Southern	The geographical area of Africa comprising ANGOLA; BOTSWANA; LESOTHO; MALAWI; MOZAMBIQUE; NAMIBIA; SOUTH AFRICA; SWAZILAND; ZAMBIA; and ZIMBABWE.	Southern Africa