ABSTRACT
The white willow, Salix alba L., rich in polyphenols and flavonoids, is traditionally used for its antipyretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory potential in Algeria. As part of the ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants in Setif region in Algeria, in the present study, we assessed the safety profile of S. alba barks methanol (SAME) and aqueous (SAQE) extracts, their phytoconstituents, and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The in vitro antioxidant activity was evaluated by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), reducing power and hydroxyl radical tests assays. HPLC analysis identified 16 compounds in each extract with different concentrations. Gallic acid, syringic acid and cinnamic acid were high in the aqueous extract, while the methanol extracts were rich in chlorogeni cacid, catechin, methyl gallate, pyrocatechol, rutin, ferulic acid, naringenin, taxifolin and kaempferol. The extracts showed significant reducing power, DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging effects. In vivo tests showed a strong effect on carrageenan-induced paw edema after 5 h with an inhibition of 88.62 and 87.56% for SAME and SAQE (500 mg/kg), respectively. The extracts also at 500 mg/kg showed significant inhibition of xylene-induced ear edema of 57.81% with SAME 67.18% with SAQE. The results have shown that the methanol and aqueous extracts of the barks of S. alba had no toxic effect on biochemical parameters as well as the organ weights and behaviour. It indicates that S. alba could be a promising source of anti-inflammatory agent.
ABSTRACT
Background: Antioxidants from plants are preferred due to their multiple mechanisms of actions. In this study, the mixture of flowers and leaves (according to traditional use) of Cytisus triflorus (Fabaceae) was assessed for their in vitro antioxidant activities. Materials and Methods: The mixture leaves-flowers powder was macerated in methanol, filtered, and then dried to give the crude extract. The crude extract was successively extracted with different solvents of increasing polarity giving: petroleum ether extract, chloroform extract and ethyl acetate extract. Total phenol content was determined by Folin-ciocalteau assay and the AlCl3 method was used for determination of the total flavonoids. The mixture was assessed for its in vitro antioxidant activity using spectrophotometric methods like DPPH, β-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching, Ion chelating, reducing power, Superoxide anion radical scavenging, ABTS radical scavenging, Hydrogen peroxide and Anti-Hemolytic Assays. Antioxidant activities were compared with BHT and ascorbic acid as standard antioxidants. Results: Quantitative analysis of antioxidative components showed that ethyl acetate extract is the richest fraction in term of polyphenols (69.78 ± 2.97 µg GAE/mg of extract) when chloroform extract has the highest amount of flavonoids (17.4 ± 0.46 µg QE/mg extract). Results showed that the crude extract and fractions of this plant exhibited high antioxidant activities. Crude extract showed the strongest effect in almost all tests (DPPH, ion Chelating, β-carotene/linoleic acid bleaching and Anti-Hemolytic assays), when petroleum ether extract was the weakest one. Aqueous extract exhibited the highest activity in reducing power test with IC50 value of 320 µg/mL while chloroform extract was the most effective in hydroxyl scavenging assay (IC50 = 440.45 µg/mL). In hydrogen peroxide scavenging test, ethyl acetate extract was the most effective with a similar effect to that of ascorbic acid (IC50 = 1.54 µg/mL). Conclusion: Results obtained indicated that extracts from Cytisus triflorus exhibited a potential effect to prevent disease caused by the overproduction of radicals.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to evaluate anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects of methanolic extracts from fruits and leaves of Capparis spinosa. For hepatoprotective activity, liver injury was induced in male Wistar mice by administration of CCl4 (1 ml / kg of CCl4 30% in olive oil,), while C. spinosa leaf extract (CSLE) and fruit extract (CSFE) were administered orally to the experimental animals. Haematoxylin and Eosin based histology was performed to evaluate the histological changes in the liver. In vitro anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using albumin denaturation assay and membrane stabilization inhibitory activity at different concentrations. The methanol extracts showing effective in vitro anti-inflammatory activity were also tested for in vivo anti-inflammatory activity by carrageenan-induced paw edema in mice model. At a dose of 400 mg / kg, both extracts showed significant reduction of edema in the early and late phases of acute inflammation with a maximal effect at 6 hours after induction of the inflammation. Also and at the concentration of 400 µg / ml, the CSFE and CSLE exhibited significant protection of erythrocyte membrane against the lysis induced by heat (35.4% and 28.4%, respectively) and induced hypotonicity (58.9% and 72.8%, respectively). They also showed a significant protective effect, with a maximum percent of inhibition of the denaturation of albumin of 61.78% and 61.12%, respectively. Moreover, both extracts showed significant hepatoprotective activity that was evident by enzymatic examination and histopathological study. These findings proved that CSFE and CSLE have an anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activities, although slightly better for the leaf extract.
ABSTRACT
Germander (Teucrium polium) is commonly used as medicinal plant in Algeria against a variety of human diseases. This study aims to evaluate toxic effects of T. polium methanol extract (TPME) in Swiss albino mice. Biochemical parameters, organs morophology and histopathology were investigated. TPME gave a LD50 of 442.81 and 686.77 mg/kg of body weight (b.w.) in male and female mice, respectively. The acute treatment for seven days at a dose of 100 mg/kg of b.w. didn’t show any difference in body weight, relative mass and blood biochemical parameters. Histopathological examination revealed a moderate congestion in kidneys and an inflammatory infiltrate in liver. The chronic effect for 30 days at doses of 50 and 75 mg of TPME/kg of b.w. resulted in a significant increase of renal (urea), hepatic (aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase) parameters, accompanied by a significant decrease of cholesterol level. Histopathological examination confirmed the biochemical tests by the observation of necrosis areas, ballooning degeneration and peliosis in liver sections and the presence of marked vascular congestion in kidneys in both sexes. In conclusion, the use of Teucrium polium L. may cause hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity after prolonged herb administration.
ABSTRACT
Capparis spinosa (Capparidaceae) dicotyledons from the class of spermaphytes, is a shurb, enduring and woody plant, typically Mediterranean, largely used in folk medicine in the Mediterranean countries including Algeria. The aim of the present research is to assess the in vitro effects of aqueous extract of different parts of Capparis spinosa (leaves, fruits and seeds) on rat trachea in order to establish them as a real source for the isolation of bioactive compounds with potential use as anti-obstructive or anti-allergic agents. Rings of windpipes of rat Wistar were isolated, streamlined cut and suspended in organ bath containing 10 ml of Krebs physiological solution. The addition of Capparis spinosa extracts (0.1, 1 and 10 mg/ml) during the step of contraction by acetylcholine showed various effects on trachea. Incubation of the windpipe for 30 mn with extracts proves to be so efficient. The dose of 10 mg/ml showed a significant relaxant effect for fruits and seeds, and constrictor effect for the leaves. The results showed a potent relaxant effect of the fruit aqueous extract of Capparis spinosa, on rat trachea, with a dose dependant manner. However, the leaf aqueous extract has a contractive effect. A muscarinic receptor blockade/stimulation was suggested for caper/leaf extracts.