Published in:
Open Access
01-12-2019 | Research article
Crude extract from Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex. Tul.) L.P. Queiroz leaves decreased intra articular inflammation induced by zymosan in rats
Authors:
Tamires Rocha Falcão, Cássio Alexandre Oliveira Rodrigues, Aurigena Antunes de Araújo, Caroline Addison Carvalho Xavier de Medeiros, Luiz Alberto Lira Soares, Magda Rhayanny Assunção Ferreira, Roseane Carvalho Vasconcelos, Raimundo Fernandes de Araújo Júnior, Maria Luiza Diniz de Sousa Lopes, Gerlane Coelho Bernardo Guerra
Published in:
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies
|
Issue 1/2019
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Abstract
Background
Libidibia ferrea (L. ferrea) has been used in folk medicine to treat several conditions and to prevent cancer. This study performed a chromatographic analysis of the crude aqueous extract of Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex. Tul.) L.P. Queiroz (LfAE) leaves and evaluated its in vivo antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential.
Methods
Polyphenols present in LfAE were characterized by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Anti-inflammatory activity was studied in an experimental model of zymosan-induced intra-articular inflammation, conducted in Wistar rats treated with LfAE at the doses of 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg by gavage. Synovial fluid was collected for global leukocyte count, for spectrocopical UV/VIS analysis of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, total glutathione and malondialdehyde (MDA), and for quantification of inflammatory cytokines IL1-β and TNF-α by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Synovial membrane was collected for histological analysis. The level of statistical significance was p < 0.05.
Results
HPLC detected concentrations of 1.56 (0.77) %m/m for ellagic acid and 1.20 (1.38) %m/m for gallic acid in LfAE leaves. Treatment with LfAE at all doses significantly decreased the leukocyte influx into the synovial fluid (p < 0.001) and myeloperoxidase activity (p < 0.001), an important marker of neutrophils. LfAE at doses of 100 (p < 0.05), 200 and 300 mg/kg (p < 0.001) also reduced the levels of MDA. LfAE at doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg significantly decreased the levels of IL-1β (p < 0.05) and TNF-α (p < 0.001). All doses of LfAE resulted in increased levels of total glutathione (p < 0.001). Histopathological findings confirmed a reduction of the inflammatory infiltrate in the rats treated with LfAE at a dose of 200 mg/kg (p < 0.05).
Conclusion
LfAE has an important anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effect on intra-articular inflammation.