Anti-Inflammatory
Activity of Some Indigenous Sudanese Plants
Sara M.O. Ismaiel1, Elhadi
N. Mahmoud2*, Abdelkhalig M. Mahmoud1
1College of
Pharmacy, University of Khartoum, Sudan
2College of
Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University of Science and Technology
Network (UAE)
*Corresponding Author E-mail: hadimoud@yahoo.com, jrac.elhadi@ajman.ac.ae
ABSTRACT:
Three
medicinal plant extracts from Sudan, used in traditional medicine, were
investigated for their anti-inflammatory activity against carrageenan-induced
inflammation.
The present study
is an endeavor to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of methanolic extract of Solenostemma argel leaves, Hordeum
vulgare grains and Ziziphus
spina-christi fruits. The anti-inflammatory activity of the
extracts was evaluated using the carrageenan-induced
Wister rats edema model. Among the extracts, the S. argel
extract at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight exhibited an inhibition of
inflammation after 3hr (22%) of carrageenan
administration. The most significant inhibition was revealed by the Z. spina-christi after 1 hr. (55%), at a dose of 100 mg/kg
body weight, whilst the extract of H. vulgare grains
had no effect on the edema at the same concentration.
KEYWORDS: plant extracts activity; Sudanese medicinal plants; anti-inflammatory activity.
INTRODUCTION:
A number of medicinal plants growing in Sudan have been used in folk
medicine for treatment of inflammation. Hordeum
vulgare (L.),
Solenostemma argel
(Del. Hayne), and Ziziphus spina-christi (L.)
Willd are three of such Sudanese species. These
plants also possess different medicinal properties.
Hordeum vulgare
grass is a very nutrient dense food, providing a high concentration of
minerals, vitamins and amino acids per serving.
On the basis of scientific research barley is
used orally for bronchitis, diarrhea, gastritis, inflammatory bowel conditions,
and cancer prevention. It is also used for lowering blood sugar, blood
pressure, and cholesterol, and for promoting weight loss. It is also used for
increasing strength and stamina. Topically, barley is used for treating boil1.
Ziziphus spina-christi stem bark was reported for its antidiarrheal
effects 2. Different extracts of the leaves, fruits and seeds showed
antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial activities 3.The aqueous
extract of the plant is reported to possess antinociceptive
activity.4
Solenostemma
argel leaves are used in indigenous medicine for the treatment of some
diseases such as the disease of liver and kidney. It is an effective remedy for
bronchitis, neuralgia, and measles and as remedy for healing wounds. The leaves
are infused to treat gastro-intestinal cramps and stomach colic5.
The traditional
uses of the above taxa as well as literature reviewing
initiated our study on the anti-inflammatory activity of them.
MATERIALS AND
METHODS
Plant
Materials
The grains of Hordeum vulgare, the leaves
of Solenostemma argel and the
fruits of Ziziphus spina-christi
were purchased from Khartoum State market, in 2011.They were identified and
authenticated in the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Institute (MAPRI),
Sudan.
Preparation of the Extracts
The air-dried powdered plant materials (200 g each)
were Soxhlet-extracted separately and
successively using chloroform, followed by methanol. The extracts were then
dried using a rotary evaporator.
Each residue was weighed and the yield percentage was determined. For
each, the methanol residue (2 g) was
dissolved in methanol 20 ml (conc. 100 mg/ml), and kept in refrigerator until
used.
Animals
Albino rats
(150-180 g) were used in this study. The rats were gifted by Zayed Complex for Herbal Research and housed in the Animal
House of the college of Pharmacy /Ajman University. Animals were maintained
under standard environmental conditions (temperature and had free access to
feed and water ad libitum.
For screening of plant extracts (100 mg/kg/5ml), 9 rats
per experiment (control, plant extract and standard drug) were used.
Assessment of
anti-inflammatory activity: the carrageenan-induced
rat paw edema model
Anti-inflammatory
activity of the extracts was evaluated by the carrageenan-induced
edema model in Wister rats 6. The albino rats were divided into
three groups (N = 3). Acute inflammation was induced by an intradermal
injection of 0.05 ml of 1 % of carrageenan suspension
(w/v) in the right hind paw of rats.
Group 1, was
served as a control, and received 0.9% normal saline intraperitoneally
(IP).
Group 2, was the
positive control, and was injected (IP) with diclofenac
sodium (100 mg/kg of body weight) 30 min before the injection of carrageenan solution.
Group 3 was
injected (IP) with the plant extract (100 mg/kg of body weight) 30 min before
the injection of carrageenan solution.
The initial
volume of the right hind paw was measured 3X
by a vernier caliber (V0) The edema volume was
measured 3 h after the injection of carrageenan
solution using the vernier calliper.
The difference in volume between the injected and uninjected
paw was calculated and taken as the edema volume for all groups. The edema
volume of the groups treated with the extracts of plants or diclofenac
was compared with the control group. The percentage of inhibitory activity at
was calculated according to the following formula
Percent
Inhibition = 1 – Vt / VC x 100
Where, ‘Vt’
represents edema volume in test materials and ‘Vc’
represent edema volume in control.
Statistical analysis
The data was
analyzed statistically using the unpaired Student’s t-test to discover the
difference.
P-values < 0.05,
< 0.01 were considered to be statistically significant, indicating
that plant extract reduces the edema as compared to the control animals and
thereby possesses anti-inflammatory activity.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The results of the anti-inflammatory activity of the
three methanolic extracts are shown in Tables 1, 2,
and 3.
Table 1 Anti-inflammatory effects
of methanolic extracts of H. vulgare,
S.argel and Z.spina-christi
on carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. (The Mean paw volume ±SEM (mm))
|
Treatment (100mg/kg) |
Mean paw volume ±SEM (mm) |
||||
|
0 time |
After1 hr |
2hr |
3hr |
4hr |
|
|
Control
normal saline |
4.10±0.30 |
5.67±0.33 |
7.37±0.31 |
6.67±0.17 |
6.90±0.35 |
|
Standard diclofenac |
4.27±0.06 |
5.23±0.15 |
5.30±0.10** |
5.10±0.10** |
4.20±0.00** |
|
Solenostemma argel |
4.17±0.09 |
5.53±0.47 |
7.33±0.49 |
6.17±0.55 |
6.90±0.26 |
|
Hordeum vulgare |
3.77±0.32 |
6.00±0.58 |
8.33±0.84 |
7.27±0.20* |
6.77±0.39 |
|
Ziziphus spina-christi |
5.10±0.55 |
5.80±0.20 |
7.03±0.31 |
7.27±0.31 |
7.07±0.78 |
Significant
relative to control reading: *p<0.05, **p<0.01, (n=3). SEM = Standard
error to mean.
Table 2 Anti-inflammatory effects of methanolic extracts of
H. vulgare, S.argel
and Z. spina-christi
on carrageenan-induced
rat paw
edema( %increase
in paw volume ±SEM (mm)
|
Treatment (100mg/kg) |
% Increase in paw volume ±SEM (mm) |
||||
|
0 time |
After1 hr |
2hr |
3hr |
4hr |
|
|
Control
normal saline |
4.10±0.30 |
38.53±0.02 |
81.06±0.11 |
65.15±0.17 |
70.25±0.16 |
|
Standard diclofenac |
4.27±0.06 |
22.72±0.04 |
24.31±0.04 |
19.55±0.02 |
-1.51±0.02 |
|
Solenostemma argel |
4.17±0.09 |
33.02±0.12 |
76.60±0.15 |
48.58±0.16 |
65.48±0.03 |
|
Hordeum vulgare |
3.77±0.32 |
59.47±0.10 |
120.77±0.06 |
94.86±0.12 |
81.38±0.14 |
|
Ziziphus spina-christi |
5.10±0.55 |
15.70±0.09 |
39.93±0.10 |
45.03±0.13 |
38.87±0.06 |
Table 3 Anti-inflammatory effects of methanolic extracts of H. vulgare,
S.argel and Z. spina-christi on carrageenan-induced
rat paw
edema.
(%inhibition in edema ±SEM (mm))
|
Treatment (100mg/kg) |
% Inhibition in edema
±SEM (mm) |
||||
|
0 time |
After1 hr |
2hr |
3hr |
4hr |
|
|
Control
normal saline |
4.10±0.30 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Standard diclofenac |
4.27±0.06 |
39±1.67 |
69±0.05 |
68±1.23 |
98±2.4 |
|
Solenostemma argel |
4.17±0.09 |
13±11.67 |
01±40.0 |
22±4.62 |
03±4.40 |
|
Hordeum vulgare |
3.77±0.32 |
-42±1.76 |
-39±0.53 |
-36±0.15 |
-07±0.40 |
|
Ziziphus spina-christi |
5.10±0.55 |
55±10.67 |
41±0.24 |
16±2.85 |
30±4.60 |
The three extracts showed great variations in
their anti-inflammatory activity, evident from the size of the edema. The study
revealed that at a dose of 100mg/kg, the methanolic extract of S. argel leaves exhibited a significant reduction of
the edema (22%).which is in agreement with
a previous report on the topical
anti-inflammatory activity of S. argel leaves7.
The methanolic extract of H.vulgare
grains failed to show any significant reduction on the edema. However, Research has explored the capacity of
methanol extract of barley grass to inhibit the carrageenan-induced
inflammation 8. H.vulgare grass is known to contain is high in
chlorophyll and contains a wide range of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino
acids, phenolic compounds and fatty acids and
antioxidants. Many studies have identified the beneficial activity of phenolic compounds on anti-inflammation.9-11
Among the plant
extracts, Z. spina-christi extract exhibited the most
significant % inhibition of inflammation after 1 hr. (55%).The extract
possessed varying degree of anti-inflammatory activity at different time.
It is documented
that carrageenan-induced edema falls in the category
of acute inflammation, which involves the synthesis or release of inflammatory
mediators at the injured site which further cause pain and fever. The early
phase (1– 2 h) of the carrageenan model is mainly
mediated by histamine, serotonin and increased synthesis of prostaglandins in
the damaged tissue surroundings. The late phase is sustained by prostaglandin
release and mediated by bradykinin, leukotrienes, polymorphonuclear
cells and prostaglandins12 ,13.
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, it
is clear that anti-inflammatory activity of Z. spina-christi fruits and S. argel leaves support their use given in
traditional medicine to reduce inflammation. However, further work should be
continued to establish the exact mechanism of action.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors are
thankful to management of Zayed Complex for Herbal
Research for gifting the animals. The Authors are grateful to extend special thanks
to Mr. Muhagir and Mr. Basil, for providing all kind
of facilities for this work.
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Received on 29.11.2013 Modified on 02.02.2014
Accepted on 10.02.2014 ©A&V Publications All right reserved
Res. J. Pharmacognosy & Phytochem.
6(1): Jan.-Mar. 2014; Page 30-32